Activity

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

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 obstacles 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 timing and scheduling accommodations, which allow for changes to how time is organized (e.g., extended time to complete a task, frequent breaks). When teachers adjust the timing and scheduling of instructional tasks and tests, they can support their students by reducing their fatigue or stress. The following table provides examples of some common timing and scheduling accommodations.

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

Identify a timing and scheduling 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.

1. 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
2. Complete this downloadable timing and scheduling accommodations activity worksheet.
3. Select one timing and scheduling accommodation from the timing and scheduling 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 quite 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.

1. Complete this downloadable timing and scheduling accommodations activity worksheet.
2. Select one timing and scheduling accommodation from the timing and scheduling 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.