The Services page contains the Accommodations section of the Individualized Education Plan, which students can access. Accommodations are changes to how information is presented or collected from a student. Parents, students, teachers, and paraeducators must understand how to apply these accommodations to guarantee the success of students with special education services in the general education classroom.
Teachers do not always have time to meet. Hence, taking advantage of this reference guide is essential to understand student accommodations better. Accommodations allow students to access the curriculum taught in class, giving them the confidence to improve their self-efficacy over time. Students who are confident in their abilities to access curriculum, and are interested in the information presented are more likely to become engaged learners.
Author: Rodolfo Gutierrez
Breaks/ Breathers
Allowing students to take short, scheduled breaks to help manage stress and maintain focus.
What can a student do during a break?
Students should practice coping, relaxation, and refocusing strategies while taking breaks outside the classroom.
How long should a break be?
Out-of-the-classroom breaks should be a maximum of 5 minutes to ensure students are not missing necessary instruction.
Can students earn breaks?
Yes, a student can earn free choice time or a break, as long as the student understands there is a difference between refocusing and free choice time breaks.
Extended Time
Allowing extra time for students to complete tasks or assignments reduces pressure and improves performance.
How long should it be?
Homework should be turned in within one week of the due date to prevent students from falling behind.
Teachers should prompt students to ask for extended time on assignments so that those students who do not have self-advocacy skills can ask independently.
First, Then Rewards
A strategy where students are asked to complete a task before receiving a preferred activity or reward.
First, rewards effectively incentivize or motivate students to complete a task since students have a clear goal or something they will get after completing it.
To effectively motivate a student, the reward should be worth the amount of work; talk with the student before starting tasks to determine their reward.
Sample Rewards: Drawing, Coloring, or 6 minutes of computer play time, exercise break.
Visual and Auditory Presentation
Presenting information in both visual and auditory formats to support different learning styles.
Accompanying instructions with visuals and audio allows students to capture them through a multi-modal approach. Hence, they will be more likely to understand the information presented as they make sense of it.
Graphic Organizer
A visual tool that helps students organize information, making it easier to understand and recall.
Graphic Organizer vs. Work Sheet
A graphic organizer shows a clear relationship between the information on a page through arrows and other shapes. If the information on the page is not related to each other in some way through arrows or sections, then it is a worksheet.
Timeline
A visual representation of events or steps in a process to support understanding of sequence and time management.
Sequencing long-term assignments through timelines can help students with low executive functioning skills complete all the steps necessary to complete the assignment.
Tell the student when each assignment is due, one at a time.
Flexible Seating
Offering various seating options to allow students the best environment for learning.
- Access to teacher
- Access to auditory information
- Access to visual information
- Access to comfortable seating arrangements
- Easy access to student materials
Task Chunking
Breaking large tasks into smaller, more manageable parts prevents overwhelm and enhances focus.
In tandem with timelines and checklists, helping the student break tasks into smaller chunks can increase the probability of completion by reducing the amount of information presented to a student at a time.
Frequent Redirection
Providing timely, gentle prompts to help students stay on task and maintain focus.
Immediate, consistent, and direct redirection is crucial to ensure students understand expectations clearly.
When redirecting a student, use a calm voice and make instructions swift, short, and precise.
Speech to Text
Using technology to convert spoken words into written text aids students with writing difficulties.
If students are using Google Docs, they can turn on speech-to-text from the Tools menu.
Reduce Distractions
Modifying the environment to minimize distractions and help students concentrate better on tasks.
Cluttered environments can overwhelm students, ensuring everything has a place. Also, students should be seated away from distracting peers and high-traffic areas.
Fidget Tools
Providing small, portable objects for students to help focus and reduce restlessness.
Any toy or object that helps the student focus and reduce restlessness provides sensory support.
Examples: Spinners, stress balls, squishy balls, magnets, and elastic bands.
If the student becomes distracted by a fidget and starts using it as a toy, remind the student that the purpose is for them to relax and stay focused. It is okay to take a fidget if its function changes.
Multiplication Table
A visual reference tool for students to recall multiplication facts quickly.
Teach students how to use a multiplication table to solve multiplication and division problems.
Please only use the multiplication table allowed in state testing to enable the students to familiarize themselves with it and be ready to use it.
Please do not use a multiplication facts sheet instead, as this tool is not available for them during state testing.
Text to Speech
Technology that reads written text aloud, helping students with reading difficulties.
Allows students to access text written at a higher reading level than the one they can read. It also helps students focus as they listen to their reading.
Checklist
A list of tasks or steps that helps students stay organized and focused on completing each item.
Positive Reinforcement
Using rewards or praise to encourage desired behaviors and motivate students.
Remember to praise the students multiple times daily, keeping a ratio of 5 positive interactions for every negative interaction.
When praising students, use Behavior-specific praise to ensure the student understands what he is doing right.