Just checking in to be sure everyone has had the modification conferences with your reg. ed. teachers and have had all regular education teachers sign off on mods. I hope they were able to have any questions regarding these modifications answered. Be sure to make yourselves available to our regular education friends. Sometimes our language is foreign to them. :)
Since we are talking about modifications, I'd like our tip today to focus on the age old question of what is the difference between accommodations and modifications. "Accommodations are intended to help your child work around the disability and demonstrate what he has learned." They don't change a test or assignment in a significant way. The child is expected to learn the same material as his classmates. An example would be if a child with fine motor issues would be allowed to type answers on a test.
Accommodations are meant to "level the playing field".
Modifications, however, change the nature of an assignment or test. They make assignments and tests "easier". For example, a modification may require a child to answer half the questions on a test.
Common accommodations:
provide a tutor
assign a note taker
permit computer use for a child with illegible handwriting
tape recording of lectures
extra time to complete tests
taking tests in a quiet room
Common modifications:
shortened, modified assignments/replacing assignments with "easier" assignments
reducing work to what is relevant to a child
omitting higher math facts, simplifying other tasks
reducing number of concepts taught
giving different tests
I pulled this information from Wright's Law All About IEP's p. 54-55. This is a wonderful book and well worth your read!
Please keep up your fantastic work!
"There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties or you alter the way you meet them." (Phyllis Bottome)
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