Bubble Festival

Amy Hazelett
Monica Vargas

Accommodations/Modifications for Special Needs

Dyslexia (Developmental Reading Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

Dyslexia Information from Region 10 Education Service Center at http://www2.ednet10.net/dyslexia/Dyslexia-AccommModif.html

Listed below are accommodations/modifications for the §504,  Admission, Review, Dismissal (ARD) Committee, or Committee of Knowledgeable Persons to consider for a student with dyslexia/reading disabilities:

Textbooks and Curriculum

Books/Reading

• Provide audiotapes/CDs of textbooks and have student follow the text while listening
• Provide summaries of chapters
• Use marker or highlighting tape to highlight important textbook sections
• Assign peer reading buddies
• Use colored transparency or overlay
• Review vocabulary prior to reading
• Provide preview questions
• Use videos/filmstrips related to the readings
• Provide a one-page summary and/or a review of important facts
• Do not require student to read aloud
• Talk through the material one-to-one after reading assignments

Curriculum

• Shorten assignments to focus on mastery of key concepts
• Shorten spelling tests to focus on mastering the most functional words
• Substitute alternatives for written assignments (posters, oral/taped or video presentations, projects, collages, etc.)

Classroom Environment

• Provide a computer for written work
• Seat student close to teacher in order to monitor understanding
• Provide quiet during intense learning times

Instruction and Assignments

Directions

• Give directions in small steps and with as few words as possible
• Break complex direction into small steps—arrange in a vertical list format
• Read written directions to student, then model/demonstrate
• Accompany oral directions with visual clues
• Use both oral and written directions
• Ask student to repeat; check for understanding      

Writing

• Use worksheets that require minimal writing
• Provide a “designated note taker;” photocopy another student’s or teacher’s notes
• Provide a print outline with videotapes and filmstrips
• Allow student to use a keyboard when appropriate
• Allow student to respond orally
• Grade only for content not spelling or handwriting
• Have student focus on a single aspect of a writing assignment (elaboration, voice, etc.)
• Allow student to dictate answer to essay questions
• Reduce copying tasks
• Reduce written work      

Math

• Allow student to use a calculator without penalty
• Use visuals and concrete examples
• Use grid paper to help correctly line up math problems
• Present information in small increments and at a slower pace
• Take time to reteach if student is struggling to understand
• Read story problems aloud
• Break problems into smaller steps

Grading

• Provide opportunity to test orally
• Allow student to type responses
• Read test to student
• Evaluate oral performances more than written
• Avoid penalizing for spelling errors, reversals, etc.

Testing

• Go over directions orally
• Permit as much time as needed to complete tests; avoid timed testing
• Read test materials and allow oral responses
• Separate content from mechanics/conventions grade
• Provide typed test materials, not tests written in cursive
• Allow student to respond on tape, with a typewriter, or by dictating answers to a tutor for assessment
• Allow tests to be taken in a room with few distractions

Homework

• Reduce reading assignments
• Accept work dictated by student to a parent/tutor
• Limit amount of time to spend on homework; have parents verify time spent on assignments

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Classroom Modifications for Students with ADD

by the Council for Exceptional Children

1. Make sure your child has an "advantageous" seating location. This may not always mean placing her in the front and center of the classroom. Her teacher needs to find the most productive "fit" for your child.
2. Provide an individualized, written schedule that your child can refer to when needed.
3. Assign your child a "study buddy" if he needs one-on-one attention to complete assignments.
4. Stabilize the school environment as much as possible, making sure that school supplies are in the same location each day.
5. Provide a second set of textbooks for your child to keep at home.
6. Consider keeping your child in the same classroom all day or moving her learning environment as necessary, depending on her needs.
7. Provide technological accommodations such as a laptop computer. This might lessen your child's tendency to lose papers.
8. Appoint a single person, such as an instructional aid, to whom your child reports to for help.

