Special Education Topics

Accommodations and Modifications

“Accommodations change the ‘how’ of learning, but do not change expectations to the curriculum grade levels” (p. 2).

“Modifications are changes made to the curriculum expectations in order to meet the needs of the student. Modifications are made when the expectations are beyond the student’s level of ability. Modifications change the ‘what’ of learning” (p. 2).

Reference: Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2018). Special Education Overview.

LEAs should consider the following:

  • Review existing specially-designed instruction (SDIs) in students’ IEPs, including those used during testing/assessments.

  • Consider which existing SDIs can be implemented via virtual or non-virtual learning mediums.

  • Consider IEP revisions for additional SDIs to make virtual or non-virtual learning accessible to students with disabilities.

  • Consider the provision of assistive technology (AT) and accessible instructional materials (AIM).

  • Consider the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) requirements.

  • The LEA should ensure any teacher, whether a General Education Teacher or Special Education Teacher, providing instruction has a copy of the SDIs and is implementing them as documented in the students’ IEPs.

  • Consider how to monitor/track implementation of SDIs.

Resources

Accommodations and Modifications Fact Sheet

Teachers’ Desk Reference: Special Education Overview

Guidelines for English Language Learners with Individualized Education Plans

NIMAS Standard

Age / Ability of Student - Designing Instruction Considerations

  • Students who are independent and integrated into general education environments:

    • Consider the specially designed instruction needed to complete assigned work.

    • Consider engaging the special education instructor in identifying and offering the assigned work in a manner that the student will have access in an alternate environment.

    • Consider offering help desk support for instruction.

    • Consider any related services that might need to be provided.

  • Students who are included may need more guidance or support from adults.

    • Consider offering instructional sessions or videos for adults in support of students.

    • Consider offering help desk support for instruction.

    • Consider how progress monitoring will be collected and considered during this time.

    • Consider the willingness/ability of parents/adults in the home agree to serve as caregiver and supplemental instructional support providers. Teachers are responsible for the planning and delivering of instruction.

    • Consider the vulnerability of the provision of FAPE with parents serving as instructional support providers.

    • Consider the fiscal compensation of parents/adults in the home for serving as instructional support providers.

  • Students who need more individualized assistance

    • Consider offering caregivers video instruction on how to present activities.

    • Consider offering a diagram of instructions with pictures.

    • Consider offering synchronous assistance from a therapist/educator or paraeducator to work with a caregiver to offer instruction.

    • Consider how progress monitoring will be collected and considered during this time.

  • Students who need modified curriculum

    • Consider types of modifications needed

    • Consider help desk support for instruction

    • Consider how progress monitoring will be collected and considered during this time

  • Students who need replacement instruction

    • Consider appropriateness of certain instructional methodologies being implemented by care providers at home or via alternate delivery systems (ie. ABA - intensive teaching, manding, natural environment teaching etc.)

    • Consider needs specific to medically fragile children and the ability of families to deliver support to students who need direct instruction on IEP goals

    • Consider the requests of families of medically fragile students for LEAs to provide instruction in the home as a way to deliver FAPE during the time of school closures

    • Consider devices, adaptive equipment, augmentative communication systems and other necessary items related to specially designed instruction

    • Consider activities of the skills of focus in the IEP that can be done in the home using common items found in a household

    • Consider how progress monitoring will be collected and considered during this time

  • Students who are served in out-of-district placements

    • Consider connecting with the current teacher or placement administrator to identify activities with which the student is finding success and work with the educational staff at current placement to identify meaningfully aligned instructional activities to be offered in the home or via virtual means.

    • Consider working with the out of district placement personnel to offer online instructional support and/or help desk support for instruction.

  • Students who are served through direct instruction conducted in the home

    • Consider offering synchronous assistance from a therapist/educator or paraeducator to work with a caregiver to offer instruction.


Assistive Technology

  • If you are using browser-based AT supports (Chrome extensions), make sure that students/families understand how to log into the browser on a home computer in order to access these tools.

  • If you are a 1-1 school where devices remain in school - have you considered developing a system to sign those devices out for home access?

  • AAC Resources Google Doc

  • Link to the AT TaC page

Data Collection

  • In addition to observation done by school personnel via video conferencing consider what EASY data collection methods you could train the parent and family on. These could include direct behavior rating scales, rubrics or checklists, and permanent product data (has assigned work been completed or not, what is the level of completion, what are the number of errors). Additionally, time sampling, event recording, and duration recording may also be doable for some families. Parents and family/caregivers can participate in data collection however they are not required to do so. Please utilize additional resources as needed to collect necessary data for decision-making.

  • Consider how much data needs to be collected to have an effective sample and if the data accurately captures the behaviors of concern.

Development and Implementation of PBSP

  • After completion of an FBA consider if a PBSP is warranted. If yes, consider suggesting the most simple but highly effective strategies that families will be able to implement on a CONSISTENT basis.

