Accommodations Menu Part 1

Definitions, Characteristics, and Accommodations

Leah Engle

Learning Disability
Definition: A disorder in one or one more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or in
using language, spoken or written, that may manifest
itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write,
spell, or do mathematical calculations. from IDEA
website
Specific Learning Disabilities:
Dyslexia: A learning disability that affects reading,
difficulties in word recognition and word decoding and
spelling. from NCLD, Characteristics 1&2
Dyscalculia: A learning disability that affects math,
varies from person to person. from NCLD, Characteristics
3&4
Dysgraphia: A learning disability that affects writing,
makes the act of writing difficult. from NCLD,
Characteristics 5&6
Characteristics:
1. Imprecise or incomplete interpretation of language
that is heard
2. Have difficulty encoding words (spelling)
3. Trouble grasping vocabulary of math, making it
difficult to build on mathematical knowledge
4. Trouble visualizing patterns or different parts of a
math problem
5. Difficulty organizing thoughts on paper
6. Student has illegible hand writing
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Accommodations:
1. Combine oral directions with pictures, words, or
diagrams
2. Let the student use a spelling dictionary or electronic
spelling aid
3. Color code or highlight key words in math word
problems
4. Let student use concrete materials and manipulative
to explore and learn about mathematical concepts
5. Give student a structured outline or graphic
organizer to help plan assignments
6. Let student use adaptive devices: pencil grips,
special pen or pencil holders, or erasable pens

Intellectual Disability
Definition: Significantly sub average general intellectual
functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive
behavior and manifested during the developmental
period, that adversely affects a childs educational
performance. IDEA disability website
Characteristics:
1. Student may forget or lose things often
2. Student may make carless mistakes
3. Student may have difficulty paying attention
4. Student may have difficulty with abstract concepts
such as math and science
5. Student may have trouble learning new skills
6. Students may have social and behavior problems
Accommodations:
1. Have student create and use a calendar for
assignments
2. Have student make a responsibilities check list
3. Let the student sit in an area away from the busy
parts of a classroom
4. Use hands-on activities, pictures, or diagrams to
support understanding of abstract concepts or
complex information
5. Highlight important points of the text to draw
attention and tell the student to read these first
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6. Give positive reinforcement for replacement

behaviors or following class rules

Emotional Behavioral Disorders

Definition: A condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time and to
a marked degree that adversely affects a childs
educational performance:
a) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by
intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory
relationships with peers and teachers.
c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under
normal circumstances.
d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or
depression.
e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears
associated with personal or school problems. from
NICHCY
Characteristics:
1. Disrupts classroom activities
2. Poor concentration
3. Difficulty working in groups
4. Inattentive and distractible
5. Poor homework completion
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6. Resistance to change and transitions in routines

Accommodations:
1. Create a reward system to be used. Example: Give
student a check mark for every 15 minutes their
behavior is appropriate, after 8 checks, reward the
student
2. Preferential seating, make sure student is facing you
during instruction
3. Let the student sit next to an aid, volunteer, or
trained classmate who can help maintain attention
and understanding
4. Let the student use an enclosed study carrel to
complete independent work
5. Communicate homework assignments and
expectations to parents so they can help
6. Give student and agenda or schedule for each day

Physical Disability
Definition: A severe orthopedic impairment that
adversely affects a childs educational performance. The
term includes impairments caused by congenital
anomaly, impairments caused by disease, and
impairments from other causes. from NICHCY
(e.g. polio, bone tuberculosis, cerebral palsy,
amputations)
Characteristics:
1. Student may have difficulty moving from one location
to another
2. Inability to sit, stand, or walk for prolonged periods of
time
3. Difficulty with testing
4. Student may have difficulty moving through
classroom
5. Difficulty taking notes
6. Impaired writing or speaking due to disability
Accommodations:
1. Extra time to get from one class to another
2. Allow student to alternate activities in sitting,
standing, or walking
3. Provide extra time for testing or give exams orally
4. Arrange classroom furniture and check classroom for
accessibility
5. Provide student with notes or a peer note taker
6. Allow use of word processing technology

Visual Impairment
Definition: An impairment in vision that, even with
correction, adversely affects a childs educational
performance. The term includes both partial sight and
blindness. from NICHCY
Characteristics:
1. Difficulty writing/taking notes
2. Difficulty reading
3. Trouble benefit from social cues and hand gestures
4. Difficulty seeing board
5. Trouble viewing pictures in a primarily visual lesson
6. Difficulty reading large amounts of text in a restricted
time
Accommodations:
1. Have a peer scribe/note taker or a tape recorder for
lectures or discussions
2. Convert notes and readings in to braille or large
print, use verbalization of writing
3. Use clear directions; such as to the right rather
than over here or simply pointing
4. Move the student to the front of class and give
student a copy of information that is displayed on
whiteboard
5. Use models to display information rather than
pictures
6. Provide books and necessary materials on audio
tapes

