My first introduction to Universal Design was at a United Cerebral Palsy conference. We needed to remodel our house to accomodate our nearly teenage son who was outgrowing the bathtub and doorways in our house. The speaker on Universal Design was an architect who had remodeled his own house for his son who has CP. I thought the concept was quite common sense. When planning a space for public or private use, it seems logical to make it accessible for as many types of people as possible--short, tall, fat, thin, able bodied or not.
Universal Design for Learning also seems like a very common sense approach to teaching, especially now as we identify what seems like more and more children who need specially designed instruction. It encompasses all facets of teaching from room arrangement and curriculum to peer interaction. I like this concept and hope it is being taught to general education teachers. There are so many different learning styles and every classroom has a broad range. This concept seems to give some concrete ways to address the many needs that one classroom of 20-30 children presents.
One article reviewed stated that children need 45 minutes minimum of play to start to engage in more complex themes. Even scheduling needs to be considered a part of the environment of UDL as it, too, is a way to support positive behavior and children's learning.
