Activity

Making Response Accommodations

Est. Time: 1 Hour

Objective

Use a set of guiding questions to identify response accommodations that 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 response accommodations, which allow a student with a disability to complete instructional assignments or assessments through ways other than typical verbal or written responses. These accommodations change the way that a student demonstrates learning, knowledge, or the ability to perform a skill. The following table provides examples of some common response accommodations.

Response Accommodations

Common Challenge	Accommodation Examples
Verbal communication	Type responses on a tablet or computer Visuals or gestures Alternate modes of communication (e.g., written, augmentative alternative communication [AAC] device, sign language)
Written expression (e.g., putting thoughts on paper, organizing information)	Speech-to-text software Graphic organizers Templates (e.g., for outlines, paragraphs, essays) Checklists
Oral expression (e.g., articulation, finding words) or speaking in front of a group	Alternate response mode (e.g., written report) Increased wait time Visuals (e.g., cue cards) Circling or pointing at answers
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation	Computer/word processing program with spell-checking feature Computer/word processing program with grammar-checking feature
Organizing information	Graphic organizers Templates (e.g., format to write a friendly letter, guide to write a five-paragraph essay)
Mathematics computation	Calculator Abacus Concrete objects or manipulatives Sheet of basic math facts
Visual-spatial tasks	Graph paper to help students align numbers when writing mathematics problems Writing answers in a test booklet instead of on a bubble sheet (this does not require the student to solve the problem in a booklet before transferring it to a separate sheet)
Handwriting	Scribe Computer Braille writer Audio record responses Speech-to-text (or voice recognition) software Alternate response mode (e.g., oral response) Finger spacer Handwriting guide
Staying focused	Writing answers in a test booklet instead of on a bubble sheet (this does not require the student to solve the problem in a booklet before transferring it to a separate sheet) Graphic organizers Monitor understanding of directions (e.g., student restates directions)
Dexterity or muscle control (e.g., difficulty holding a pencil, difficulty keeping papers in place)	Scribe Word processing program Text-to-speech software Audio record responses Pencil grip Paper stabilizer (i.e., nonslip material to keep paper from moving) Word prediction software
Hearing	Interpreter Scribe

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

Activity

Identify a response accommodation that addresses 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 response accommodations activity worksheet.
Select one response accommodation from the response 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 response accommodations activity worksheet.
Select one response accommodation from the response accommodations activity worksheet.
- Identify the accommodation you selected and explain how it will address the student’s learning barrier(s).
- Provide an example of how you would implement this accommodation.