Activity

Making Presentation Accommodations

Est. Time: 1 Hour

Objective

Use a set of guiding questions to identify presentation accommodations to address the individual strengths and needs of a student with a disability.

Overview

Students with disabilities often encounter learning barriers or challenges when accessing the general education curriculum. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) require that educators address these barriers by providing appropriate accommodations. Careful consideration of a student’s strengths and needs can help guide the identification and selection of instructional and testing accommodations.

An accommodation is a change to instructional or testing procedures or materials that allows a student to fully access the information and to accurately demonstrate knowledge. It does not change the expectations of learning or the requirements of the task. Instructional and testing accommodations are generally grouped into four categories:

Presentation
Response
Setting
Timing and Scheduling

This activity will focus on presentation accommodations, which allow a student with a disability to access information in ways other than standard visual or auditory means (e.g., by reading or listening). These accommodations change the way that instruction, directions, and information are presented to students. The table below includes examples of some common presentation accommodations.

Presentation Accommodations

Common Challenge	Accommodation Examples
Decoding text	Audio formats (e.g., audiobook) Text-to-speech software Human reader
Comprehending text	Advance organizers Visual cues (e.g., color coding, highlighting key information) Digital text with on-demand dictionary Alternate formats (e.g., diagrams, pictures, hands-on activities) Previewing vocabulary
Understanding information presented orally	Alternate formats (e.g., written text, diagrams) Repeated or paraphrased information Advance organizers Notetakers
Remembering information	Visual cues Graphic organizers Repeated or paraphrased information
Identifying key information	Advance organizers Visual cues (e.g., color coding key information) Auditory cues (e.g., “This is important . . .”) Study guides
Staying focused or maintaining attention	Advance organizers Visual or auditory signals or prompts Organized materials Reduction of visual distractions (e.g., clutter) Reduction of auditory distractions (e.g., provide headphones, permit quiet time) Clear and simple directions Repeated or paraphrased instructions
Seeing standard text	Large print or graphics Magnification devices Reduced glare Braille Text-to-speech software Audio formats Human reader Tactile materials Talking devices (e.g., calculators, clocks) Descriptive videos
Hearing information presented orally	Assistive listening or amplification devices Visual cues Advance organizers Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices Sign language Video captioning Alternate formats (e.g., visual formats, printed materials) Notetaker Sign language interpreter Digital pen
Holding materials	Book stand Slanted desk Page holder Digital text

Note: Although this table highlights common examples of presentation accommodations, it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Activity

Identify a presentation accommodation to address the individual strengths and needs of a student with a disability. Select one of the options below to begin.

Option 1: Identify a student with a disability in your classroom. To preserve the anonymity of your student, be sure to only use first name, initials, or an alias.

Describe the student you selected, making sure to include:
- Information about the student’s age, disability, and first language
- The student’s strengths (list a minimum of three)
- Learning barrier(s) encountered by the student
Complete this downloadable presentation accommodations activity worksheet.
Select one presentation accommodation from the presentation accommodations activity worksheet.
- Identify the accommodation you selected and explain how it will address the learning barrier(s) encountered by the student.
- Provide an example of how you would implement this accommodation.

Option 2: If you are not currently teaching, use the student in the scenario below to complete this activity.

Mason is an energetic 10-year-old boy who speaks English. Typically, he gets along with his peers and is well-liked by his classmates. Because he is quite creative and is fascinated by objects with moving parts, he is actively involved in the robotics club. Although Mason is very bright, he has a learning disability and ADHD. Mason has difficulty processing, retaining, and recalling information. He also has some difficulty organizing materials and keeping up with school supplies. It is common for him to complete his homework but then misplace it before turning it in. Mason often becomes distracted by what is going on around him and has difficulty staying focused long enough to complete his work.

Complete this downloadable presentation accommodations activity worksheet.
Select one presentation accommodation from the presentation accommodations activity worksheet.
- Identify the accommodation you selected and explain how it will address the learning barrier(s) encountered by the student.
- Provide an example of how you would implement this accommodation.