Adaptations,+Modifications,+and+Accomodations

Tier 3 readers are protected by the Rights of Students with Disabilities Act (IDEA and Section 504) to get equal opportunities to access, results and benefits in the least restrictive setting. Students with reading difficulties, who have been evaluated as having dyslexia, require **adaptations, accommodations, and modifications** in instruction and materials. Reif (2010), states that the differences between these terms can be confusing for educators. The differences are clarified as follows: Adaptations include accommodations and modifications.
 * Adaptations are any adjustments in the curriculum, instructional components, environmental elements or expectation of the students.** The purpose of adaptations is to increase a student’s academic achievement and social, emotional and behavioral functioning. All good teachers attempt to differentiate instruction and make adjustments to enable students to succeed. Adaptations may involve:
 * Materials
 * Methods
 * Teaching strategy
 * Scheduling
 * Grading
 * Testing or evaluation including time allotted
 * Size or quantity of task or assignment
 * Level of support
 * Accommodations are adaptations that do not fundamentally change the performance standards, instructional level or content of what a student is expected to learn**. Accommodations are provisions that enable a student to better access the general curriculum. These typically include:
 * Extended time to complete tasks or tests
 * Extra support ( peer, buddy or cross age tutor in a small group setting)
 * Computer access
 * Note taking assistance
 * Preferential seating to enable student to focus better during class and to receive more direct and frequent prompts from teacher
 * Reduction in length of assignment
 * Allowing student to take a test by giving answers orally
 * Modifications are adaptations that change or alter in some way what the student is learning (content or curriculum).** They, also, change to some degree the performance standards- the expectation for that student compared with what is required of his or her peers. Examples are:
 * Giving a student a different or alternate assignment
 * Working with instructional material at a lower level than other students of that grade
 * Reducing the number of words that a child needs to learn for a spelling test or testing him or her on different words.
 * Providing an alternative form of a test to a student
 * Using a different report card format, for example, a student may receive a narrative report card instead of one with grades