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Autism
Definition: A developmental disability significantly
affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social
interaction that adversely affects a childs educational
performance. from IDEA website
Characteristics:
1. Student displays difficulty with change
2. Student may have difficulty with learning through
experiences
3. Have difficulty coping and dealing with stress
4. Difficulty with figurative language
5. Difficulty with responding to environmental sounds
6. Have difficulty using language to interact with others
Accommodations:
1. Prepare student for schedule changes in advance
(regardless of how small or insignificant they seem to
others)
2. Structure activities with an introduction, detailed
explanation, and a summary while integrating visual,
auditory, and tactile stimuli to aid retention of
information
3. Provide a safe area in the classroom for the
student to compose themself
4. Give clear and concise instructions and allow
students to process information and respond,
introduce simple figurative language outside
instructional time

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5. Identify sounds that may trigger a change in

behavior, and give student time and space to calm
down if needed
6. Pair student with a peer to help with social skills in
the classroom and in other settings

Accommodation Menu Pt. 2

Lesson Plan and Specific Accommodations
Leah Engle

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Developmental Disability
Characteristic #4 - Student may have difficulty with
abstract concepts such as math and science
Accommodation #4- Use hands-on activities, pictures, or
diagrams to support understanding of abstract concepts
or complex information
In this lesson plan, students are expected to classify
animals based on their characteristics, the presence of a
backbone, their symmetry, and behavior patterns.
Simply by including hands on activities such as actually
showing the students examples of animals and using
pictures to portray information, it will greatly increase
understanding for all the students, not only the ones who
have a developmental disability.

Learning Disability
Characteristic #2- Have difficulty encoding words
(spelling)
Accommodation #2- Let the student use a spelling
dictionary or electronic spelling aid
At one of the stations, students are expected to label
animals as carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore. These
words are very difficult to spell and it would be very
beneficial for students with learning disabilities to have a
spelling dictionary available. The words could also be
displayed for all students at the station to see and copy
down, along with their definitions. Students are also
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expected to write and define words throughout the

lesson, and a spelling dictionary will be a great help to
students who struggle in that area.

Emotional/Behavior Disorders
Characteristic #3- Student has trouble working in groups
Accommodation #3- Let the student sit next to an aid,
volunteer, or trained classmate who can help maintain
attention and understanding
This lesson plan involves students working with each
other in rotating stations. Students with
emotional/behavior disorders who have trouble working in
a group setting should have an aid or classmate that has
been trained to deal with this student. There are
opportunities to work singularly while at these stations,
but discussion may be necessary.

Physical Impairments/Orthopedic
Impairments
Characteristic # 4- Student may have difficulty moving
through classroom
Accommodation #4- Arrange classroom furniture and
check classroom for accessibility
This lesson plan involves students moving between four
stations, and it will need to be easy for students that
have trouble moving through the classroom. The stations
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need to be easily accessible and have room for a

wheelchair underneath if necessary. This can be done by
moving desks that might be in the way and providing
ample space. This will also make the transitions easier
for the rest of the class as well.

Visual Impairment
Characteristic #6- Difficulty reading large amounts of text
in a restricted time
Accommodation #6- Provide books and necessary
materials on audio tapes
Stations in this lesson involve the students reading a
passage and using that information to answer questions.
For the ease of students with visual impairments, have
audio tapes available, or have a student in the group read
the text out loud. Also, a large text copy of the text
should be provided to student, if applicable, to help them
follow along.

Autism
Characteristic # 2- Student may have difficulty with
learning through experiences
Accommodation # 2- Structure activities with an
introduction, detailed explanation, and a summary while

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integrating visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli to aid

retention of information
This lesson is largely based on discovery learning and
students teaching themselves and working together. As
the teacher, make sure you introduce the stations
thoroughly and encourage questions about the stations.
It also might be necessary for students with Autism to be
reintroduced to the station and, instead of them
discovering it themselves, have you explain the key
points to the student. Make sure the student also does
some discovery learning, but do what is necessary to aid
the students understanding of a topic.

References
National Center for Learning Disabilities[Link]
National Dissemination Center for Children with
Disabilities- [Link]
IDEA [Link]

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