Teachers and inclusion: improving inclusion support through co-teaching within the framework of universal design for learning (UDL)

With the many changes happening with educational policies involving inclusion, curriculum updates, and new innovative educational approaches, many teachers are finding it difficult to adjust and apply all these changes at once. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach that teachers can use to address the diverse learning needs of all students through meaningful adaptations and thoughtfully designed inclusive lessons, promoting students to access the curriculum to their full individual potentials. Co-teaching is an effective form of collaborative professional development involving generalist and special education teachers sharing individual talents and expertise while working together to plan, instruct and support all students. Professional development opportunities to gain skills and strategies in collaborative-teaching within the framework of UDL can be a powerful tool to provide adequate supports to both students and teachers while facilitating authentic inclusion.