Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Kids Who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Have Auditory Processing Disorder
As many of you know, UDL is a framework for building access upstream: Before kids fail, fall behind, or burn out. It’s built around three core principles:
1. Engagement (the why of learning): make it safe, relevant, motivating
2. Representation (the what): offer multiple ways to access content
3. Action & Expression (the how): give different ways to respond and show learning
It’s backed by decades of neuroscience and learning research. And it’s been widely embraced in special education, in theory.
But here’s the problem:
It’s almost never applied well, or at all, for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or APD students.
D/HH kids are often supported through legal compliance (like captioning or interpreters), but not through flexible, integrated design.
APD kids are even more likely to be missed entirely—because they “pass” hearing tests and don’t qualify for structured supports.
And yet, these are the exact students who need flexible, predictable, multi-sensory access to language and meaning. They need systems that give them control, clarity, and ways to engage without fatigue or fear.
That’s why I’ve been building an upstream model, one that reflects UDL… even before I had the words for it.
For example:
I use low-gain hearing aids not to amplify but to clarify—reducing listening effort and opening up access.
I advocate for ASL, teach kids to control their own FM systems, and decide when and how to use visual supports like Cued Speech, transcription, or captions.
I assess them in real-world listening conditions—alert and fatigued—to understand what they really need.
I don’t just look at test scores. I look at signal stability, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, and sensory safety.
Similarly, UDL gives language (and research for evidence-based practice) supporting what so many of us have already been doing, creating flexible, child-centered systems that respond to actual human variation, not a narrow definition of “normal.” And it shows that these principles aren’t “extras.” They’re design features that should be built into learning from the start.
If you are a parent of a DHH (or APD) child, or work with neurodivergent kids, kids with sensory processing challenges, D/HH students, or APD learners, please consider looking at this framework:
https://udlguidelines.cast.org
Let’s stop waiting until kids fail to give them access.
