Outcomes of an Interprofessional Education Event on AAC and Co-Teaching

This study explored the outcomes of an Interprofessional Education (IPE) event between preprofessional speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and special educators aimed at identifying the outcomes of IPE on preprofessional teachers’ and SLPs’ knowledge of co-teaching and classroom-based models to support students who use AAC. Students at a midwestern university completed an IPE session as part of their coursework. A pre-post assessment exploring knowledge of co-teaching and classroom-based services was utilized. A focus group with preprofessional SLPs and special educators was run to identify perceptions and practicality of classroom-based models to support AAC users. Results demonstrated the ability for a short, focused IPE session to increase knowledge of classroom-based service delivery for both preprofessional SLPs and special educators in the context of supporting AAC users. Thematic analysis of the focus group interview identified five themes, views of co-teaching, necessary supports, IPE session improvements, willingness to collaborate, and current practices. The results of this study indicate the power of short IPE sessions to improve knowledge of co-teaching and classroom-based service delivery to support students who use AAC. Responses highlight preprofessional educators’ positive perceptions toward co-teaching. However, challenges like time restraints and support may impact the perceived feasibility of classroom-based models in practice.