Trust me as a fifth-grade teacher when I say, you aren’t doing them any favors. Ensuring the student has access to the curriculum and entire educational environment is a key role of the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments. Ummm, when you put it in writing, you can see how that doesn’t make sense, right? In the end, having students do work that is far below their grade level is harmful long term. Accommodations for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired Recorded Presentation. For many years, students with READING disabilities were having their MATH work modified. In my school, I’ve honestly had to work to change that mindset. Students with disabilities should still be expected to do grade level work. Are you accommodating them? Are you allowing them to use a tool or other resource to help them accomplish grade level standards? Or are you modifying for them? Are you “dumbing” down the workload for them to make their life, their parents’ lives, and your life easier? Norwood Children’s Services by Norwood (Charity) Own work. Modification: The child is given much simpler test materials.
In some cases, the child is given extra time. I invite you to think long and hard about the things that you are doing in your classroom for your students with identified disabilities. Tests: Accommodation: The child will be provided with technological assistance although the child has to complete the same test as others. I shared this accommodation in a FB Live! So, what’s the point of this post? Just by having their multiplication facts handy, they don’t have to focus on that aspect of computation, and they can instead focus on learning the process of the algorithm. I have my students create a multiplication chart of their own, where they have to write out and solve all of their multiplication facts. Then, I laminate it so they can use it all year. In my classroom, I make use of an accommodation that allows them to access their own resource. They need additional assistance to help them be successful. Using the above example, students with disabilities often struggle to complete fifth-grade computation. Program accommodations and modifications are available to children who receive services under IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Accommodations allow students to accomplish grade level expectations with the help of an outside tool or resource.