6.
4 Action and Expression – Michelle Lau
1. Apply UDL strategies
a. Universal supports ensures that EVERYONE in my class is reached, especially students with exceptionalities
UDL Concept
Representation
- Providing content in multiple
forms/media and offering a
variety of supports
Action and Expression
- Allowing students to choose
from various means to
demonstrate their knowledge
- Providing feedback and
support based on students’
level of proficiency
Engagement
- Ensuring students are given
choices that best suit their
learning needs and style.
Application to Teaching
Over 50% of my class is ELL, so I believe portraying the same information in different forms gives all students a chance
to choose what style “clicks with their brains.”
Before my lesson, I often active students’ background knowledge by having them do a “think-pair-share” activity. This
is when they each have a few mins to think/draw/write down what they know. Then they share their thoughts with a
partner and lastly, as a class wide discussion.
As the students are sharing, I write down key words on the board as well as write down new vocabulary and stick
pictures next each word.
During the lesson, I often include graphics, videos (with captions), leveled reading passages for varying reading levels,
and/or graphic organizers for all to use.
When I was teaching behavioural and structure adaptations of animals, students were put into groups and were given
free choice as to how they can demonstrate their knowledge.
As a class, we came up with a rubric together (ex: 0-1 adaptations is emerging; 2-4 adaptations is developing, 4-5
adaptations proficient, and 6+ adaptations is extending). Based on the rubric, groups could decide for themselves
where they are at and move on to their research from there.
My students came up with amazing ideas! Some chose to create a poster, while others performed a skit. Some groups
created videos with sound effects and animations added in and others created a blog with interactive features on it.
Teachers can try to offer different learning activities to engage all learners. Instead of a “boring” worksheet at a desk,
perhaps try:
- Comic strip
- Hands-on experiments
- Teaching while singing song or reciting a poem
- Creating a song with your class about the lesson
- Having lessons outside
- Treasure hunt
- Human mind map (1 student in the middle as the “main idea”; other students link arms and branch off main
idea as they make connections)
- Skipping/jumping as they do math facts
2. Include Curricular Adaptations into the lessons
Curricular Adaptations
Allow the use of alternate media
- Promote the use of various technology to
make learning materials more accessible
o Use speech-to-text or text-to-speech
o Use headphones or specialized
headsets such as “TV ears” to directly
hear the sounds from the
projector/laptop/TV
- Use various forms of media to make
concepts more concrete
o Visual learners
 Videos, pictures, graphs and
charts, key words written on
board
o Auditory learners
 Audio books
 Recording of written
information
o Tactile learners
 Flashcards, board games, pads
for notetaking
- tools can increase their participation to the
https://rockinresources.com/2015/01/writing-mini-
Include leveled reading materials and adapted
comprehension assessment
- Have various levels of reading materials that
covers the same topic/theme
- Allow students to demonstrate
understanding using multiple choice
answers, or pictures instead of open ended
answers
https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/book
Example
https://www.reviewgeek.com/55797/the-best-
headphones-for-kids/
lesson-14-graphic.html
s/paperback-books/leveled-books-classroom-
library1/p/AA300X/
How/Why does this help?
- Some students have difficulties processing
visual or auditory information. Using various
forms of media ensures students can choose a
medium that suits their learning styles
- Visuals are permanent (spoken words
disappear), so more time is allowed for
language and instructions to be processed
- Visuals have no attitude (no tone or
disapproval)
- Visuals increases students’ independence and
autonomy
- Visuals reduce anxiety
- Visuals can be more consistent than words,
making it easier to transfer between
environments and people - using the same
picture (ex: playground) to represent “outside
playtime”
- TV ears enhance speech sounds and tone
down background noises
- Some students may struggle with both visual
and auditory learning styles, so use of tactile
lesson
- Allows students to be a fully participating
member of the class while reading materials
suited to their reading level
- Students with ASD may struggle with written
output even though they understand the
story. Providing choices gives them more
avenues to demonstrate their knowledge.
Allow flexible deadlines for assignments and
adapted workload
- Students may need extra time to complete
assignments
- Reduced or increase workload as required
Provide choices to demonstrate understanding
- Allow students flexibility to choose how to
want to demonstrate learning
o Verbal presentation
o Poster
o Poem/song
o Dance
3. Embed Environmental Adaptations into the Classroom
a. Physical setting of the classroom is just as important as the lesson itself. The way a classroom looks, feels, and functions greatly impacts student
learning. Environmental adaptations can benefit any student, not just those with exceptionalities!
