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  • Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities
Challenge
Initial Thoughts
Perspectives & Resources

What should teachers know about accommodations for students with disabilities?

  • 1: Accommodations
  • 2: Practices Confused with Accommodations

What types of accommodations are commonly used for students with disabilities?

  • 3: Instructional Versus Testing Accommodations
  • 4: Selecting an Accommodation
  • 5: Presentation Accommodations
  • 6: Response Accommodations
  • 7: Setting Accommodations
  • 8: Timing and Scheduling Accommodations

What are the teacher’s responsibilities for students with disabilities who use accommodations?

  • 9: Implementing an Accommodation
  • 10: Evaluating Effectiveness

Resources

  • 11: References, Additional Resources, and Credits
Wrap Up
Assessment
Provide Feedback

Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities

Wrap Up

An adaptation or change in educational environments or practices, an accommodation helps a student overcome the barriers presented by his or her disability. Whether for instruction or testing, accommodations provide support that allows students with disabilities to access the same instructional opportunities as students without disabilities. It’s important to note that accommodations do not change the expectations for learning, reduce the requirements of the task, or change what the student is required to learn.

A student’s IEP team is responsible for identifying and selecting instructional and testing accommodations that address the barrier related to the student’s disability and established learning goals. These accommodations, which help students with disabilities to access instruction and to demonstrate their learning, are typically grouped into four categories: presentation, response, setting, and timing and scheduling.

Barrier Accommodation Category
The way information is presented (e.g., text, lecture) Presentation accommodations

  • Allow a student to access information in ways other than standard visual or auditory means
  • Change the way that instruction, directions, and information are presented
The way in which the student is required to respond (e.g., writing, speech) Response accommodations

  • Allow students to complete assignments or assessments through ways other than typical verbal or written responses
The characteristics of the setting (e.g., noise level, lighting) Setting accommodations

  • Allow for a change in the environment or in how the environment is structured
The timing and scheduling of the instruction (e.g., time of day, length of assignment) Timing and scheduling accommodations

  • Allow for changes to when and how long students have to complete assignments or assessments
  • Allow assignments to be broken down into smaller sections

Once the IEP team selects the instructional and testing accommodations that are likely to benefit a student, they are documented on the student’s IEP and provided as indicated. With careful planning and consideration, teachers can provide accommodations to their students effectively and efficiently. When teachers provide accommodations as intended, students are more likely to experience academic success and demonstrate positive long-term outcomes. Once a teacher begins to implement an accommodation, he or she should monitor whether it is having the desired impact on the student’s performance. Doing so can help determine whether to continue, alter, or discontinue the accommodation.

Revisiting Initial Thoughts

Think back to your responses to the Initial Thoughts questions at the beginning of this module. After working through the Perspectives & Resources, do you still agree with those responses? If not, what aspects about them would you change?

What should teachers know about accommodations for students with disabilities?

What types of accommodations are commonly used for students with disabilities?

What are the teacher’s responsibilities for students with disabilities who use accommodations?

When you are ready, proceed to the Assessment section.

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