Accomodation

This term, often used in Special Education, describes how a teacher adjusts teaching practices (e.g. timing for tests, addition of audio or visual supports for reading) to help students of varying abilities achieve the same or similar results as other students.

An accommodation is generally thought of as a change in the course, standard, test preparation, location, timing, scheduling, expectations, student response and/or other attribute which provides access for a student with a disability to participate in a course, standard or test, it does not fundamentally alter or lower the standard or expectation of the course/test.\

Accommodations are often contrasted with modifications.

Examples of accommodations include:

• Extended time, frequent breaks, varying of activities
• Change in classroom, preferential seating, physical arrangement of the room, reducing/minimizing distractions, cooling off period, sign language interpreter
• Emphasizing teaching approach (visual, auditory, multi-sensory), individual/small group, taping, demonstrating/modeling, visual cues, manipulatives, pre-teaching, organizers
• Taping texts, highlighting material, note taking assistance, notes provided by teacher , calculator, computer, word processor, Braille, large print
• Directions given in small, sequential steps, copying from book/ paper, length of assignment shortened, format of assignment
• Positive reinforcement, concrete reinforcement, checking for understanding, study guides, before/after school tutoring
• Reading test verbatim, shortening length of test, test format changed (multiple choice vs. fill in the blank)