My design project on autistic

communication has made many evolutions since I first started.

This course took off from the last class with the terminal and
enabling objectives established. I needed to break down one of
them into two as they were too broad and have three in total. The
alignment table was established as a templet to help me keep my
goals in alignment with my activities. Setting up the assessments
first, varying them and working backwards was something that
was familiar to me as a classroom teacher. What was new
learning was that the assessments were also considered a do or
connect activity. Hortons absorb, do, connect best practice
activities helped me to shape my goals and to make sure that
they are in alignment with all activities. This creates a seamless
instructional plan. The absorb activities were more challenging for
me. My initial activity was to watch a recorded power point,
stopping to do an activity and continue watching another section,
and so on. However, this was pointed out to me that it was a lot of
sit and get. (I was modeling after my own background
knowledge as a classroom teacher and teacher trainings.) I now
know there are many more ways to have a learner be more
actively engaged while absorbing information. This was new
learning for me. While some of my absorb activities continue to
be power point slides, varying the way my learners take in new
information such as handouts, looking at examples of models of
communication, watching videos and looking at communication
applications made my absorb activities more engaging.
It is important to me that my students be able to access
their higher order thinking skills as much as possible. Writing
higher order verbs from Blooms Taxonomy and connecting them

with connect activities to match challenged me. Adult learners

want information that is relevant, valuable and something that
they can immediately implement. This is where I put in a lot of
reflection and discussion in the connect activities. My learners
might go home knowing how to make a story board, social story
or sign new words; but if they cant reflect on the how, why or
when then this new information is useless. As a parent of an
autistic child, constant reflection is invaluable to the success in
the communication relationship between parent/teacher and
child. I want my learners to go home already have thought about
the implementation and possible pitfalls to be overcome. I want
them to be empowered to be able to think flexibly about how to
alter their plan as needed. Working with autistic children is a fluid
relationship rather than a defined one.
I really enjoyed working with the Universal Design for
Learning (UDL). Teaching in a classroom I have had to be
hypervigilant about making sure my instructional goals meet the
needs of all, not just those with diagnosed disabilities. I was glad
to see many examples of ways I was already incorporating the
principals and became aware of some that I was not doing that
were oversites on my part. One of those I didnt think about was
printing off the power point slides so that the students can take
notes and follow along. This is important when learning the
components of making a social story or story board. That way
they can take the notes home to be able to refresh their memory
if they would like to create one of the other models that they did
not do in class. During our modules in this class, we talked about
how visuals plus audio increase the learning for students. One
other way I need to incorporate UDL is to also include closedcaptioning for videos. There are ways I have addressed UDL. One
of those is providing options for expressions and communication.
One of my projected target audience is non-native English
speakers. During the module they will have the opportunity to
participate in written reflection or verbal reflection hoping that
one or the other will work with their strengths. This will also help
those learners with learning disabilities. As many visuals as

possible will also help these two populations. Another area that I
have included UDL strategies is active hands on activities and
times for partner work and class discussion. These activities will
strengthen the learning of the students.
Working with best practice strategies and UDL, I have come
to appreciate the work that needs to be put in the forefront to
make sure it is a module that will benefit the learning of all
students and something that will stick with them. Before the
development process happens, it is important to have the goals
and activities aligned so that the instructional information is of
the best quality and greatest value to the student. I hope that the
valuable information that is given, the student will also see as
valuable enough to act on it. I feel I have grown the most in
thinking outside the box while keeping the learners needs in
the forefront of my mind and how to best design curriculum to
meet those needs.