What are Accomodations and Modifications?

Accommodations are changes in the presentation of classroom content, maintaining the same general curriculum material taught to typical students in a class, while making information more accessible to a student with special needs.

Accommodations work around a child's weaknesses to provide basically the same information and education as his typical peers.

Modifications to the curriculum change the information delivered, so that the child is not receiving the same information as typical peers. Modifications should only be made when necessary.

Examples:
Accommodation: Child works with manipulatives while learning addition.
Modification: Child works on addition while other students are working on multiplication.

Accommodation: Child is given a multiple choice test, while other students do fill-in-the-blank.
Modification: Child takes a test on continents while other students take a test on countries.

Here are a list of possible accommodations. Obviously, not all accommodations will work for all children. If you know of a useful accommodation not listed here, please share!

Possible Accommodations:

In Class:

• Allow student to tape lectures
• Allow typewritten homework
• Allow student to hand in a written outline instead of chapter notes
• Peer tutoring
• Have teachers give student a copy of classroom notes
• Mark correct answers on work and tests instead of incorrect answers
• Seat student near where the teacher teaches (not necessarily where the teacher's desk is located)
• Provide a written routine reminder
• Provide organizational helps (like charts or timelines)
• Provide directions and information is different form (vocally, written or pictorial directions)
• Provide student with a complete home set of text books
• Taped textbooks available through Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
• Provide books with large type
• Reduce number of items per page or line
• Provide on-task/focusing prompts
• Provide a book that contains the same general information, but at an easier reading level
• Highlight important concepts to draw the student's attention while he reads
• Give page numbers for questions to help student find the answer
• Provide a computer for written work
  

For Tests:

• Let student take open book tests
• Provide student with a study guide for tests
• Allow student to take multiple choice tests instead of short answer
• Allow the use of a calculator or dictionary during tests
• Allow student to take tests in a quiet room
• Allow student extra time to complete test
• Allow student to take long tests with breaks in between sections
• Use of a scribe during test taking, for students who have trouble writing but who can express their answers verbally to the scribe, who writes down the responses
• Use of a reader during test taking, for students who have trouble reading test questions
• Allow for verbal responses
• Administer test at a specific time of day
• Allow the student to do an individual project instead of taking the test
• Allow for take-home tests
• Have student make presentations to a small group instead of the whole class
• 
  

For Grades:

• Base student's grade on improvement
• Base student's grade on objectives
• Base student's grade on effort

For Homework:

• Grade homework on time and effort, not amount completed
• Give frequent reminders about due dates
• Give short assignments
• Give optional extra credit assignments

Parent/Teacher Communication:

• Share a daily, weekly or monthly journal
• Schedule periodic meetings
• Develop weekly progress reports
• Develop a system of mailing/emailing/sending home a schedule of class and homework assignments to parents

For Math:

• Allow student to use a calculator without penalty
• Use graph paper to line up rows of numbers
• Group similar problems together (all addition in one place, all subtraction in one place)
• Require fewer correct responses for a passing grade
• Read and explain word problems or break them down into smaller steps
  

There should be no impact on grades for tests or classwork that is taken with accommodations. They are meant to level the field, not to give students an "advantage".

Accommodations should be closely monitored to make sure that they are working. If they are ineffective for the student, they should be looked at to see how they can be improved.