  • Be sure that any reinforcement contingencies established are able to be followed with fidelity otherwise the student will contact “bootleg reinforcement”. The term bootleg reinforcement refers to accessing the specified reward or to other equally reinforcing items or events without meeting the response requirements.

  • https://www.apbs.org/about/families

Consideration for providing ongoing behavioral support to families:

  • Can the student and family be linked to outside services through SAP? If so, can the providers recommended take the student/family on and are they able to provide tele-health support.

Blind and Visual Impaired Student Considerations

  • Does the student have access to screen readers, refreshable braille display, CCTV, etc.?

  • Does the student have access to a brailler to write if needed?

  • Can descriptive audio options be provided for videos/ video clips?

Deaf / Hard of Hearing Student Considerations

  • Does the student have an interpreter?

  • Can closed/option caption options be provided for virtual offerings?

  • Do they have AT/need access to AT at home?

Functional Behavior Assessments

Considerations for the provision of Functional Behavior Assessments:

  • Consider if the FBA is needed due to difficulties with academic task completion and problem behavior that may result from instruction provided through virtual learning or instructional packets to be completed (with support of the parent/guardian).

    • If the FBA is needed due to negative peer interactions or other non- academic related issues, determine if the FBA is still warranted given the distance learning setting.

  • Consider how the appropriate district personnel (school psychologist, special education teacher) could conduct the functional behavior assessment via video-conferencing. School district staff can conduct parent and student interviews, observe and collect data on target behaviors as it relates to completion of academic content when the student is completing assigned work.

Online Accessibility

Is your remote learning platform(s) accessible?

Have your educators worked to provide accessible digital materials?

  • It is an IEP team decision if AT goes home or not. For some situations, teams may have previously decided that for various reasons, AT should not go home. Consider how IEP teams potentially revisit this decision for students who may require this technology to access a digital learning experience in the event of extended school closures?

  • What will training of AT look like for those needing to help implement AT?

Providing Equal Access to Distance Curriculum

Making Documents Accessible


Positive Behavior Support Planning & Implementation

A tool and resources for PBIS at home:

SEL Lessons and Assistance

Non Speaking Student Considerations

  • Does the student have AT/need access to AT at home? (AAC)

  • What other supports are provided in the classroom? How can they be provided in the new environment?

Communication support resources for students with limited verbal language:

Parent Supports

Staffing Roles and Considerations

  • General educator in different environments?

    • How is the general education teacher monitoring/assigning student work?

    • Does the Teacher have daily hours of accessibility?

    • Feedback - how are students getting feedback?

    • Direct instruction - how is this occurring (virtual)?

    • Consider how teachers will obtain access to needed materials for instruction

  • Special educator in different environments?

    • How is monitoring of assignments occurring?

    • What are the daily hours of availability for support - for both student and parent/guardian?

    • How is LEA ensuring implementation/consideration of Accommodations/modifications?

    • How is Progress monitoring being accomplished?

    • Consider how teachers will obtain access to needed materials for instruction

  • Related service providers?

    • What is the consideration of the implementation of one-to-one interventions?

    • What are the daily hours of availability for support - for both student and parent/guardian?

    • Technology - do students have the necessary tools at home to access the sessions?

    • How are IEP goals progress monitored?

    • Consider how related service providers will obtain access to needed materials for instruction

  • Paraeducators

    • What role do these individuals now have?

    • What considerations are being made to incorporate these individuals into the work?

Supports for Home Caregiver

Considerations for provisions of students receiving information/ instruction:

  • Who at home will support the student in accessing instructional materials online or paper/pencil format?

  • Is the student able to read, understand, and engage with materials presented via online learning platforms (Google Classroom, Schoology, Blackboard, educational websites)?

    • Can the student understand and engage with the information when it is read aloud?

      • If yes, consider using Google Read and Write

      • If no, consider how the content can be modified to be presented at the students level through the use of video clips and other online educational applications. Consider how the student will have meaningful engagement with the content though assistive technology.

    • For students who may not be able to receive instruction through a virtual learning format consider how they will receive instruction?

      • These students may include students with autism, intellectual disabilities and other students who during the regular school year receive the majority of their academic instruction through small groups or one-on- one instruction. They may also be in a classroom that participates in the PA Autism Initiative or use the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Bitsboard Pro (http://bitsboard.com/), Camp Discovery

http://campdiscoveryforautism.com/

· Here are some paper/pencil resources that may be appropriate from the Autism Helper.

o https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qt5azfzmg6jo0d3/AABlfSA5O0Y74DzdpF0NW8MLa?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR1Nydg03iOaP5IqXKjCWqJ1hUx0PHr_6YtwfIVEsC4Yrm6bDzBvXdPxzW4

Transition Planning, Instruction, & Support

Consider these lessons, activities, assessments for transition planning, instruction, and support.