School Environment Modification Examples

WAYS TO ACCOMMODATE IN CLASS

Environmental Strategies

• Make separate "space" for different types of tasks

• Possible adapting of non-academic times such as lunch, recess, and physical education

• Change student seating

• Utilize a study carrel

• Alter location or personal or classroom supplies for easier access or to minimize distraction

• Provide sensory breaks

• Provide a written or picture schedule

Organizational Strategies

• Model and reinforce organizational systems (i.e. color-coding)

• Write out homework assignments, check student's recording of assignments

• Set time expectations for assignments

• Provide clues such as clock faces indicating beginning and ending times

• Teach study/organizational skills

Behavioral Strategies

• Use behavioral management techniques consistently within a classroom and across classes

• Implement behavioral/academic contracts

• Utilize positive verbal and/or nonverbal reinforcements

• Establish a home/school communication system for behavior monitoring

• Post rules and consequences for classroom behavior

• Put student on daily/weekly progress report/contract

• Reinforce self-monitoring and self-recording of behaviors

Presentation Strategies

• Tape lessons so the student can listen to them again; allow students to tape lessons

• Select alternative textbooks, workbooks, or provide books on tape

• Highlight main ideas and supporting details in the book

• Provide copied material for extra practice (i.e. outlines, study guides)

• Prioritize drill and practice activities for relevance

• Ask student to repeat/paraphrase context to check understanding

• Arrange for a mentor to work with student in his or her interest area or area of greatest strength

• Provide peer tutoring

• Simplify and repeat instructions about in-class and homework assignments

• Pre-teach and/or re-teach important concepts

• Prepare advanced organizers/study guides for new material

Assignments

• Modify the amount of homework

• Use written directions to supplement oral directions

• Reduce paper and pencil tasks

• Allow for assignments to be word processed

• Lower reading level of assignments

• Break assignments into a series of smaller assignments

• Use highlighted texts

Evaluation Methods

• Limit amount of material presented on a single page or shorter sections

• Provide a sample or practice test

• Provide for oral testing

• Provide tests in segments so that student hands in one segment before receiving the next part

• Provide personal copy of test tools and allow for color-coding/highlighting

• Adjust time for completion