Teachers write effective IEP goals which include the specially designed instruction students will receive in order to achieve their goals. The instruction is then delivered to the students over the course of a year. The Indiana Office of Special Education’s Short Share on Instruction defines instruction as facilitating knowledge in a systematic way. Planning for the delivery of instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of students requires careful thought.  A research-based strategy to plan lessons to meet students’ unique learning needs is a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. UDL incorporates multiple and flexible means of engagement, representation, and response based on grade-level content standards. UDL enhances student engagement with the curriculum. Enhanced engagement also typically results in a reduction of negative student behaviors.

Are you seeing the magic connections? This isn’t some new “fangle-dangle” buzz-word. Research on UDL has been conducted over many years (Bernacchio & Mullen, 2007; Edyburn, 2005;  Rose, 2000). UDL is also defined and endorsed within the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the nation’s general education K-12 law. To assist teachers in purposeful planning with the use of UDL, PATINS has created the UDL Lesson Creator Tool. Educators can learn more about the this tool and other UDL resources on PATINS UDL page.