ACCOMMODATIONS & MODIFICATIONS
Accommodations
"Accommodated programming" means programming that retains the learning outcomes of the Program of Studies and where adjustments to the instructional process are provided to address the special education needs of the student.
Examples of Accommodations Include; incorporating different types of teaching devices and techniques, such as use of audio or other formats as an alternative to print, technology, graphic organizers, and pictorial representation; and changing the amount of input, time-frame for learning, and levels of support for individual students' needs.
Among these examples, using assistive/adaptive technologies typically exemplify an accommodation to general curriculum. Bray, Brown, & Green (2004) define assistive/adaptive technologies as "content-free technologies" (p. 34) which does not address curriculum or promote specific learning, but rather help students to overcome inaccessibility due to individual differences. An accommodation through the use of assistive/adaptive technologies allows students to complete their tasks required in general curriculum which would be difficult to complete otherwise.
Switlick (1997) has listed other examples of accommodations, such as requiring completion of every other word problem on a math worksheet, and providing for oral performance instead of written. As we see in these examples, accommodation is not a change of educational input designed in general curriculum, such as content knowledge and conceptual difficulty of the subjects. Rather, accommodation is a modification of instructional methods intended to meet individual student's needs of acquiring necessary input from lessons. The information that students receive remains the same. However, an accommodation to curriculum modifies the way that students acquire and/or respond to the information.
Examples of Accommodations Include; incorporating different types of teaching devices and techniques, such as use of audio or other formats as an alternative to print, technology, graphic organizers, and pictorial representation; and changing the amount of input, time-frame for learning, and levels of support for individual students' needs.
Among these examples, using assistive/adaptive technologies typically exemplify an accommodation to general curriculum. Bray, Brown, & Green (2004) define assistive/adaptive technologies as "content-free technologies" (p. 34) which does not address curriculum or promote specific learning, but rather help students to overcome inaccessibility due to individual differences. An accommodation through the use of assistive/adaptive technologies allows students to complete their tasks required in general curriculum which would be difficult to complete otherwise.
Switlick (1997) has listed other examples of accommodations, such as requiring completion of every other word problem on a math worksheet, and providing for oral performance instead of written. As we see in these examples, accommodation is not a change of educational input designed in general curriculum, such as content knowledge and conceptual difficulty of the subjects. Rather, accommodation is a modification of instructional methods intended to meet individual student's needs of acquiring necessary input from lessons. The information that students receive remains the same. However, an accommodation to curriculum modifies the way that students acquire and/or respond to the information.
Modifications
"Modified programming" means programming in which the learning outcomes are significantly different from the provincial curriculum and are specifically selected to meet students' special education needs.
Curriculum modification -- a willingness to offer adapted learning and evaluation opportunities.
Modifications involve combinations of altered content knowledge, conceptual difficulty, educational goals, and instructional method versus building scaffolding and bridges between existing curriculum and people involved in the educational process.
Examples of Curriculum Modifications Include:
Teachers may want to consider modifications such as the following when outcomes are changed to meet a student's needs:
Curriculum modification -- a willingness to offer adapted learning and evaluation opportunities.
Modifications involve combinations of altered content knowledge, conceptual difficulty, educational goals, and instructional method versus building scaffolding and bridges between existing curriculum and people involved in the educational process.
Examples of Curriculum Modifications Include:
Teachers may want to consider modifications such as the following when outcomes are changed to meet a student's needs:
- Give more concrete assignments on a related topic.
- Change learning tasks with similar topic by simplifying or condensing, combining or grouping, or by using special coding.
- Give easier questions on same concept.
- Assign the same materials on other concept. For example, addition instead of multiplication.
- Use high interest/low vocabulary resources.