Martha Van Leeuwen

Resources for Paraeducators Website

Accommodations and
Modifications
Accommodation...Modification...I
s there a Difference?
Yes! There is a difference

A modification means a change in what is
being taught to or expected from the student.
An accommodation is a change that helps a
student overcome or work around the
disability.




Accommodation or
Modification?
Still not see much of a difference? Here are some
examples of modifications and accommodations to help
you understand how each works.
Sally is in the 6th grade and has difficulty keeping up with
her peers due to her difficulty with reading fluency and
reading comprehension. Some of the things she is able to
do to help her keep up with the class is:
- Directions and Questions read aloud
- Books on tape
- Using the computer for written assignments
- Extra time to complete tests and assignments
With these supports in place, Sally is able to stay continue
to work along side her peers and complete all of her work
for appropriate grades.

Accommodation or Modification?
Answer
Sally's supports are all ACCOMMODATIONS.
Sally continues to complete the same work as her
peers, but has accommodations in order to help
her work around her difficulty with reading. She is
still expected to complete 6th grade work, but has
some supports in place so her disability in
reading does not effect what she is expected to
know.

Accommodation or Modification?
Mitch is a 3rd grade student and has trouble with all
subjects. He is working on many skills that are at a
kindergarten level. When in the classroom for math,
his same aged peers are working on multiplication.
Mitch works on math, but focuses on addition and
does not practice multiplication with his classmates.
Addition is still very hard for Mitch, but he continues to
work very hard. Mitch is able to work one on one with
an adult or the teacher on these skills and continues
to improve everyday.
Accommodation or Modification?





Answer
Mitch's supports are MODIFICATIONS. He is
working on math, but his expectations are
different than that of his fellow 3rd graders. He is
still receiving math instruction, but due to Mitch's
disability he is now expected to master addition
rather than multiplication. This does not mean
Mitch will never do multiplication, it only means
Mitch is not able to master it at this time and
needs to continue to work on his addition skills
before he can move on to higher level skills.
Texas First Chart






Instructional
Accommodation
Instructional
Modification
Explanation
Changes how the content
is
taught,
made accessible, and/or
assessed.
Accommodations DO NOT
change what the student is
expected to master. The
objectives of the
course/activity remain
intact.
Also changes how the
content is
taught,
made accessible, and/or
assessed.
Modifications DO change
what the student is
expected to master.
Course/activity objectives
are modified to meet the
needs of the learner.

Examples
One-on-one or small group
instruction
Extended time on
assignments and/or
assessments
Braille or large print
materials
Shortened assignments
and/or assessments
Slant boards or study
carrels
Oral administration of
subject-area tasks that do
not assess
decoding/reading
comprehension

Instruction that focuses on
selected grade-level state
assessments instead of all
of the assessments for the
grade-level course
Changes in the scoring
rubrics or grading scale
Reducing the complexity of
the activity (e.g., only one
step as opposed to
multiple steps to solve a
problem)
Cueing or prompting the
student during a grade-
level activity

References
Texas Project First
Cooley, M. L., (2007). Teaching Kids with Mental
Health and Learning Disorders in the Regular
Classroom. Minneapolis; Free Spirit Publishing
Inc.