Is It an Accommodation or a Modification?

An accommodation allows a student to complete the same assignment or test as other students, but with a change in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, response and/or presentation. This accommodation does not alter in any significant way what the test or assignment measures.

A modification is a change to an assignment or a test that is different from the standard or what the test or assignment is supposed to measure.

Both accommodations and modifications must be written into the IEP on the final pages of the document in our state. The IEP document may look a little different from state to state but the essential components will be the same.

When thinking about accommodations and modifications for your child, here are some categories to consider.

• Presentation Accommodations: How will the material be presented to your child?
  
• Response Accommodations: How will your child be allowed to respond to the material presented?
• Setting Accommodations: What will the setting or environment look like during instruction or assessment?
• Timing Accommodation: What are the time parameters for instruction, responding to instruction and assessment?
• Scheduling Accommodations: What is the schedule for tests, projects, and assignments?
• Organization Skill Accommodations: What additional supports are needed for study skills, organization and planning?
• Assignment Modification: Changing the assignment in some way for the student's benefit.
• Curriculum Modifications: Changing the standard of what is taught.

There is a lot to process with all these categories but it is a start to help parents think about what their child needs to be successful. Many times, it is the accommodations and modifications that make the biggest difference in a student's ability to be successful especially at school. Since these are so important, I've decided to devote the next advocating series to this subject. Stay tuned. There's more to come!

 

 

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