Introduction
There was a time, not too long ago, when children with disabilities were "separate and unequal." They were kept away from their peers during periods of classroom instruction; assigned to separate tables in the lunchroom, and even kept apart from others in their grade for gym and special periods such as art and music. Today's educational community shudders at the recollection of supply closets in remote locations and boiler rooms doubling as classrooms for children whose special learning and behavior needs were not being met in "regular" classroom settings. These students were not only physically and socially removed from the mainstream of school life: they were excluded from the types of teaching and experiences that should have set them on a course toward school success and independence.
Once access to a free and appropriate public education became the law of the land, the fate of these children, and indeed ALL children, took a turn for the better. Schools started to create opportunities to "include" children with disabilities in the flow of school life, and as time went on, terms like "least restrictive environment" and "inclusion" were part of the normal business of education throughout the nation. For students with learning disabilities (LD) this meant not only a commitment to opening the door to appropriate educational settings, but also that these students would be engaged in learning the skills and content that comprise the general education curriculum.
Task
- Read the information in the "Process" section.
- Complete the Evaluation in the "Evaluation" section. The evaluation is also included as an attachment, so you can download it as word document, complete it, and email your completed evaluation to me.
Process
Presentation accommodations allow a student to:
- Listen to audio recordings instead of reading text.
- Learn content from audiobooks, movies, videos and digital media instead of reading print versions.
- Work with fewer items per page or line and/or materials in a larger print size.
- Have a designated reader.
- Hear instructions orally.
- Record a lesson, instead of taking notes.
- Have another student share class notes with him.
- Be given an outline of a lesson.
- Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word webs and visual organizers.
- Be given a written list of instructions.
Response accommodations allow a student to:
- Give responses in a form (oral or written) that’s easier for him.
- Dictate answers to a scribe.
- Capture responses on an audio recorder.
- Use a spelling dictionary or electronic spell-checker.
- Use a word processor to type notes or give responses in class.
- Use a calculator or table of “math facts.”
Setting accommodations allow a student to:
- Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions.
- Sit where he learns best (for example, near the teacher).
- Use special lighting or acoustics.
- Take a test in small group setting.
- Use sensory tools such as an exercise band that can be looped around a chair’s legs (so fidgety kids can kick it and quietly get their energy out).
Timing accommodations allow a student to:
- Take more time to complete a task or a test.
- Have extra time to process oral information and directions.
- Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a task.
Scheduling accommodations allow a student to:
- Take more time to complete a project.
- Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days.
- Take sections of a test in a different order.
- Take a test at a specific time of day.
Organization skills accommodations allow a student to:
- Use an alarm to help with time management.
- Mark texts with a highlighter.
- Have help coordinating assignments in a book or planner.
- Receive study skills instruction.
Assignment modifications allow a student to:
- Complete fewer or different homework problems than peers.
- Write shorter papers.
- Answer fewer or different test questions.
- Create alternate projects or assignments.
Curriculum modifications allow a student to:
- Learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication while classmates move on to fractions).
- Get graded or assessed using a different standard than the one for classmates.
- Be excused from particular projects
Evaluation
Evaluation:
- Presentation accommodations allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Response accommodations allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Setting accommodations allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Timing accommodations allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Scheduling accommodations allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Organization skills accommodations allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Assignment modifications allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
- Curriculum modifications allow a student to: (Name 2 or 3 things)
Conclusion
http://www.ncld.org/checklist/checklist
Go the website above and create a personalized checklist for your class.
Credits
References
National Center for Learning Disabilites http://www.ncld.org/