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Accommodations Menu

This document provides definitions and characteristics and accommodations for various disabilities including specific learning disabilities, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, intellectual disability, emotional/behavioral disorder, physical disability, and visual impairment. It defines each disability and lists common characteristics students with each disability may exhibit. For each characteristic, an accommodation is provided that a teacher could implement to help support that student's needs. The accommodations focus on modifications to instruction, testing, scheduling, classroom environment, and materials.

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141 views

Accommodations Menu

This document provides definitions and characteristics and accommodations for various disabilities including specific learning disabilities, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, intellectual disability, emotional/behavioral disorder, physical disability, and visual impairment. It defines each disability and lists common characteristics students with each disability may exhibit. For each characteristic, an accommodation is provided that a teacher could implement to help support that student's needs. The accommodations focus on modifications to instruction, testing, scheduling, classroom environment, and materials.

Uploaded by

api-237083317
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Taylor Shupp

SPU 316
Dr. Bloh

Accommodations Menu

Specific Learning Disabilities:


Definition:
A. The term specific learning disability means a disorder in one or 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, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.
B. Disorders includedSuch term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities,
brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
C. Disorders not includedThe term does not include learning problems that are
primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of intellectual
disability; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage.
Dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding
written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder.
Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: A common characteristic of children with dyslexia is trouble


writing and organizing letters.
o Accommodation: The teacher could allow the child to answer test
questions orally rather than writing the answers.

Characteristic: Many children with dyslexia have difficulty with reading


speed and comprehension.
o Accommodation: The teacher could provide an audio version of
books for the child to listen to instead of reading.

Dyscalculia:
Dyscalculia is a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving
arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.
Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: A common characteristic of Dyscalculia is difficulty learning


math facts.
o Accommodation: The teacher could provide manipulatives and
hands-on items to help give the child a hands-on approach to math.

Characteristic: Some children with Dyscalculia may not have a good sense
of time and may have trouble keeping track of time.
o Accommodation: The teacher could make a daily schedule for the
student with the times listed, and the child could refer to this
throughout the day.

Dysgraphia:
Dysgraphia is a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write
within a defined space.
Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: Some children with Dysgraphia may have a hard time gripping a
pen or pencil comfortably.
o Accommodation: The teacher could give the child a pencil gripper to help
them to be able to grasp the pencil/pen more comfortably.

Characteristic: Many children with Dysgraphia have a hard time writing neatly
and legibly.
o Accommodation: The teacher could allow the student to use a computer
to complete writing assignments.

Intellectual Disability:
Definition:
Intellectual disability means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning,
existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the
developmental period, that adversely affects a childs educational performance.
Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: A student with an intellectual disability may have trouble


following directions.
o Accommodation: The teacher should demonstrate what he/she wants the
child to do rather than simply stating the directions.

Characteristic: A common characteristic of an intellectual disability is having


weak social skills such as being withdrawn or having trouble knowing how to
respond in social situations.
o Accommodation: The teacher should encourage mixed-ability group
work where the group members will be encouraging towards the student
and where they can work together to reach a goal.

Characteristic: Many students with intellectual disabilities have trouble seeing


the consequences of their actions.
o Accommodation: The teacher could have a reward/consequence system
for the child; Have a chart divided into the different areas or sections of
the day (such as reading, writing, math, science, recess, lunch, etc.) and
have 3 different smiley faces next to each section (happy face, neutral
face, sad face). Have the child shade in the face that matches his/her
behavior during each section and have a reward if he/she gets to color in a
certain number of happy faces and a negative consequence if he/she has to
color in a certain number of sad faces a day.

Characteristic: A common characteristic of an intellectual disability is having a


short attention span and trouble staying on task.
o Accommodation: The teacher can have manipulatives for the child to use
during lessons and break information into smaller chunks with check-in
times to check for comprehension.

Characteristic: A common characteristic of an intellectual disability is having


trouble remembering things, particularly in regards to short-term memory.
o Accommodation: The teacher can provide guided notes for the student so
that during the lesson the student can write down the key words and points
as the teacher is talking and then look back on it to review the concepts.

Emotional Behavioral Disorder:


Definition:
The term emotional disturbance means 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 students educational performance: (a) An inability to learn which cannot be
explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (b) An inability to build or maintain
satisfactory interpersonal 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. The term includes children who are
schizophrenic. The term does not include children who are socially maladjusted, unless it
is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.

Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: A student with an emotional behavioral disorder may break the


rules and be noncompliant.
o Accommodation: The teacher could provide a behavior chart with
consequences when the child breaks rules and rewards for when the child
follows rules for a specific amount of time in order to help the child to
monitor their behavior.

Characteristic: A common characteristic of an emotional behavioral disorder is


anxiety and fear, especially when in stressful situations such as tests.
o Accommodation: The teacher could give the child extended time on tests
and allow them to take the test somewhere quiet in order to reduce test
anxiety.

Characteristic: A student with an emotional behavioral disorder may have


difficulty paying attention in class.
o Accommodation: The teacher should include a variety of visuals
throughout the lesson to help keep the students attention.

Characteristic: A child with an emotional behavioral disorder may exhibit


aggression towards others or participate in self-injurious behaviors.
o Accommodation: The teacher should provide a quiet area or cool-down
area with things such as stress balls, Playdough, or other things to hold
and manipulate where the child can go to relax if they are feeling stressed

Characteristic: A student with an emotional behavioral disorder may withdraw


socially and exhibit antisocial behavior.
o Accommodation: The teacher could arrange seating to encourage social
behavior with other students who will be supportive and friendly.

Physical Disability:
Definition:
Orthopedic impairment means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a
childs educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital
anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease
(e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g.,
cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).
Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: A common characteristic of a physical disability is limited


mobility.
o Accommodation: The teacher could arrange the classroom to allow it to
be easily accessible by a student with a physical disability if they need a
wheelchair or other orthopedic supports such as crutches.

Characteristic: A student with a physical disability may miss a lot of school due
to pain, discomfort, or side effects from treatment.
o Accommodation: The teacher could have a send-home folder that can
be sent home with homework and classroom updates whenever the child
cannot be in school.

Characteristic: A student with a physical disability may have low stamina and
get tired very easily.
o Accommodation: The teacher should adjust the childs seating so they
can see the teacher and what is being taught easily without exerting
themselves, and the teacher can allow the student to take a short break if
they get tired during class.

Characteristic: A common characteristic of a physical disability is low selfesteem or self-worth due to the student feeling as if they do not fit in because they
are different.
o Accommodation: The teacher can assign group projects or assignments
where each group member has a specific job. The teacher can then
designate each job to a member to ensure that the student with the physical
disability is assigned a job that he/she can excel in. This can help the
student feel like an important, valued part of the group as well as build the
students self-esteem.

Characteristic: Some students with physical disabilities may not be able to write
or hold things
o Accommodation: The teacher can provide an assistive device such as a
mouth stick or head wand and allow the student to submit work orally or
recorded instead of written.

Visual impairment:
Definition:
Visual impairment including blindness means an impairment in vision that, even with
correction, adversely affects a childs educational performance. The term includes both
partially sighted and blindness.
Characteristics and Accommodations:

Characteristic: Some students with a visual impairment may have difficulty


reading due to not being able to see the print clearly.
o Accommodation: The teacher could provide large print or Braille books
for the student to read.

Characteristic: A student with a visual impairment may seem clumsy and


bump into things or fall easily.
o Accommodation: The teacher should arrange the classroom in a way that
gives the student clear paths to walk in and make sure that the room is not
rearranged unless necessary.

Characteristic: A student with a visual impairment may tune out or have


trouble paying attention during a lesson.
o Accommodation: The teacher should make sure that instruction is given
orally as much as possible and that the student has hands-on manipulatives
whenever possible during the lesson.

Characteristic: A common characteristic of a visual impairment is the inability to


see things far away.
o Accommodation: The teacher can give the student handouts that have the
lesson information on them so they can follow along during the lesson.

Characteristic: A student with a visual impairment may be very sensitive to light


differences and changes.
o Accommodation: The teacher can arrange the students seat so that the
student is either far away or close enough to lighting in order to ensure
that the student has lighting that is comfortable and sufficient for them.

References
National Center for Learning Disabilities | NCLD.org - NCLD. (n.d.). Homepage Banner
Rotator RSS. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.ncld.org/
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities . (n.d.). National
Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Retrieved November 10,
2013, from http://nichcy.org/
Pearson custom education: Cognitive development of diverse learners SPU 201
Kutztown University. (2012). Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions.
The world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD. (n.d.). LD OnLine:.
Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.ldonline.org/

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