6.2: Accommodation vs. Modification

Accommodations and Modifications

Image Source: Talker Buddy Communication Device For Non Verbal Kids. Special Supplies.

Fig. 6.2. Photo of a communication device for non verbal children. Used to engage a child in activities where they need to communicate their want and needs. The device is preprogrammed with key words and phrases and he buttons show show images that corresponds to the words. The child selects the appropriate button to communicate.

Accommodating Children with Disabilities or Developmental Delays

Learning disabilities are often not recognized or identified until children begin formal schooling. Children who learn differently or have delays in language commonly manifest special needs through their behavior in group settings.

Most children identified by special education professionals as having a disability have delays in learning and communication (over 70% of children from birth-14). What is more important is that learning disabilities are often not recognized or identified until children begin formal schooling.

Children who learn differently or have delays in language commonly manifest special needs through their behavior in group settings. Early childhood educators can provide a language-rich environment and make accommodations based on knowledge of the individual child.

Fewer children have more significant disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, physical and mobility impairments, or multiple disabilities. When children do have significant disabilities, they are likely to be receiving specialized services that may support success in a child care setting.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also known as a 504 plan is a blueprint for how the school will support a student with a disability and remove barriers to learning. The goal is to give the student equal access at school.

Children who are eligible for and who receive early intervention or special education services have individual plans with goals and strategies for caregivers and providers to use.For children under age three, the plans are called individualized family services plans (IFSPs); for children over age three, the plans are called individualized education programs (IEPs). Early childhood educators can be an important member of an IFSP or IEP team when these plans are being developed. Early childhood educators can provide modifications and make accommodations based on knowledge of the individual child.

These two words are used interchangeably but are two different techniques that can be used in a classroom with children who have differing abilities.

Fig 6.2. Graph explaining the differences between modification and accommodation. Traci Bender. Is it a Modification or an Accommodation? The Bender Bunch

Fig 6.2.1. Chart listing the differences between a modification (what a child learns) and an accommodation (how a child learnss.) Details are also are outlined on this page.

Supporting Children with Disabilities or Developmental Delays

Many educators enter the profession without training in supporting children with disabilities or developmental delays. The key starting point for all teachers is to see the child first. Watch and observe to learn about the individual interests and motivations of each child. Simply talking and playing with will build trust and help you make realistic choices and decisions about the child's learning targets, effective strategies, and ways you will monitor and assess their progress. Set learning goals, choose strategies, and assess children’s progress.

Another way to support children is develop learning and reflective practices for yourself as an educator.

• regularly check-in with yourself and your beliefs about children and families
• stay current on young child development and education practices
• think deeply about your role in making the learning experience and the classroom for all children
  • engaging and welcoming
  • developmentally appropriate
  • accessible for all
• consult with other members of the child's team for support in adapting the environment or modifying the curriculum
  • special education teacher
  • speech, physical, occupational therapists
  • early intervention coordinator
  • administrators
• trust your knowledge and instincts and rely on your professional expertise and judgment

Image Source: Más tecnologías de asistencia para que nadie se quede por fuera de la transformación. DigiXem360.

Classroom Strategies: Accommodations and Modifications

Key to effective classroom design is to be mindful of the many ways the space will be used and different needs of individual children. The classroom should be adaptable for a variety of routines and activities.

Be proactive in your approaches to you can best supports children’s strengths and can be modified to address individual needs.

• peer-buddy activities that require more than one child’s participation to accomplish a task
  • models positive social and communication skills]
  • demonstrates everyday routines
  • welcomes child as part of classroom activities
• dress-up items with multiple ways to fasten them
• find ways to absorb background noise to avoid distractions
  • use sound absorbing materials - carpet, wall-hanging, tennis ball attached to bottom of metal legs, etc,
  • noise-reducing headphones
• break down activities into small manageable tasks
• teach the tasks one by one
• provide pictures or symbols of an area to help children transition to a new activity (inclusive of nonverbal children)
• arrange furniture so all children—including those with visual or physical disabilities—can move around the space by themselves
• make sure materials are within reach and otherwise accessible to all children
  • add pencil grips to crayons and markers
  • glue small knobs to wooden puzzle pieces
• predictable routines with a beginning, middle, and end
• set up easels for children who have a difficult time painting or drawing on table tops
• have board books available
• add jumbo paper clips to regular book pages to make them easier for children to turn for children with motor delays

Sources

• Accommodations and Modifications. Reading Rockets.
• Esquival, Krischa. What Programs Can Do To Be Inclusive of All Children. The Role of Equity and Diversity in Early Childhood Education. LibreText. Social Sciences Library. Shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Krischa Esquivel, Emily Elam, Jennifer Paris, & Maricela Tafoya.
• Every Child Belongs: Welcoming a Child with a Disability. Teaching Young Children. NAEYC. August/September 2017