benefit when children are educated together. Segregating children into special programs or schools“ violates a core value of a community’ s commitment to create programs that respect, value, and educate everyone”( Brillante 2017, 3). This is also a key tenet of developmentally appropriate practice and advancing equity: Educators are tasked with recognizing and building on all children’ s strengths and with individualizing their teaching to meet the needs of each and every child( NAEYC 2019, 2020).
With the right supports and resources in place, educators can efficiently and effectively integrate inclusive practices into their settings and curricula, creating opportunities for children with disabilities to reach their full potential, establish friendships, and feel a sense of belonging( DEC & NAEYC 2009). However, barriers to inclusion exist( HHS & ED 2015; Meek et al. 2020; Swanson 2024). These include
› Attitudes and beliefs of families and educators › Varied interpretations of federal inclusion laws
› Lack of preparation in the early childhood workforce
› Lack of comprehensive services › Limited time and commitment to build partnerships
In addition, general curricula may not provide the supports needed for educators to effectively address the individual needs of children with disabilities; indeed, this is an area that requires more research( NASEM 2024).
One way to address these challenges and create more inclusive early learning settings is for educators, administrators, and those who prepare the early childhood workforce to embrace the concept of Universal Design for Learning( UDL). Just as an architectural approach ensures buildings are accessible to people with disabilities, UDL applies the practice to education. Its aim is to ensure that each and every child can participate in accessible, equitable, and inclusive learning environments, routines, and curricula( CAST 2024a).
As a physical therapist for nearly four decades, I have seen how UDL can reduce the barriers faced by children with gross and fine motor delays and disabilities. In this article, I outline how educators can use UDL as a guide to adapt their settings, materials, instruction, and routines to create learning environments that are accessible and inclusive for all learners, regardless of their motor abilities.
UDL as a Foundation for Inclusion
The UDL framework benefits all children— not just those with disabilities— by aligning the learning setting’ s environment, materials, and instruction with children’ s diverse strengths, interests, and needs( Brillante & Nemeth 2018; Kennedy et al. 2018). It is grounded in three principles( Espinosa & Elliott 2019; Gauvreau et al. 2023; CAST 2024b):
› Engagement: Content and instruction help children connect with materials and concepts by engaging their individual interests, identities, abilities, and motivations.
› Representation: Content and instruction are provided to children in multiple formats and materials. For children with motor disabilities, these might include easily accessible dress-up materials, adaptive seating, and tactile resources.
› Expression: Children are offered various ways to demonstrate their understanding, including through movement, finger plays, role-playing, art, and the use of technology.
Within this broad framework, educators must differentiate and individualize their curricula and instruction. These efforts can be wrapped into existing practices, including during planning time when educators are intentionally designing whole-group, small-group, and individual experiences and materials.
Differentiation and individualization also depend on reciprocal relationships with families: Educators have ongoing opportunities to gather and share information during formal and informal meetings with families throughout the learning year. These collaborative dialogues allow teachers to learn about children’ s cultural backgrounds, learning preferences, abilities, needs, and interests( Gauvreau et al. 2023). Armed with this knowledge, teachers can then work to ensure that the support they offer children is consistent, meaningful, aligned between school and home( Lewis et al. 2023), and aligned with UDL principles( Flett & Conderman 2001).
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