- Two terms are used in this module to distinguish types of modifications that may occur for students. Because the two terms "accommodations" and "adaptations" may have different interpretations for a specific state or school system, readers should consult state or local resources to determine whether interpretation varies for them.
- An accommodation refers to learners having the same content and the same difficulty of curriculum with flexibility of instruction and assessment. An adaptation refers to learners who have the same content as other students but with a minor change in difficulty level of curriculum with flexibility of instruction and assessment.
- Some general educators may be familiar with the terms "multi-level" or "tiered instruction" to refer to differentiated outcomes for diverse learners in their classrooms. These terms are typically used as synonyms, and imply that within a general education setting, some learners may be working on different levels (i.e., multi-levels) of the curriculum, or that the hierarchy of the content (i.e., the tiers) are varied for learners (Tomlinson, 1995).
- "Parallel curriculum" is another term, and a parallel curriculum choice indicates that a student may be working within a general education setting with major changes in the difficulty level of the content (Switlick, 1997).
- Enrichment curriculum could be considered an adaptation for some learners when the difficulty level changes in a minor way.
- Characteristics of students with learning disabilities vary. One student with a learning disability may have problems with reading comprehension, spoken language, and written language. Problems receiving and understanding or processing auditory information may be apparent.
- Students who have the label of emotional disturbance (ED) are students with mental health issues that interfere in a significant way with their learning.
- Some students display poor attention, impulsivity, and hyperactive behaviors that are developmentally inappropriate and chronic. These are characteristics of students who have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Teachers are guided by which students require accommodations and adaptations by two legal sources: the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan (from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973).
- An IEP is a written plan developed by a team of professionals, parents, and sometimes the student, which details annual goals and short-term objectives. The IEP must note how the student will access the general education curriculum and what types of supplementary aids and services, accommodations, and special education services are necessary for the student.
- Some students may be found eligible for Section 504 accommodations because they have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Schools should have some type of communication system in place to inform teachers which students they teach require accommodations, regardless of whether the source is an IEP or a Section 504 plan.
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