Access

This page provides resources designed to help educators provide access to a wide range of learning opportunities, activities, settings, and environments. Specifically linked below are resources related to the topics of Assistive Technology, Environmental Adaptations, and Universal Design for Learning.
  • Assistive Technology - This page provides resources for support related to assistive technology in early childhood.
  • Environmental Adaptations - This page provides resources related to creating an inclusive environment, including the physical and social components of those classrooms.
  • Universal Design for Learning - This page provides resources to understand and support the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in early childhood. UDL includes intentionally designed environments and opportunities to demonstrate learning in a variety of ways as determined by the child’s strengths and needs.
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Showing Results 1 - 13 of 13
Title: A Guide to Visual Supports (STEMIE)
Description: Visual supports are real objects, pictures, or icons that help young children follow directions, stay engaged, and try new ideas with confidence. They can include daily schedules, choice boards, and step-by-step picture directions. When adults use clear and consistent visuals during STEM activities, children are better able to focus on exploring, problem-solving, and learning from their discoveries.
Title: A Guide to Adaptations (STEMIE)
Description: A Guide to Adaptations - Adaptations, such as those shared in this guide, can ensure that each and every child, including young children with disabilities, can fully participate and engage in STEM [and other] learning opportunities and experiences at home, in early childhood programs, and in the community.
Title: Practice Improvement Tools: Environment (ECTA)
Description: Young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays/disabilities learn, play, and engage with adults and peers within a multitude of environments such as home, school, child care, and the neighborhood. Environmental practices refer to aspects of the space, materials (toys, books, etc.), equipment, routines, and activities that practitioners and families can intentionally alter to support each child's learning across developmental domains. This page include Practice Checklists,...
Title: CONNECT Module: Assistive Technology
Description: This module will help you: Describe assistive technology interventions to promote children’s access to and participation in inclusive settings. Use a decision-making process to help integrate various sources of evidence and determine whether assistive technology interventions are appropriate for use within a specific context.
Title: Early Childhood Environments: Designing Effective Classrooms (IRIS)
Description: This module, a DEC-recommended resource, offers information on how to set up effective inclusive early childhood classroom environments for young children. It also provides details about the interrelated physical, social, and temporal components of those environments, as well as adaptations to help teachers meet the needs of children with disabilities (est. completion time: 1 hour).
Title: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Learning Brain
Description: UDL offers a framework that integrates what we know about the learning brain to inform the design of environments that support all learners. Discover the connections between UDL and the brain in this article.
Title: Using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework to Enhance Engagement in the Early Childhood Classroom
Description: This article provides a brief overview of evidence-based UDL practices, with a specific focus on the use of engagement strategies for young children.
Title: What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
Description: This clearly written article provides a great introduction to what UDL is and how it works. It can be a good way to start learning about UDL for teachers and families.
Title: The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines (CAST)
Description: The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure...
Title: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in 15 Minutes (Video)
Description: Laura Taylor has been teaching Kindergarten for ages. When she first learned about UDL, she was skeptical that it was anything different than good teaching. Once she dug in, though, she realized she could reach her students in ways she never had before. Listen to the examples of how UDL enabled her to engage her students in new ways and to offer them choices for showing what they know and can do.
Title: Role of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiation in Inclusive Preschools (DEC)
Description: This chapter from the DEC Recommended Practices Monograph on Environments describes how to promote access and participation by using universal design strategies and making individualized modifications.
Title: How to Video Series (VCU-ACE)
Description: The VCU-ACE How To Series demonstrates evidence-based practices for students with ASD. These short videos are approximately five minutes and are intended to provide a quick look at implementing a particular strategy. The How To videos provide a short description of the topic with real life video examples of how to implement the evidence-based practice in the classroom with students with ASD. More How To videos will continue to be added so please check back often! (Videos on Prompting,...
Title: VDOE's Assistive Technology Network (VDOE's AT Network)
Description: Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE) Assistive Technology Network (AT Network) addresses priorities of VDOE with centralized coordination, implementation, and dissemination of information about the laws which define AT devices and services, the process of consideration of AT by Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, and AT assessment and resources.  It includes a section on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). In support of these priorities, the network has several...