Special Education: Accommodations vs. Modifications

Both accommodations and modifications alter the expectations for your child in the educational setting. If your child has been identified with a disability that adversely affects his academic performance, he is likely to receive Special Education Services from his school. Typically, this involves developing an individualized educational plan for your child (IEP) to allow him to succeed in the regular classroom following the school's grade level curriculum. Accomplishing this may involve either accommodations or modifications. As a parent, you may wonder what the difference is between the two.

Accommodations

Accommodations are services put in place to allow your child to succeed without changing the task that is required. Common accommodations for those with ADHD or learning disabilities include extending time for taking tests, being allowed to take tests in a quiet area or allowing breaks when the child becomes frustrated. For those with physical disabilities, accommodations may include special seating arrangements, the assistance of an aid for medical or physical reasons, or other physical changes to the classroom environment.

The child is expected to complete the same tasks to demonstrate mastery of knowledge and is typically assessed by the same standards as other students. Accommodations do not alter the task and do not change the content. Students with accommodations simply need assistance to meet the requirements of the regular classroom curriculum.

Modifications

Modifications alter the task. This may include completing below grade level work that relates to the classroom curriculum. For children with cognitive impairments, or those who need more time to mature and reach grade level, this allows them to remain in the classroom with their peers without the challenge of completing tasks they are not prepared to handle. Expectations are based on the child's current academic performance level-not on those of their peers.

Sometimes, modifications include changes to the educational setting, such as completing academic tasks in a resource room or in a secluded area of the classroom with a one-on-one aid. Assessment is based on the IEP goals and objectives for the individual student.

Graduation and Diplomas

In some states, children with a modified curriculum may receive a "different" diploma from those in the regular classroom, whereas accommodations typically do not affect the type of diploma your child receives.

Summary: Accommodations vs. Modifications

It is easy to confuse accommodations and modifications, as they can appear very similar. The key to determining if special education services are accommodations or modifications lies in whether or not the service changes the tasks required of all students. If expectations and assessment vary significantly from those in place for all students, the service is a modification. If the service simply provides the child with an alternate way to complete the task and demonstrate the same mastery of knowledge it is simply an accommodation.

SOURCES:
Office of Special Education Services. U.S. Department of Education.Ed.gov