Here's the difference between an accommodation and a modification
As I work with school folks around the country, I see many educators working hard to include children with disabilities in regular classes so that all children can learn well. It's challenging and quite inspiring to see what people are doing. Often, the question arises about the legal requirements of grading and testing children with IEPs--when they are learning the same things as their peers or when they are learning something different--according to their own IEPs.

One discussion that's useful is to be very clear about what we should call the changes that educators make for children with disabilities in regular classrooms--changes that are different from what other children do or get. To understand this, itls important to know the difference between between an accommodation and a modification. Here are three definitions that may help!

Adaptation--An adaptation is any change that teachers make for children with disabilities--whether they are accommodations or modifications.

Accommodation--An accommodation is a change that the student needs in order to participate in the class, learn the material, take the test, or any other activity and which does not fundamentally alter or lower the standard being taught and learned.

Modification--A modification is a change that the student needs in order to participate in the class, learn the material, take the test, or any other activity and which does fundamentally alter or lower the standard being taught and learned.

Each situation is different. Sometimes extra time is an accommodation, and sometimes, a modification. For example in a typing test (how many words per minute can the student type), extra time would be a modification. Sometimes if a teacher reads a test to a student, that may be an accommodation; but sometimes, it would be a modification (as in reading the reading test to a student). Accommodations maintain the standard; modifications change the standard.

It's important to know which is which and when. The IEP team needs to consider what is appropriate for the child and the IEP needs to reflect the team's decisions.

Later postings will provide more details and some case examples about this important issue that educators deal with every day.
- posted by Miriam @ 9:38 PM