During one of my many favorite moments in my career, I briefly served as principal of a small, self-contained post-secondary program. The class had about eight students, ages 18–22, who had extensive needs. We developed strong community relationships for jobs, access to the community college, and recreational activities where students could go to the local gym. I had so much fun connecting with the young adults as they beautifully learned to navigate life to their fullest potential.
A primary focus of our students’ IEPs was transition goals, knowing that by age 22, they would be exiting from our school system. So often, we would sit at the IEP table and say:
“Let’s talk about [Student’s] transition goals.”
The team, which included the general education teacher who taught adult education, the special education teacher, the occupational therapist, the speech-language pathologist, the family, and most importantly, the student, would lean in, ready to talk about their future.
There was a clear understanding that this wasn’t just a meeting. It was a conversation about the student’s next steps in life, and we were all holding the same question:
How can we empower and prepare this amazing human so they can learn about themselves, communicate their needs, and make meaningful choices about their life as independently as possible?
Because here’s the thing: often, IEP conversations for students with extensive support needs center on building independence and life skills, things like self-care, job skills, communication, or navigating and accessing public transportation in their home community. And I’m here to say that this focus matters. It is important and essential. But here’s what we sometimes forget: building independence is building learner agency, and life skills are agency skills.
Every time we teach a student how to make a choice, express a preference, or advocate for a need, we are nurturing agency. Every time we provide opportunities for a student to participate in a classroom routine or a community activity, we are creating space and place for agency to grow and generalize. Every time we design instruction that helps a student communicate “yes” or “no,” or provide access to the learning goal, or practice asking for help, we are teaching agency.
It’s not just about what the student is learning, it’s about who they are becoming.
Learner Agency is defined as, “The belief that learners are capable of acting with purpose to achieve their goals. It includes the skills, knowledge, and dispositions to make choices and take ownership of one’s learning.” (CAST).
This definition doesn’t come with an asterisk for “some students.” It’s for every learner, including those with the most significant support needs.
We do it through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in the least restrictive environment, to the greatest extent possible.
UDL (Universal Design for Learning) is how we proactively design flexible, accessible learning environments that remove barriers and invite all students to participate, whether that’s through visual schedules, choice boards, or partner-assisted communication.
SDI (Specially Designed Instruction) is how we provide targeted, individualized supports for students with disabilities. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations 34 CFR §300.39(b)(3) SDI is defined as:
“Instruction that is tailored to a student’s unique learning needs, based on their IEP goals, and designed to help them access the general education curriculum. It includes adapting content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address a student’s specific needs.”
Let’s break it down a bit more:
Let me introduce you to one of our students, whom I will call Evan. Evan was tall, quiet, and warm-hearted, with a love for books and a gift for organizing them. He had autism, as well as anxiety, and communicated in ways that were clear to those who took the time to understand him. His dream job? Working in a library.
Evan’s IEP included accommodations like visual schedules, access to noise-canceling headphones, and extended processing time. These supports helped reduce sensory and executive functioning barriers and supported his ability to feel empowered during community-based instruction. He also had access to a preferred adult when navigating unfamiliar public spaces.
His specially designed instruction (SDI) was tied directly to his transition goals. One focused on navigating the community with increasing independence. To support this, Evan received explicit instruction and practice on reading transit schedules, using a route map, and rehearsing how to ask for help if needed. These lessons were taught through modeling, guided practice, and fading supports, and they worked!
At the same time, our program embraced UDL. Visual supports, flexible workspaces, peer modeling, and predictable routines were available for all students. Role-play, choice boards, and both low- and high-tech supports for content and communication helped reduce barriers and increase engagement. These options weren’t just scaffolds; they were essential tools for inclusion and belonging.
And one of my favorite memories was hearing from his teacher about the time Evan successfully rode the trolley to his job site, the public library. The teacher shared the story with such compassion and excitement, painting a vivid picture. Evan waited at the trolley stop, checking his watch methodically. He boarded the trolley, showed the driver his ADA card, and took a seat in the front. He wore his ID badge with pride and walked confidently off the trolley to the library. When he entered the building, he knew exactly how to greet the librarian, where to shelve books, and how to take a break when he needed it.
That moment, that independence, that dignity, that purpose, was a direct result of UDL and SDI working together in harmony. And it was learner agency in action.
Now, let’s go back to the IEP meeting I mentioned at the beginning and make this real for Evan. Here’s how we can write a transition goal that incorporates UDL and builds learner agency for a student with extensive needs:
By May 2026, given access to a visual schedule, guided role-play, and a transit map, Evan will navigate to and from a community job site with no more than one adult prompt across four consecutive opportunities, demonstrating increased independence and self-advocacy in community settings.
In this case:
This is not about removing or lowering expectations. This is about shifting the focus by believing and understanding that every student can develop learner agency when we embed UDL and SDI.
Inclusive, equitable education is about building classroom communities and adaptable environments where every student, including those with extensive needs, can actively participate in their learning, voice their educational needs, and shape their future.
From creating an IEP goal or lesson plan to establishing daily schedules, the guiding questions remain the same:
When we blend UDL and SDI, we create learning communities where the answer to each of these questions is a resounding YES!
Now, let’s go back to the small post-secondary program I began with. I’ll never forget watching Evan and his classmates navigate their lives with courage, curiosity, and growing independence. By the end of that year, Evan navigated his community like a boss, learned to cook his favorite food—grilled cheese and spaghetti—and worked at a job site that embraced his individuality and superpowers.
The small but mighty post-secondary program that I once got to lead was built on the commitment of amazing teachers and specialists, intentional design, and the powerful pairing of UDL and SDI and most of all, on the belief that every learner deserves the chance to grow, choose, and advocate for themselves.
So let’s keep building this bridge, one IEP, one lesson, one learner at a time. Because this bridge? It’s more than a structure, it’s a promise.