Students who have a disabling condition diagnosed by a medical professional (which impacts their ability to perform at their best in school) can also access accommodations/modifications.
Students eligible for accommodations and/or modifications in school have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan (described in further detail in the paragraphs below).
These are legal documents that outline the accommodations and modifications, along with other relevant information about the student’s needs.
Whether your child meets the criteria for a disability under IDEA is generally determined by an evaluation completed by a school psychologist.
Sometimes other professionals such as a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, special education teacher, school counselor, or hearing specialist participate in the evaluation process as well.
These same professionals, along with the child’s parents or guardians, can help determine what accommodations or modifications should be included in the student’s IEP or 504 plan.
Sometimes the student can give insight into what they need as well.
The purpose of the accommodations and modifications is to provide students with disabilities with the tools they need to be as successful.
It is a way to “level the playing field” with peers by removing any barriers to learning that could be related to the disability.
Just like a student who is visually impaired would receive books written in braille or books on tape so they could learn the material, students with other kinds of disabilities or conditions benefit from accommodations and modifications as well.
An accommodation gives the student an alternative or more effective way of learning the material.
A modification is a reduction in the amount of material or a change to the material itself.
Here are some more examples:
Accommodation: A student has a learning disability in reading. The teachers read math word problems aloud to the student to ensure understanding.
This allows him/her to focus on the math problem without any confusion that could emerge from reading difficulties.
Modification: A student has a disability in math and has trouble focusing on independent work. They take twice as long as their peers to complete their work. Therefore they are given half the amount of homework, so they can get it done in a timely fashion.
There are many reasons why a child might benefit from modifications or accommodations such as difficulty focusing, trouble sitting still, seizures, anxiety or depression, learning difficulties, etc.
However, in each case, the specific reasons need to be related to the child’s disability.
If you are wondering if a child has a disability or needs an IEP or 504 plan, arrange a meeting with the school team (teacher, administrator, counselor, etc.) to determine the next steps to ensure the child’s educational needs are met.
You can request an evaluation from the school to determine what your child needs.
Movement breaks are often helpful for children who have trouble sitting still.
Movement can include but is not limited to the following:
Movement is also using fidget items or stress toys such as squishy balls, chair bands, or popits.
These items can be used during a break or during classwork (if used to regulate the need to move and maintain focus).
Mental breaks are often helpful for students who have trouble applying consistent effort for a considerable amount of time.
The student may become considerably frustrated, anxious, or lose focus without a break. The purpose of the break is to allow the student to return to work in a more productive state.
Breaks could include a preferred activity (e.g., drawing, helping a younger class, resting at seat) or a movement activity like the ones mentioned above.
May be helpful for children who have trouble staying seated or sitting still for long periods of time.
Extended time is helpful for students with disabilities who have test anxiety, trouble organizing the steps in a project, difficulty working quickly, difficulty remaining focused on a task, etc.
Helpful for students with a reading, vision, or intellectual disability, or students who have trouble focusing while reading.
A calculator can be helpful for students when their disability affects their ability to solve math calculations.
They may be allowed when solving word problems, science equations, etc. (in my experience, schools have different policies in regard to offering this accommodation).
This accommodation can be helpful for students with a writing disability, or for students whose writing is affected by focus challenges.
After the first draft, the teacher would give the student feedback about any editing that needs to be done. The student will revise the work, asking for clarification if needed.
This can be done until the assignment meets expectations.
See Guided Writing for Supporting Students through this process.
This accommodation can be helpful for students with emotional disabilities (known as emotional disturbance in the school setting).
Students may be suffering from severe anxiety or depression that interferes with work productivity.
You may think all students should have this access, but most students are only allowed to see the guidance counselor on a limited basis.
If your child has an accommodation to see the support staff as needed, visits cannot be limited.
A scribe is someone who writes for a student. The student tells the scribe what to write. Helpful for students with fine motor needs (trouble holding a pencil, trouble writing legibly, etc.).
In my personal experience, some schools may not offer this accommodation, so talk to your school team.
Speech-to-text technology apps or programs are another option, such as the notes app on IPAD or the dictation feature on Microsoft Word.
Students may get a copy of class notes. They may also get guided notes, in which they fill in the blanks as the teacher explains the concepts, rather than writing all the notes).
Class notes can be helpful for students who have trouble focusing on the lesson while taking notes at the same time or for students who have trouble remembering information from a lesson.
Some students may benefit from an audio recording of the class.
Guided Notes Sample with a Graphic organizer
Helpful for students who have trouble holding a pencil, writing legibly, etc. Similar to the reasons for utilizing a scribe or speech-to-text program.
This accommodation is helpful for students who have trouble focusing in a large setting or for students who need questions/directions read aloud or clarified.
A student may be given fewer problems or asked to complete a smaller amount of work.
Another example would be giving a student a multiple-choice test with only three options to choose from whereas most other students have to choose from four choices.
A student who struggles with written expression may be asked to write two paragraphs instead of five.
A student who gets overwhelmed during math may get 10 problems instead of 20 for homework.
This is where an assignment is broken down into mini-assignments and the student is asked to complete each portion one at a time.
For example, if there are 20 questions, the student would be asked to complete five questions (take a break, show the teacher, have the work checked, etc.) and then move on to the next five.
Another example could be a long test broken up into portions over a specified number of days.
Helpful for students who benefit from comprehension checks before moving forward or who have trouble applying sustained effort without losing focus or becoming overwhelmed or frustrated.
Here is an example: Let’s say an eighth-grade student is reading on a fourth-grade level and has a reading disability.
His science teacher is giving a lesson on astronomy. For this modification, the student would be allowed to read a fourth-grade level book on the subject rather than having to read the eighth-grade level material.
A google search for “astronomy for kds” can also provide some lower-level reading material on the subject.
A student with a reading disability or other disability that makes traditional reading difficult would be allowed to listen to an audio version of a book or read along with an audio version to help them better understand the information.
With preferential seating, the student is seated close to the point of instruction, away from distracting items or objects (fidget item okay if needed) such as the door, window, pencil sharpener, etc.
Preferential seating is helpful for students who may become easily distracted by noise and movement.
Examples: student meets with teacher to discuss his/her ideas about a writing assignment, teacher share new vocabulary of an upcoming reading assignment, etc.)
Check-ins are helpful for students who have trouble or who get confused working independently.
This can be helpful for students who need to know when an activity will end due to anxiety about the length of an activity e.g., not knowing how long it will last) or because they need preparation for transitions (changes in activities that are about to occur).
This strategy can be helpful for students who struggle to understand lengthy verbal or written information.
These tools can be helpful for math if the student cannot access a calculator, or if they want to continue to practice their basic skills.
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