JUVYNA AGUILAR
CLARITY
FOR
NEURODIVERSITY
Canvas LMS | Instructional Design | Accessibility | UDL | M.S. Capstone | Equity-Centered Design
ROLE
Instructional Designer led research, strategy, architecture, and Canvas LMS implementation with Rise 360 interactive content.
AUDIENCE
Paraprofessionals
Education Specialists
School Staff
Support Teams
TOOLS
Canvas LMS
Rise 360
Canva
WAVE, JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver
AI Integration (Google Gems)
Adobe Character Animator
Interactive Games & Scenarios
COURSE WALKTHROUGH
THE CHALLENGE
Bridging the gap between paraprofessionals and the students they support
Paraprofessionals and education specialists play a critical role in the lives of neurodivergent students. They often work without shared frameworks, consistent training, or clear channels for collaboration. The result? A gap between what students need and what they consistently receive.
For my M.S. Capstone in Learning Design and Technology at the University of San Diego, I set out to close that gap by designing a course that treated paraprofessionals as the skilled professionals that they are. This training gives them practical, accessible tools to collaborate more effectively with the specialists they work alongside.
DESIGN APPROACH
Designing for the learner the way I design for their students
Because this course was built for professional who work daily with neurodivergent learners, I held my own design to the same accessibility and clarity standards I would want their students to experience. Every decision was intentional: the language had to be clear but not condescending, the structure had to be easy to navigate but not oversimplified, and the content had to be rigorous without being overwhelming.
I applied backward design throughout, starting from the outcomes I wanted participants to reach, then building assessments and learning activities that would get them there. I also integrated UDL principles at every stage, ensuring that multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression were built into the course structure itself, not added as an afterthought.
KEY DESIGNS DECISIONS
What made this course work
🧩 Modular Structure
Two focused modules with clear outcomes so learners could track their progress and return to content easily without feeling overwhelmed.
💬 Reflective Practice
Built in moments for learners to connect content to their own classroom experiences, making the learning personal and immediately applicable.
♿️ Accessibility First
Captions, alt text, color contrast, and screen reader compatibility were built in from the start, not added at the end. Tested with WAVE, JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver.
🧠 UDL throughout
Multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression were embedded at the course level, not bolted on.
🎯 Outcome-Aligned Assessments
Every activity and check-in was designed to reinforce a specific learning outcome, not just measure completion.
✨ Clean User Experience
Consistent navigation, clear visual hierarchy, and a logical flow so learners could focus on the content, not figure out how to use the course.