Common accommodations and modifications in school

There are many ways teachers can help students who are struggling in school. Two common types of supports are accommodations and modifications. 

Accommodations change how a student learns or how they show what they know. Modifications change what a student is expected to learn. Both help ensure that every student can access the curriculum to the best of their ability.

Accommodations are typically included in a student’s IEP or 504 plan, if they have one. But a teacher can provide informal accommodations for students without a 504 or IEP. Modifications are only in IEPs. 

There are no “best” school accommodations or modifications. But there are some that teachers use more frequently. Below are some common types of accommodations and modifications with examples. 

Teachers: Explore this list to get ideas for how to support students in your classroom. 

Parents and caregivers: Use this list to learn more about accommodations and modifications and what they might look like. Talk with your child’s teacher if you think any of these ideas will help. Or bring them up at your child’s next IEP or 504 planning meeting. 

There are several different types of classroom accommodations teachers may use. Some change how information is presented. Others support how students complete work, show their understanding, manage time, or take tests. 

When teachers use presentation accommodations, they change the way that they give directions, share information, or provide content. These types of accommodations remove barriers to accessing information. 

• Provide content in different forms, like audiobooks, movies, videos, and digital media, instead of just print versions.

• Provide instructional supports like anchor charts, word banks, and written step-by-step instructions.

• Give students fewer items per page or line.

• Have students work with text in a larger print size.

• Have a “designated reader” — someone who reads test questions aloud to students.

• Give instructions spoken aloud and in writing.

• Provide typed notes or an outline of the lesson to help with taking notes.

• Have students record the lesson instead of taking notes.

• Give a physical demonstration of instructionsopens in a new tab (and then have the student repeat the action). 

Traditional assignments and tests can be challenging for some students. Teachers use response accommodations to change the way that students show their understanding. 

• Have students give responses in a form (spoken or written) that’s easier for them.

• Allow students to dictate answers to a scribe who writes or types, or to capture responses with an audio or video recorder.

• Have students use a computer to type notes or give answers in class.

• Allow students to use a dictionary or digital spellchecker.

• Allow students to use a calculator or table of “math facts.”

• Have students use manipulatives or counters to show mathematical understanding.

Setting accommodations are tweaks to the physical learning environment, like preferential seating or a quieter location for testing. Teachers can use these accommodations to make the learning environment more inclusive. 

• Have students take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions.

• Allow students to sit where they learn best — for example, near the teacher.opens in a new tab

• Use special lighting or acoustics.

• Have students take tests in a small group setting.

• Create dynamic seatingopens in a new tab with a stability ball or an exercise band that can be looped around a chair’s legs. Fidgety kids can kick it and quietly get their energy out.

• Provide access to sensory items near the learning space, like a strip of Velcro underneath the desk.

There are often time constraints on everything in school, from tests to classwork. Teachers use timing accommodations to support students who need additional time or extra breaks. 

• Give students more time to complete a task, test, or project.

• Give extra time for students to process spoken information and directions.

• Allow students to take frequent breaks, such as after completing a worksheet.

• Allow students to take a test in several timed sessions or over several days.

• Allow students to take sections of a test in a different order.

• Have students take tests at a specific time of day.

Many students — especially those with ADHD — struggle with executive function. Teachers use organization skills accommodations to help students build these skills. 

• Use a visual timer to help with time management.

• Have students mark texts with a highlighter.

• Have students use a planner or organizer to help coordinate assignments.

• Color-code the materials for each subject.

• Give students specific study skills instruction.opens in a new tab

Not all students can work at the same level as their peers in all areas. In these cases, teachers may make academic modifications. These are explicit changes to the curriculum, assessments, or standards. They adjust what the student is taught or expected to learn. Below are two different types of academic modifications teachers use with examples. 

With assignment modifications, students aren’t expected to complete the same work as their peers. Teachers might give students lower-level assignments or reduce the number of tasks, while the other students move on to more advanced assignments. 

• Have students complete different homework problems than their peers.

• Have students answer different or fewer test questions, like a different list of spelling words.

• Have students complete alternate projects or assignments.

If a student hasn’t mastered a basic skill, then the curriculum itself may need to be modified. Teachers can use targeted changes to help kids who are struggling to keep up. 

• Have students learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication facts while classmates move on to multi-digit multiplication).

• Grade or assess students using a different standard than other students.

• Excuse students from particular units or projects.

Teachers tailor modifications and accommodations to each student. That means there are many possibilities for how they look in the classroom.

“There are different levels of the same accommodation to really meet kids where they are,” explains special education teacher Shira Moscovitz. “Some kids get test questions read to them, but not for a reading comprehension passage (because the point is to test their comprehension of the reading). But some kids who have dyslexia might have it all read to them because that’s how they usually access the text.”

Whether to use an accommodation or a modification depends on the student’s ability in the subject. For example, Moscovitz says that a student with ADHD may work at grade level but have trouble sustaining focus. An accommodation would be to allow a break after answering 10 questions.

Another student may be behind in their math skills. They might get a modification that allows them to work on single-digit addition even though their classmates have moved on to multiplication.

Moscovitz points out that accommodations aren’t just for kids with documented disabilities. “There are accommodations mandated on an IEP, but that doesn’t mean that a teacher can’t notice a kid is struggling with something and accommodate them.” The goal is for all students to access the learning and thrive in the classroom. 

When teachers provide modifications and accommodations (including informal accommodations), it’s important to document and track this. This helps teachers understand whether the supports are actually helping the student. 

Learn more about the difference between accommodations and modifications.

Thumbnail image credit: Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images