The 2012 Survey on Ageing, Disability and Carers estimated that 115,400

Australians had Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD for short (Australian Bureau of

Statistics, 2012). With so many Australians on the Autism Spectrum, educators are

likely to teach many students with ASD, with some groups claiming at least 1 in 63

students had a formal diagnosis and are registered to receive funding (Autism

Aspergers Advocacy Australia, 2015). Therefore, it is highly important that educators

ensure they provide inclusive learning opportunities that cater for students with

different needs. The following essay will discuss a student I have observed whilst on

practicum, identifying and explaining their strengths and areas of needs. Through

using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and current literature, I will explain and

justify the approaches taken for full inclusion of the student in a lesson plan I have

previously created.

The student I will be discussing in relation to this assignment was observed

and taught during my practicum. John (name changed) had diagnosed Autism

Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and was on government funding. John was also diagnosed

with an intellectual impairment that resulted in learning difficulties, including being

illiterate. The dual occurrence of an intellectual disability alongside ASD is not

uncommon, with Howlin (2015) suggesting that approximately 75% of people with

ASD also having general intellectual disabilities. John displayed high sensitivity to

loud and chaotic situations, and during times such as these he would be prone to

screaming and/or swearing, losing interest in the task at hand. This was particularly

noticeable when students would enter the classroom without lining up or entering in

an orderly fashion. Autism Spectrum Australia suggests that chaotic situations and
intimidating sounds can be unbearable for those with ASD (2017). Steigler and Davis

support this assertion, stating that it is common for people with ASD to feel anxious

about sound, including experiencing unpleasant physical feelings to different levels

of noise or sound (2010). Normally John would undertake his schooling within the

special learning unit, apart from attending some mainstream classes. Despite this, he

showed understanding of some of the concepts being taught and was able to convey

this through verbal and physicial communication. John also displayed keenness to

being involved in class activities, thriving during hands-on experiences. He was also

achieving outcomes on the Life Skills program (NSW Education Standards Authority,

2017).

The importance of UDL in creating an inclusive learning environment for all

students cannot be underestimated. As discussed by Eagleton (2008), the purpose of

using UDL when programming is to create flexible materials and methods before

they are put in students hands, rather than waiting until students arrive and trying

to retrofit inflexible materials to each learner (p.1). Therefore it can be argued that

a successful inclusive learning environment allows all learners to learn in their own

best way, without substantial changes being made for each student. Whilst difficult

to achieve, a fully inclusive learning environment provides opportunity for educators

to provide a high level of education to all students, something all good teachers

should strive for. Kozleski et al. (2015) support this belief, suggesting that inclusive

education is a continued principle of education, rather then a goal that can be

achieved and then forgotten about. Further to this, they state that students in

schools that have successfully provided an inclusive learning environment have all
students meaningfully included as active, engaged learners within their school

communities (Kozleski et al., 2015, p.212).

The lesson plan I have chosen is one I previously created for the topic

Film Music in the Stage 5 Music syllabus. This lesson focuses on the use of dynamics

within film music, focusing on two specific examples. In order to differentiate my

lesson plan to achieve inclusivity, UDL was used to inform my practice. The National

Centre on Universal Design for Learning describe UDL as providing a blueprint for

creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for

everyone--not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that

can be customised and adjusted for individual needs (2014). This approach to

education allows teachers to create learning environments and opportunities that

are fully inclusive for all students. When using UDL there are three principles that

should be focused upon. Edyburn (2005) states that these are-

Multiple means of representation The differing ways in which students

acquire new information

Multiple means of engagement How to keep students motivated and

focused upon the learning

Multiple means of expression Ways that students can demonstrate their

understanding of the learning

I will now discuss how each of the three principles of UDL have been incorporated

into my lesson plan.

MULTIPLE MEANS OF REPRESENTATION

Students can acquire information in many different ways. Marsh, Clarke and

Pittaway (2014) suggest that people have preferred learning styles that are

composites of various learning preferences relating to psychological, physiological,

sociological, emotional and environmental preferences (p.248). Alkhatnai (2011)

supports this, discussing how abundant research has been undertaken into the many

different ways in which people learn. This includes his assertion that more then 30

learning styles have been developed and tested (p.3). Taking this into account when

thinking of UDL, I aimed to ensure that the differentiation within my lesson plan

allowed for multiple ways for all styles of learner to acquire the new information

being presented. This included providing students with the following opportunities-

TEACHER EXPLANATION The teacher runs through the concepts being

taught, verbally explaining them to all students. This provides John with

the opportunity to listen to the concepts being explained by the teacher,

whilst also being inclusive as all students are having the concepts

explained to them

AUDITORY EXAMPLES Students are provided with musical excerpts that

show them auditory examples to analyse the dynamics. With John being

illiterate, this allows him to be able to partake in the lesson through

listening rather than reading

VISUAL EXAMPLES The use of worksheets allows for students to visually

work out the concepts being taught at their own pace. Whilst this may

not help John as he is illiterate, it allows other students the opportunity

to read about the concepts, further providing inclusivity

 PHYSICIAL EXPERIENCES The students were provided with the

opportunity of learning kinesthetically through hitting a drum at different

dynamic levels in order to understand the concepts being taught. This

helped John, as he particularly liked hands on activities.

