Finally, the educators assessed their individual teaching strategies. Ms. Kelly recognized the need to incorporate more visual prompts into her approach; Ms. Gloria identified the importance of adding more auditory cues. Both committed to being mindful of providing the right level of support to foster independence while still guiding the children through their learning processes. They agreed to regularly evaluate and adjust their strategies and materials to ensure they were effectively meeting the diverse needs of their class.
Conclusion
Committing to inclusive practices is essential for achieving positive outcomes for all children. Individualizing and differentiating content and instruction under the UDL framework may be more pronounced for children with disabilities, but the skills that educators develop as they implement these strategies will ultimately benefit all learners( NASEM 2024). As emphasized in the Division of Early Childhood and NAEYC’ s joint position statement,“ the defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high-quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and supports”( 2009, 2).
Understandably, some educators may fear that they lack the experience necessary to accommodate children with fine and gross motor disabilities( HHS & ED 2015; Meek et al. 2020). To fully embrace inclusive practices, program administrators and leaders must prioritize comprehensive professional development and training for their staffs. By providing ongoing training, leaders will equip educators with the knowledge and confidence to implement inclusive strategies.( For an additional resource, see“ Strategies for Enhancing Access for Children with Motor Disabilities.”)
To begin implementing UDL-based modifications to serve children with motor disabilities in their individual settings, educators can reflect on the following questions:
› How can I adjust the physical layout of my setting to make sure children with different motor abilities can easily access materials, activities, and peers?
› In what ways can I modify my teaching for children with varied motor abilities and ensure that they understand and make progress toward learning goals?
› What strategies can I implement to ensure that children with motor disabilities can manipulate learning materials to demonstrate what they know?
› What specific modifications can I make to my setting’ s routines and schedules that will increase the participation of children with motor disabilities?
› What types of assistive technology are available that could help me engage the children with motor disabilities in my setting so that they are fully involved in the learning process?
About the Author
Temrah Okonski, PT, is a senior physical therapist at the Early Childhood Development and Education Center( formerly PACT) in Maryland and is the owner of Enhancing Movement, In-home Physical Therapy. With over 35 years of experience, she has worked in schools, child care centers, homes, hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities. temrah @ enhancingmovement. com
References
Brillante, P. 2017. The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom. NAEYC.
Brillante, P., & K. Nemeth. 2018. Universal Design for Learning in the Early Childhood Classroom. Routledge.
Case-Smith, J., & T. Holland. 2009.“ Making Decisions About Service Delivery in Early Childhood Programs.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 40( 4): 416 – 23.
CAST( Center for Applied Special Technology). 2024a.“ The Goal of UDL: Learner Agency.” udlguidelines. cast. org / more / udlgoal.
CAST( Center for Applied Special Technology). 2024b.“ Universal Design for Learning Guidelines.” udlguidelines. cast. org.
44 Young Children
Summer 2025