College of Education and Human Development

This page features resources curated by our faculty, graduate students and other content-area experts on special education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Special Education

For Educators

• Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research (MAIER)
  A unique partnership between the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services and the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development, MAIER is dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through leadership, training, professional development, technical assistance, collaborative consultation, technology and research.
• Maine Council for Exceptional Children
  The Maine chapter of the national Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), includes links to COVID-19 teaching resources, events, and other information for special educators.
• CEC Resources for Teaching Remotely
  The national CEC organization has a list of resources for teaching remotely ranging from content-area specific resources to self-care for teachers.
• CEC Division of Early Childhood
  The CEC Division of Early Childhood has articles and handouts for remote learning at the early childhood level, including on delivering services remotely.
• CEC Innovations in Special Education Technology
  CEC’s ISET division seeks to inform special educators and families, so they can better understand effective technology-based practices.
• Sample lesson plans from the National Center on Intensive Intervention
  The National Center on Intensive Intervention has various videos, tip sheets, lesson plans, and examples on remote learning including one on progress monitoring.
• Educating All Learners
  Educating All Learners includes a wide variety of remote learning resources and articles reviewed by experts. Click on Resource Library to access technology tools and information.

For Families

• Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research (MAIER)
  A unique partnership between the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services and the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development, MAIER is dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through leadership, training, professional development, technical assistance, collaborative consultation, technology and research. The site includes a resource center, parent coaching modules, and information about the MAIER Family Partnership.
• CEC Innovations in Special Education Technology
  CEC’s ISET division seeks to inform special educators and families, so they can better understand effective technology-based practices. Check out the Tech in Action section for videos that may be helpful to both educators and families.
• Center for Parent Information Resources
  A central “hub” of information and products created for the network of Parent Centers serving families of children with disabilities. There are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers in the US and territories. Find one near you.
• Understood.org
  A site focused on learning disabilities and ADHD, specifically targeted to families on a wide range of topics

Universal Design for Learning

For Educators

• UDL Guidelines from CAST
  CAST, a UDL organization, provides a great breakdown of each of the UDL guidelines and instructional practices. To explore specific guidelines, click on an item in the UDL Guidelines chart.
• Remote Learning Resources from CAST
  This link focuses specifically on UDL and remote learning, including on how to support accessibility and executive function in a remote setting.
• Guiding Principles for Building UDL Lesson Plans
  This article provides an overview of how to design UDL lesson plans for a remote setting.
• UDL Baselines
  This website provides a great overview of UDL.