MULTIPLE MEANS OF ENGAGEMENT

In order for students to acquire the information however, they have to be engaged

in the learning. This is the second principle of UDL. Wakerfield (2011) suggests that

providing multiple engagement strategies is paramount to achieving the

engagement of all students in all contexts. In order to achieve multiple means of

engagement to include John as well as the other students, I incorporated 3 different

aspects of engagement informed by the UDL framework. The first of these was to

ensure students lined up before entering the classroom in an orderly fashion. With

John displaying distraction and sensitivity to overly loud and chaotic situations,

ensuring a routine was followed and students were behaved allowed him to stay on

task from the very start of the lesson. The second aspect I provided was the use of

group work to analyse the second musical example in the lesson. The use of group

work allowed John to engage with his fellow learners about the content being

discussed in a smaller scale setting. Burke (2011) suggests that replacing instruction

based learning with group work can result in helping students feel engaged and

subsequently learn more (p.93). The use of group work also allowed John to

verbally communicate his understanding of the concepts being taught. With John

displaying keenness for hands on experiences, the third aspect I incorporated into

the lesson was students using a drum to experience different levels of dynamics. This
hands on task allowed John to engage in the learning through undertaking a task he

enjoyed and showed enthusiasm for.

MULTIPLE MEANS OF EXPRESSION

The final principle of UDL is multiple means of expression. In order to incorporate

this into my lesson plan I provided various ways in which students could show their

understanding of the content. Eagleton (2008) discusses the importance of this when

creating inclusive curriculum in order to meet diverse learners strategic networks

(p.3). A way of providing multiple means of expression was to allow students to

explain their understanding of the concepts being taught through class discussion. By

using teacher questioning, John and the whole class were encouraged to explain

their understanding of the learning verbally. This allowed full inclusion of John

despite him being illiterate. Another way for students to express their understanding

of the content was through physically showing different dynamic levels through the

playing of a drum. This was particularly good for John as he thrived during hands on

learning experiences. Students could also fill out their worksheet, allowing multiple

means of expression for all of the students within the class. These three means of

expression allowed for invisible inclusion of all students, not just John, within the

class and the lesson.

In conclusion, through using the UDL framework to provide John and the

other students with multiple means with which they could acquire new information,

stay motivated and focused upon the learning and show their understanding of the

concepts being taught, a fully inclusive learning opportunity environment was

created. Educators are likely to teach many students with Autism Spectrum Disorder,

so it is of high importance that they are aware of theories, models and approaches

to use when creating lessons and content for their practice. This essay has discussed

a student I have observed whilst on practicum, identifying and explaining their

strengths and areas of needs. Through using Universal Design for Learning and

current literature, I have also explained and justified the approaches I have taken for

full inclusion of the student John in a lesson plan I have previously created.
 SUBJECT: Music STAGE: 5 YEAR: 9 TOPIC: Film Music-Dynamics

Students will line up and enter class in an orderly fashion to provide routine and a calm
environment for John (ENGAGEMENT)
This lesson assumes prior learning in the area of dynamics.
Give students the accompanying worksheet and then spend 25 minutes on each of the
following pieces, following the instructions given below. Both musical examples allow
auditory learning (REPRESENTATION)

James Bond Spectre car chase scene

Teacher recaps concepts being taught for students. John, being illiterate, can listen instead of
reading (REPRESENTATION)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jygRWM3nIA0

Listen till around 1 minute

Ask students to describe what they are hearing and what type of dynamics are being used
(terraced dynamics, etc) class discussion, suits John as he is illiterate (EXPRESSION)
Listen again, repeating class discussion and filling out worksheet class discussion suits John, filling
out of worksheet may suit other students (EXPRESSION)
Once worksheet is filled out, ask students what they think the function of the music is and why

The Lord Of The Rings The Bridge of Khazad Dum Scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd33nTCt8NQ

Listen from 0:20-1:06

Ask students to describe what they are hearing and what type of dynamics are being used
(terraced dynamics, etc) instead of doing this as a class have students complete it in small groups -
verbal explanation opportunity, group work fosters engagement (Burke, 2011) (ENGAGEMENT)
Listen again, repeating class discussion and filling out worksheet
Once worksheet is filled out, ask students what they think the function of the music is and why

Students can play drum to show and understand the different dynamic levels (kinaesthetic learning)
(REPRESENTATION, ENGAGEMENT, EXPRESSION)
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