Top Accommodations and Modifications to Ask For at Your IEP Meeting - Part 1
**Please note: All accommodations and modifications need to be personalized to the student, their challenges, and their needs. This list is not meant to be prescriptive or exhaustive, but rather a place to start as you gather ideas.
When preparing for an IEP meeting, it’s smart to come up with a list of accommodations or modifications you’d like to see the school provide for your student. An accommodation (A) is a support that is added to the student’s day to help them access the curriculum or learning. A modification (M) is a support that changes the curriculum or learning from how other students may be receiving it so that your student can access it. Both are helpful in different ways and perfectly appropriate to ask for. Being prepared with suggestions and reasoning for why certain supports will set your child up for success is a great way to help them get what they need.
In this three-part series, we will be recommending accommodations and modifications for students with reading challenges, writing challenges, as well as general learning challenges. Today we start with reading.
READING
If your student is struggling with decoding, reading accurately, or reading fluently to the degree that it impedes their ability to comprehend, here are a few supports that can help:
Audio versions provided for all required texts (A) - Since decoding words (reading) is a high energy, high time challenge for students with dyslexia, audio versions of required texts help them access the information the teacher wants them to internalize so they can learn the content with the rest of the class.
Multiple mediums of building background knowledge and vocabulary that don’t involve decoding (A) - Similar to number one above, if a dyslexic student is spending all of their energy on decoding words, it leaves little to no energy left for gaining content knowledge and growing in comprehension skills. Other forms such as audiobooks, podcasts, videos, and songs will help the student gain background knowledge and vocabulary, increasing their comprehension without the labor or reading.
Chunking reading assignments (A) - Reading takes a lot of energy for students with dyslexia. Breaking down a reading assignment into smaller chunks helps the student know they can take breaks. For example, a 1-page article chunked into paragraphs by drawn brackets from the teacher. The teacher can also utilize chunks to ask for a “sum it up sentence” to check for understanding. A great attention strategy is to say, “Make a quick movie in your head of what you just read. Who or what was it about? What happened?”
Ask the teacher to not “cold call” on your child to read aloud in front of the class (M) - If a student cannot decode at grade level, a modification of notification before being called on or not reading aloud in class may be appropriate. Students with dyslexia, for example, would greatly struggle to read in front of a class. Anxiety and stress on the brain do not support learning or memory. The teacher can look for other ways to engage the student in public speaking other than reading.
Reduction in reading assignments (M) - Ask the teacher to always clarify which assigned texts are core and necessary versus supplemental. This allows the student to prioritize reading what is most important. However, if the student is being given assistive technology resources to “ear read,” they may be able to read all this is required.