Using Adaptations and Modifications in the Inclusive Classroom

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Using Adaptations and Modifications in the
Inclusive Classroom

• Live Classroom Presentation
• April 9th, 2009
• Diana Carr
• Based on the book
• Learning in Safe Schools
• By Brownlie and King

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How to support an inclusive classroom?

• Be flexible
• Be collaborative
• Be prepared to problem solve
• Be a planner
• Be aware of the language used when describing
  students
• Be aware of how you spend your time
• Be prepared to play a key role in beginning and
  maintaining an inclusive focus

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Stainback and Stainback, authors of Support
Networks for Inclusive Schooling

• In inclusive schools , the focus is not
  exclusively on how to help studentsfit into the
  existing, standard curriculum in the school.
  Rather the curriculum in the regular education
  class is adapted, when necessary, to meet the
  needs of any student for whom the standard
  curriculum is inappropriate or could be better
  served through adaptation. Possibly the most
  common curricular modification in inclusive
  schools involves arranging for students to pursue
  different objectives within the same lesson.

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• How can one lesson be taught to the entire class
  while meeting the individual needs of each
  student?
• Consider
• Clarify difference between the concepts and the
  content to develop the concepts
• Presentation
• Student practice
• Evaluation

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• When a teacher makes adaptations, the
• curriculum maintains the exact
• same learning outcomes for the student,
• but the goals/expectations,
• presentation, materials, assistance or
• environment may vary or be different.

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So remember

• You are adjusting the way the student will gain
  access to the learning situation
• The difficulty of the task cannot be affected
• What is being evaluated cannot be modified
• Must be clearly indicated in the students IEP

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• When a teacher makes modifications, there
• are different learning outcomes for the
• student, as identified in his or hers
• Individualized Education Plan.
• The materials used may be
• similar or different from those of the
• other learners in the classroom

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So remember

• Requirements or the evaluation criteria of the
  competencies are modified
• The difficulty level of the task is reduced
• All modification of task requirements and
  evaluations are clearly recorded on the
  established IEP

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Adaptation vs. Modification

• Use of adaptation over modification when possible
  enhances the student's acceptance and inclusion
  in the classroom
• Adaptation reduces teacher time needed for
  planning and delivering multiple curricula
• Once clearly understood and practiced it almost
  comes naturally
• Avoid assuming the child requires a separate
  curriculum since the overuse of a separate
  curriculum increases the exclusion of the child
  and workload of the teacher.

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Ask Four Questions

• Which curriculum learning outcomes can the child
  meet without any changes?
• What adaptations can be made, and where for the
  child to meet these learning outcomes?
• Which learning outcomes will need to be modified?
  (can this be done with the same classroom
  materials?)
• Are there any times when the child will be
  working on different learning outcomes with
  different, but age appropriate, materials?

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Types of Adaptation

• Input
• Output
• Time

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Possible Adaptations

• Changes to the environment
• Student materials
• Availability
• Adapted devices
• Adapting the page set up
• Presentation of lesson
• Time allocation
• Technology

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Types of Modification

• Difficulty
• Level of support
• Size
• Degree of participation
• Alternate goals
• Substitute Curriculum

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Possible Modifications

• Different objective with same materials
• Simplify the vocabulary/questions
• Simplify the task
• Provide the answers
• Grade work turned in, not work required
• Alternate expectations
• Fill in the blank
• Provide functioning level materials

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Why Adapt and Modify?

• Encourages inclusion of all students
• Addresses different learning styles
• Allows teacher to reach all students some of the
  time
• Allows for diversity among students
• Fosters social relations and self-worth
• Meets social, emotional and academic needs
• MOST OF ALL Success for all

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Elementary School Exam Support Measures

• Adaptations may include
• Additional time as specified in the IEP
• Isolated workspace
• Read aloud or reader provided
• Chunking the work
• Adult to pace and keep student on task
• Read directions aloud at students request

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Elementary School Exam Support Measures

• Modifications may include
• Reduce difficulty of assigned task
• Use of word processor with correction tools
• Adult interpretation of text
• Adult facilitating discussion of material
• Breaking situational problem down into smaller
  chunks
• Use of various resources

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Secondary School Exam Support Measures

• taken form
  the Administrative Manual for the Certification
  of Secondary School Studies 16-7175A, Chapter 5
• 5.2 The intervention plan can include means
  allowing students to understand instructions and
  questions and give their answers. However,
  educational institutions must maintain
  requirements for issuing secondary school
  diplomas
• The school principal is authorized to
  introduce the following measures if they are
  included in a student's individualized education
  plan

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Chapter 5

• extending the time allotted for the exam by up to
  one third of the time normally allowed
• adaptation of specific measures the attendant
  provides assistance that the student requires
  according to his or her needs
• allowing students to use a computer without
  grammar corrector or speller while respecting
  certain conditions
• ensuring that the exam is held in a secure
  location and that the students are supervised
• allowing the students to use various writing aids
• allowing students to give their answers using a
  tape recorder
• allowing students to use a reading aide such as a
  monitor, magnifying glass or inclined reading
  stand

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Elements for Success

• Flexibility and creativity
• Understanding of students backgrounds
• Resources and materials
• School support
• Understand students IEPs
• Professional development opportunities are
  especially necessary in order for teachers to
  improve their skills and knowledge in curriculum
  modification

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Salisbury, Mangino, Petrigala, Rainforth, Syryca
Palombaro, (1994)

• Salisbury and her colleagues found that modifying
  curriculum based on students IEP resulted in
  successful physical, social, and instructional
  inclusion of students with mild to profound
  disabilities.

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Buxton, 1999 Fradd, Lee, Sutman Saxton, 2001

• Major focus of this study was on the modification
  of materials
• Teachers perceptions regarding the effectiveness
  of curriculum modification shifted from uncertain
  to preferable
• That teachers need to understand the
  characteristics and specific needs of particular
  groups when determining how curriculum should be
  modified
• School failure is less likely to occur and
  students self-esteem increases when their
  culture is successfully incorporated

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• The whole reason for education is to help create
  whole people for the future. We build in students
  what we want in a future society. The principles
  around inclusion are what we are all searching
  for in our lives. I think if we give a taste of
  this to children, they will seek it out for the
  rest of their lives
• -Kim Ondrik, teacher