How are accommodations different from modifications?
A common topic in education is accommodations vs modifications: What’s the difference? Accommodations and modifications are both different types of support in education designed to help students be successful. Many
teachers use the terms interchangeably since they are both intended to support students, however this is incorrect. There are major differences between accommodations and modifications in education, and it’s important for both educators and parents to understand the differences and when each should be implemented. All students, whether enrolled in general education or
special education classes, may require accommodations and/or modifications throughout their schooling. Accommodations and modifications can be applied individually or to an entire class. However, most of the time, accommodations and modifications are referred to when discussing an individual student rather than a group or class. Accommodations and modifications are most often brought up in the context of special education since students who have IEPs have accommodations and/or
modifications explicitly laid out in their Individualized Education Programs. Students who are having trouble with accessing or learning the content and curriculum may require either accommodations or modifications in order to be successful in the classroom. Most of the time, students with disabilities will require accommodations and/or modifications, while students without disabilities might only require accommodations.
The implementation of an accommodation or modification for a student without an IEP would be at the discretion of the teacher. The implementation of accommodations or modifications for a student with an IEP is decided by the IEP team, and the school district is legally required to implement them as stated in the student’s legally-binding IEP document. What’s the Difference? Accommodations vs ModificationsAccommodation examples for this video: the teacher reads aloud the text as it appears on the screen, or the teacher pauses the video every once in a while to rephrase the information that has been presented so far. AccommodationsAccommodations are changes made to the way instruction is delivered or to the way curriculum is accessed by the student. What the student is learning is not changing at all, but how the student is learning it is changed. This does not mean that the teacher is making the content “easier”. It means that the instructor is making the content easier to understand for that particular student – by accommodating how the instruction is delivered. Accommodations could be as small as allowing a student without an IEP or 504 plan, and who wears glasses, to sit closer to the board in order to see better (allowing them to better access the content for their needs). Accommodations could also be more significant, such as allowing a student with a 504 plan who has anxiety to have more time on a test than their peers. A teacher could implement accommodations for the entire class, such as handing out notes for the lecture rather than requiring students to write their own notes, or reading the written instructions of a quiz aloud to the students while they follow along. Accommodations are actually quite common in both general education and special education rooms since many teachers aim to be engaging and to individualize instruction. Good instruction is accessible for all students. ModificationsModifications are changes made to the content or curriculum that the student is expected to learn. What the student is learning is changed. Modifications are more severe than accommodations because modifications change the content of the lesson or curriculum. As noted by Understood, “Kids who receive modifications are not expected to learn the same material as their classmates” (The Difference Between Accommodations and Modifications). Modifications are common for students with moderate to severe disabilities. If a student with severe disabilities who is enrolled in a special day class participated in inclusion by attending a general education science class and was not expected to complete any homework assignments that their neurotypical peers are assigned, then that would mean that that student is receiving a modification to the science class. Examples of Accommodations vs Modifications in PracticeExamples of Accommodations
Examples of Modifications
Accommodations change how the student learns what the rest of the class is also learning, while modifications change what the student is learning, typically meaning less material or less complex content than the rest of the class. Remember, with modifications, you are modifying what the student learns, and with accommodations, you are accommodating what they need in order to learn alongside their peers. For students with a disability and who receive special education services, accommodations, modifications, and other supports are clearly laid out in the student’s IEP document. If the accommodations or modifications outlined in an IEP are not being implemented, the district is not in compliance with the legally-binding document. What is the difference between accommodations and modifications quizlet?-Accommodations are intended to reduce or even eliminate the effects of a student's disability; they do not reduce learning expectations. Modifications might intentionally change, lower, or reduce learning expectations.
When should we accommodate and when we do modify?You may also hear school staff members say modification. While the two words sound similar, they mean different things. An accommodation changes how a student learns the material. A modification changes what a student is taught or expected to learn.
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