URL: http://school.familyeducation.com/learning-disabilities/treatments/37770.html

Classroom modifications

Seat students in rows. Having children sit in groups increases distractions for the ADHD child. Seat ADD student near teacher's desk, up front with her back to the rest of the class, but include as part of regular class seating. It may be possible to provide tables for special group projects while retaining rows for regular classroom seating and independent work. Some teachers report that arranging desks in a horseshoe shape promotes appropriate discussion while permitting independent work. Whatever arrangement is selected, it is important for the teacher to be able to move about the entire room and have access to all students. Surround ADD student with "good role models," preferably students that the ADD child views as "significant others." Encourage peer tutoring and cooperative collaborative teaching.

Do not place the ADD student near: Air conditioners, heaters, high traffic areas, doors or windows. Keep the classroom door closed. Keep the room free of clutter. Distracting posters, signs, and hanging pictures should relate to the lesson being presented.

ADD children do not handle change very well so avoid: transitions, changes in schedule, physical relocation, disruptions.

Lesson presentation modifications

Maintain eye contact with the ADD student during verbal instruction. Make directions clear and concise. Simplify complex directions. Avoid multiple commands.

Make sure ADD student comprehends directions before beginning a task. Repeat instructions in a calm, positive manner, if needed. Help ADD child feel comfortable with seeking assistance.

All children will benefit from receiving an outline of the day's lesson prior to beginning the lesson. In addition, children may benefit from the use of colored chalk to emphasize important words or ideas in the lesson.

Anything that spices up the lesson will be beneficial for children with ADD, helping them to pay attention. Students could be allowed to make frequent responses to teacher questions by holding up hand signals or written signals or by answering in unison. Groups of students could make up games to teach each other concepts or do role-playing activities to teach history or social studies topics. Role playing in mathematics could even be fun.

ADD children often benefit from a required daily assignment notebook. The teacher can check to make sure the student correctly writes down all assignments. Then the parents and teachers sign notebook daily to signify completion of homework assignments. Parents and teachers can also use the notebook for daily communication.

Worksheet, workbook, and test layout may need to be modified for children with ADD or visual perceptual problems. It may help to use large type on clean paper without distracting pictures or excessive ink. Underlining, highlighting, or drawing boxes around parts of the ADD child's worksheets may also help. During tests or quizzes, make sure you are testing knowledge learned and not attention span. Allow the ADD child to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum by answering oral questions or demonstrating concepts learned if writing for extended periods of time is too difficult. ADD children may also benefit from being given extra time for certain tasks. The ADD student may work more slowly. Don't penalize for needed extra time.

Behavior management recommendations

Have the class make up the class rules, then post them clearly in the room. Review the rules frequently early in the year so the children know them well. It may be fun to have the class act out rule breaking and rule following to make sure they understand. Try not to leave any room for interpretation, or the ADD child may try to debate his or her way out of trouble.

When children break posted classroom rules, remain calm, state infraction of rule, and don't debate. It is important to have pre-established consequences for misbehavior. Administer consequences immediately and monitor proper behavior frequently. Praise specific behaviors. Avoid non-specific praise statements. Enforce the rules of the classroom consistently. Avoid "getting personal" with the ADD child after poor behavior. Avoid ridicule and criticism. Remember, ADD children have difficulty staying in control. Teach the child to reward him/herself. Encourage positive "self-talk," i.e., "You did very well remaining in your seat today. Don't you feel proud!" This encourages the child to think positively about him/herself.

Implement a behavior management system. Select up to three specific behaviors which present problems for the ADD student and define alternative behaviors to be learned. Then develop a system of monitoring the behaviors and charting improvement. Include the entire class in your plan. When necessary, sign contracts with ADD children and their parents to reinforce one to three specific behaviors. It may be helpful to reward children for improvements. (Example: Goal-Remain working quietly during independent work for 10 minutes at a time. Primary behavior-continuing working. Prior to the beginning of independent work time, the teacher reminds the class to try to be quiet and work hard during the period of time defined by the teacher. The teacher looks at ADD child to insure that he/she is listening, then the teacher praises quiet children throughout the period. The teacher might split the class into two groups and have a contest to see which group works quietly.)

http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/attention-deficit-disorder/special-education-lesson-plans.html