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Accommodations/
What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?
What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?
What is the difference between accommodations and modifications?
Accommodations alter how a student learns. They do not change what the student is expected to learn. Accommodations describe an alteration of the environment, curriculum format, or equipment that allows an individual with a disability to pursue a regular course of study and/or complete assigned tasks. Within a classroom, accommodations take the form of physical or environmental changes, such as changing the timing, setting, formatting, response, or presentation of material. For example, the teacher may seat a student easily overwhelmed or distracted from noisy parts of a classroom; or a student having difficulty reading may listen to an audio recording of the text. Other classroom accommodations may include:
Providing a student with extra time to complete assignments.
Having breaks during instruction.
Using large print books and worksheets.
Having sign language interpreters.
Using specialized keyboards.
Formal or standardized testing situations may also include accommodations, depending upon the needs of the student. Ideally, a student’s testing accommodations are similar to the accommodations provided in the classroom. Accommodations do not allow altering the scoring of a standardized test or content of the information presented.
Modifications describe very fundamental changes in the curriculum. They may include altering the standard expectations for a course or assessment, as the student may be unable to learn all of the material, or particular portions of the material presented. Within the classroom, modifications can include shortening assignments or providing texts that are easier to read. For an elementary student with cognitive impairments in a general education class, assignments might be reduced in number or modified significantly. When applied to standardized testing, modifications do impact the interpretation of the test results. Additionally, modifications may take the form of an “alternate assessment,” in which a test may not cover the same material as the standard exams.
It is important for parents, teachers, and administrators to be aware of the differences between accommodations and modifications when creating educational programs for students. With appropriate accommodations and modifications in place, IEP teams can help set students up for success.
Statement must include:
Statement must include:
What: the specific adaptation needed
When: the condition that trigger the adaptation
Where: the environment(s) in which the adaptation is needed
Who is responsible for implementing the adaptation
Remember:
Remember:
Accommodations and modifications need to be phrased as “student will.” Do not use the words: may, can
Sample Accommodations
Sample Accommodations
Presentation accommodations
Presentation accommodations
Work with fewer items per page or line
Have a designated reader
Hear instructions orally
Have another student share class notes
Be given an outline of a lesson
Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word webs and visual organizers
Be given a written list of instructions
Learn content from movies/videos instead of reading
Timing accommodations
Timing accommodations
Take more time to complete a task or a test
Have extra time to process oral information and directions
Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a task
Organization skills accommodations
Organization skills accommodations
Mark texts with a highlighter
Have help coordinating assignments in a book or planner
Response accommodations
Response accommodations
Give responses in another form (e.g., oral or written)
Dictate answers to a scribe
Use a spelling dictionary
Use a standard calculator or table of math facts
Scheduling accommodations
Scheduling accommodations
Take more time to complete a project
Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days
Take sections of a test in a different order
Take a test at a specific time of day
Setting accommodations
Setting accommodations
Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions
Sit in a specific location (for example, near the teacher)
Use special lighting or acoustics
Take a test in small group setting
Sample Modifications
Sample Modifications
Presentation modifications
Presentation modifications
Receive more prompting and cueing to help the student determine the right answers
Read class material written at an easier level of understanding
Assignment modifications
Assignment modifications
Complete fewer or different homework problems than peers
Write shorter papers
Complete alternate assignments and projects
Complete problems where aspects of the problem have already been completed
Curriculum modifications
Curriculum modifications
Learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication while classmates move on to fractions)
Get graded or assessed using a different standard than the one for classmates (e.g., pass/fail grading)
Be excused from particular projects
Assessment modifications
Assessment modifications
Take a practice version of a test prior to the real assessment
Select from two rather than four answer choices on a multiple-choice test
Answer fewer or different test questions
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