Accommodations and Modifications, what’s the difference?
Accommodations
- Accommodations are changes that remove barriers to learning.
- Accommodations change how kids learn, not what they learn.
- Your child can get accommodations through the teacher, or in an IEP or a 504 plan. Understood.org
Modifications
- Modifications are changes to what your child is taught or expected to do in school.
- Modifications aren’t the same as accommodations, which are changes to howyour child learns.
- Only students with an IEP or a 504 plan can have modifications. Understood.org
That is just an overview.
Once a child has been formally identified with a learning disability, the child or parent may request accommodations for that child’s specific needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that a child’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) team — which both parent and child are a part of — must decide which accommodations are appropriate for him or her. Any appropriate accommodations should be written into a student’s IEP. Reading Rockets
These are just a few accommodations for students struggling with reading and placed on an IEP
- Verbal instructions
- Highlighted text
- Extended time
- Fewer items on a page
- Technology (voice to text, immersive reader, text to speech, spelling helper, to name a few)
- Preferential seating
- Distraction-free zone
- Highlighters
Modifications change expectations on the current standards.
I understand it is difficult for Special Education teams to determine the correct accommodations for a student. As a parent of a special need’s child, it was difficult for me as well. I have created a free resource that I have compiled accommodations from the following sites.
Accommodations for Reading
Here is a list of reading accommodations that you can use.