Environmental Adaptations
Provide “Shape of the Day”
- Write on the board to represent how the day
is going to move and look like
- For emergent readers, use pictures to
represent the subject/activity
- Consider having a smaller, personal shape of
the day at the corner of the student’s desk
and cross off/remove (if using Velcro) when
activity is completed
- For non-verbal students, use PECS to
communicate ideas and promote choosing
between 2 choices (do you want to do this or
that?)
- Use countdown strip of 3-2-1 to signal a
transition
o PECS version can include “First” and
“Then”
- Students may struggle with completing
assignments at home, and may need extra
time at school to complete work
- Some students will require a reduced
workload while others may need more to
further challenge their thinking
https://hbr.org/2019/04/why-we-dont-ask-for-
more-time-on-deadlines-but-probably-should
- Students are unique and demonstrate
learning in various ways.
- Allowing students to choose how they want
to demonstrate their knowledge means more
engagement from the student and a more
https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/kids-
authentic assessment of that student
singing
Example How/Why does this help?
- Some students (particularly those with ASD)
sometimes struggle with transitions between
activities or changes in daily routines
- Shape of the day primes the student in terms
of what is next and aids in decreasing their
anxiety about the unknown since they know
exactly what is coming next
- Use of 3-2-1 allows student to gauge how
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/67976275615272335/ long is left before the end of the activity,
decreasing the stress that comes with abrupt
transitions
http://autismcircuit.net/tool/first-then-card
Cozy Corner/Sensory room
- Promote the use of cozy/quiet corner in low
traffic area of the classroom to aid in self-
regulation
- Learn when to ask for a body break and
engage in activities they could do to calm
and refocus their bodies
- Engage in use of sensory activities and tools
o Noise cancelling headphones
o Sleep masks
o Weighted blankets
o Day tent
o Egg chair (from IKEA)
- Feel safe asking to use the sensory room as
needed (ex: cozy corner in classroom is still
too loud or overwhelming)
Provide Sensory Tools
- Promote the use of fidget tools to help
regulate stress and improve focus
o Wiggle chair, fidget spinner, stress
ball, gel floor tiles, pencil toppers,
tangle puzzles, clay, weighted lap
pads, resistant bands, foot rollers,
pressure vests, etc.
Provide flexible seating options
- allow student to choose where they want to
work
- provide seating options like group tables vs
single tables, standing vs regular tables, soft
carpet, wobbly cushion
- Explicitly teach student signs that their
bodies are stressed, practice identifying
theses signs, and
- Learn to identify signs that body is stress
http://speech-
specialed.blogspot.com/2013/09/check-out-our-
sensory-break-space.html
- Up to 95% of children with ASD have sensory
processing disorder, which makes it difficult
for them to learn and focus in a busy
classroom environment
- Fidget tools promotes self-regulation of
emotions
- Students with repetitive behavior can use
fidget tools to maintain their motions while
still being able to participate in classroom
learning and not distract other students
https://www.kaydansensory.com/en/touch-
feel/723-surfloor-liquid-gel-floor-tiles.html
- students are able to learn more about
themselves and their learning styles when
they are actively choosing how they want to
engage in their learning
https://teacherstoolkitblog.com/2020/02/flexible-
seating.html
What challenges do you see emerging as you attempt to make curricular materials accessible?
- Lack of funding to get supplies such as flexible seating options, or leveled readers
- Lack of training for staff in using the various tools (ex: How on earth do I use leveled readers?!)
- Limited space for cozy corner (Our school is super tight on space, so our custodian closet is currently doubling up as a “cozy” corner)
- Students fighting over certain resources because there isn’t enough for everybody (ex: 1 wobbly chair for the whole class)
- Time constrains for teachers to make visuals and find/create suitable graphic organizers
- Insufficient time to allow students to always have a choice how they want to demonstrate their learning (ex: not enough time for every student to do a
presentation for every task)
- Outdated technology (old iPads that no longer support needed programs/apps)

References
Caring 4 Our Kids. (2018, May 30). 5 Important Classroom Accommodations For Children With Autism. Retrieved from Caring 4 Our Kids:
http://caring4ourkids.com/important-classroom-accommodations-for-autistic-children/
Hearing Aid Buyer Today. (2020, January 3). 2020 guide to buying TV Ears – Hearing Aids for Watching TV. Retrieved from Hearing Aid Buyer Today:
https://hearingaidbuyertoday.com/2014-guide-buying-tv-ears-hearing-aids-watching-tv/
PsychCentral. (2017, March 13). 14 Possible IEP Accommodations for Children with Autism & ADHD. Retrieved from PsychCentral:
https://psychcentral.com/pro/child-therapist/2017/03/14-possible-iep-accommodations-for-children-with-autism-adhd#1