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IEP's and 504's: What do appropriate accommodations look like?

IEP's and 504's need to include more than extended time. Here's a look at part of an educational analysis we performed for a family who needed help translating their child's diagnosis into a useful plan for his teachers:

"The dyslexia seems to be handled well through his work with the Lindamood Bell system, and is proof that interventions and alternative instruction are an appropriate tool. Continued struggles with spelling should be expected, due to the dyslexia and the written expression and language disorder. An appropriate accommodation would be that he is not graded for spelling in his writing assignments, and his spelling tests should include a typed sheet with the spelling words for the week in three formats: spelled incorrectly twice and correctly once. He would circle the word that is spelled correctly. Allowing the use of assistive technology (speaking into a phone or computer that transcribes his words) should help with writing assignments.

For dyscalculia, his interventions and accommodations should include using a calculator or basic facts chart for all assignments and tests, and having a worked example, list of procedural steps, or a vocabulary word bank on his quizzes and tests. This is important because mathematical knowledge erodes over time at a much faster, and more consistent, rate for dyscalculic students. He can know something on Monday, barely recognize it on Friday, and it could be completely gone by the following Wednesday, due to weak neurological connections in the parietal lobe of the brain.

All of these conditions are lifelong disorders that can be accommodated, but are not improved with time or medication. He can have great academic success in any field as long as he receives the appropriate alternative instruction and the accommodations that support his disorders. Using multi-modal, multi-sensory instruction can help him store information throughout his brain, rather than in the weakened sections which cause his disorders."

We also include links to outside sources that can help teachers understand neurological disorders and how to help students in their classrooms. Well-written IEP and 504 plans can make all the difference for struggling students.

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