Guest editorial

The Editors of this special edition (Professor Nicola Martin and Dr Damian Milton) have worked together extensively and have shared values when it comes to education. We are advocates of universal design for learning (UDL) and inclusive practice which encourages and supports everyone to fulfil their potential. In order for this to become a reality the culture of the setting, the people within it and all aspects of the environment need to be sensitive to the requirements of all learners. Autistic pupils and students are the focus of this publication but we want to avoid the danger of singling out people with this label very specifically because often what works for autistic learners works for everyone. UDL principles demand planning for diversity and belonging rather than problematising and othering some individuals, often because of ableist assumptions that difference is a nuisance to accommodate.