Possible Classroom Accommodations

Altering the Physical Environment

  • Seat near teacher
  • Assign student to low distraction work area
  • Seat near positive peer models
  • Use rows instead of tables in classroom
  • Don’t assign to open classroom setting
  • Use study carrel
  • Stand near student when giving instructions

Alter Presentation of Lessons

  • Adjust work load (reduce rote writing)
  • Use visual aids with oral presentations
  • Give student outline of material to be covered in the lesson prior to beginning lesson
  • Highlight instructions by emphasizing the major points
  • Permit student to tape record lesson
  • Provide student with written instructions concerning the lesson
  • Give clear behavioral objectives
  • Clearly explain grading criteria for all assignments
  • Break lesson into short segments
  • Ask student to repeat instructions
  • Use high – impact, game – like materials
  • Modify student’s schedule
  • Call on student often
  • Give reminders for student to stay on task
  • Alter Testing/Evaluation Procedures
  • Permit un-timed testing
  • Arrange for oral testing
  • Have resource teacher administer tests
  • Use short, frequent quizzes
  • Permit breaks during tests
  • Permit student to type tests by use of computer in classroom
  • Adjust grading criteria

Alter Design of Materials

  • Use large type
  • Keep page format simple
  • Use dark ink
  • Use buff-colored rather than white paper to reduce glare
  • Divide page into clearly marked sections
  • Remove distractions from paper

Provide Organizational Assistance

  • Schedule a study hall in last period of day
  • Provide AM check-in to organize for day
  • Provide PM check-out to organize for homework
  • Provide lunch-time check-in to organize for afternoon
  • Give time to organize desk during class
  • Provide training in time management
  • Provide training in study skills
  • Provide training in how to take tests
  • Use a schedule or day timer to plan for long term assignments
  • Provide periodic review of student=s notes
  • Provide training in how to take notes
  • Allow student to take notes by use of PC or laptop computer in classroom

Employ Effective Motivational Techniques

  • Increase frequency of feedback
  • Provide a daily assignment sheet
  • Send daily progress note home
  • Send weekly progress note home
  • Periodically review the student=s progress with student and parents
  • Encourage student to use a computer at all times to complete school work
  • Use a “response cost” for misbehavior, student subtracts a set amount of points from points given at beginning of each day which points result in a special privilege or activity for the student to participate
  • Use time out for misbehavior
  • Use in-class point system for positive behaviors, with points earned for positive goal behavior with daily reward experience at end of each school day

Additional Supports

  • Peer tutoring
  • Cross-age tutoring
  • Study-buddy
  • Work with teacher aid or personal assistant
  • Meet with teacher after school

Additional Skill Training

  • Provide conflict resolution training
  • Provide communications training
  • Teach student to monitor own behavior
  • Teach cognitive self-instructional (self-talk) techniques
  • Provide stress reduction and relaxation training and techniques
  • Keyboard and computer usage training to use computer instead of handwriting
  • Provide training in test taking skills

Parent Involvement

  • Call parents immediately if student
  • Conduct parent conferences on at least a quarterly basis
  • Involve parents in selecting teacher(s) for the next school year

Input to Medical/Therapeutic Support

  • Maintain a narrative log of significant events
  • Complete teacher ratings as follows
  • Look for specific medication side-effects
  • Train office staff to administer medication as prescribed
  • Remind student to go to the office to take medication
  • Check to see if medication is wearing off too soon

Social/Peer Oriented Interventions

  • Monitor playground interactions with peers
  • Monitor lunch-room interactions with peers
  • Prompt student to engage in specific social skills such as:
  • Assign to be with adults during lunch and/or recess times

Ongoing or Intensive Interventions

  • Provide individual counseling for student with school or mental health counselor
  • Provide social skills training by outside mental health professional or agency
  • Teach self-instructional strategies by outside mental health professional or agency
  • Provide student’s family with family therapy with a mental health counselor
  • Monitor behavioral plan at school and home for consistency in approach
  • Maintain ongoing consultation with parents by phone and in person
  • Maintain a procedure to provide crisis intervention if ever needed
  • Refer student to see if good candidate for medication
  • Refer student for medication review and update if noticing problems

Teacher Attitudes/Beliefs

  • Provide student’s teacher(s) with in-service workshop on inclusion of students needs
  • Provide student’s teacher(s) with reading materials on students with needs
  • Provide student’s teacher(s) with all relevant background information on student to assist in planning an appropriate educational plan