How useful is the universal design for learning in supporting autistic pupils in mainstream secondary schools?

As the number of autistic pupils enrolling in mainstream secondary schools increases (Bowen et al. 2008; Woronko and Kiloran 2011; Gunnand Delafield-Butt 2016; Martin and Milton 2017; Fuentes et al. 2020), autistic pupils face barriers when accessing the curriculum, and an inclusive framework to remove the barriers for autistic pupils in mainstream secondary schools is needed. A suitable intervention is necessary to help autistic pupils access the curriculum, and this research is investigating how suitable the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is in supporting autistic pupils in mainstream secondary schools.