Accommodations for Special Needs Students

SkyLyne co
May 7, 2022
5 min read

The term "accommodation" may be used to describe an alteration of the environment, curriculum format, or equipment that allows an individual with a disability to gain access to content and/or complete assigned tasks. They allow students with disabilities to pursue a regular course of study.

Some examples of accommodations include:

sign language interpreters for students who are deaf;
computer text-to-speech computer-based systems for students with visual impairments or Dyslexia;
extended time for students with fine motor limitations, visual impairments, or learning disabilities;
large-print books and worksheets for students with visual impairments; and
trackballs and alternative keyboards for students who operate standard mice and keyboards.

Modification v Accommodation

Sometimes, people get confused between what it means to make a modification and what it means to make an accommodation.

Modification: a change in what is being taught to or expected from the student.
Accommodation: a change that helps a student overcome or work around the disability

Adapting Instruction

Sometimes a student may need to have changes made in classwork or routines because of his or her disability. Modifications can be made to:

what a child is taught, and/or
how a child works at school.

Modifications or accommodations are most often made in the following areas:

Scheduling: giving extra time for assignments and tests, splitting them over days.
Setting: working in small groups or one-on-one with the teacher to increase comfort and response time.
Materials: adapting materials according to the need of the student.
Instructions: reducing difficulties of the assignment or using a tutor.
Student Response: allowing different modes of communication and submissions.

Different countries have different accommodations for these students. Let's take a look at some countries and their services to aid the education of special-needs students.

Taiwan

The disability stigmatization has exposed the problem of inclusive education in Taiwan, and the corresponding laws have failed to protect the rights of accommodation for the disability student community.

In their early years, students with disabilities were seen as a punishment for their parents’ past sins resulting from the cultural belief in karma. According to the statistics from Executive Yuan, an estimate of a total of 105000 disability students with an increasing trend of special education applications as the awareness expands among parents in Taiwan.

In 2013, The Special Education Act for students with disabilities in Taiwan was revised to include the stipulation that schools of higher learning must implement special education services. Nevertheless, all levels of education are unable to provide support according to the true needs of students with disabilities, including accommodations such as transportation, accessible transportation for field trips, assistants for students with special educational needs, barrier-free campuses, specialized classroom equipment, etc. Non-profit organizations and disability societies have now stood up and spoken up for increasing available accommodation for the disability community. It is clear that Taiwanese government officials and levels of educational institutions should implement a corresponding committee to facilitate welfare and equality for students in need. These measures include the establishment of dedicated agencies for the disability community and understanding from teachers and public awareness about reasonable accommodation.

Sweden

"Special educational needs"; is a legal definition and refers to children with learning problems or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children the same age.

In Sweden, if you are a student with special needs or abilities due to neurological disabilities like autism, dyslexia and other similar conditions, the children go to a training school - ” träningsskolan ” which provides them with the help for lifeskills. with autism, dyslexia and other similar conditions.

Students with functional disabilities like visual, speech and hearing impairments also have special schools known as “specialskolan”. Where they are equipped with skills that enhance their experience related to their impairment. i.e, students who cannot speak learn to communicate with the help of sign language.

There are also students with special needs who have the ability to grasp concepts easier than the others who then have the right to guidance and stimulation to reach further in their learning. These students are categorized under the 5% of students who have exceptional learning abilities.

There are also students who may take more time to understand concepts and have the right to work one on one with a teacher who helps in their learning.

Being put in a special needs school also depends on when you realize, you as a student may need extra help with concepts that are not clear. Struggling with dyslexia can only be noticed at a later period of school years. After talking to a trusted adult about this, students can move forward to receive the help they need to continue learning.

India

Special education evolved over time. It originated in the court ruling of Brown VS Board of education of Topeka in the year 1954. However, India enacted its landmark by the persons with disabilities act 1995.

The government has come up with schemes to help the differently-abled. Some of them are Divyanjan Swavalamban Yojana, Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation scheme, Assistance For Disabled Persons and the Accessible Indian campaign. They are given physical facilities, ramp rails, restrooms, scribes for examinations, presentation accommodations( change in how things and information are presented to them, response accommodation( change in completing tasks and assignments), setting accommodation, timing accommodation, scheduling accommodation, organisation skills accommodation. However, are these accommodations and schemes enough? Are they enough to make them feel accepted? Are they enough for society to take them in and consider them to be a part of the normal spectrum of society? No, I do not think so.

According to the Times of India in an article published in the month of January the year 2022, over 1,400 children with disabilities are treated as a burden in their households and some are given up for adoption. Many times the members of the family are not willing to accept that their child has a disability and needs to use certain accommodations but instead act like nothing is wrong with them and continue to put pressure on them with no usage of the facilities given to them. Alongside normal schooling and pushing the child towards doing things all the other children do end up having other peers making fun of them and sidelining children with special needs.

Yes, they need special facilities, they need a different kind of love and care but they do not have to be any different from other children. However, they should not be forced into being the people they are not. They should have people aware of their ailments as well as understand that each child's way of brain processing is different. Thus, accept each one and mould your behaviour in accordance to the way their brain processes.

USA

In the United States, accommodation for special needs students is very important. Almost every public school (including mine) has specifically trained teachers to help students with all sorts of disabilities. In my school, these students have specific conditions such as autism or Down Syndrome. There is always a teacher walking with them and helping them learn things in the way that is the best fit for them. A neighbouring high school to mine actually allows the special needs kids to attend regular classes with other students. They may get extra assistance throughout the day, but they still receive the same education as their peers. There are private schools created specifically for special needs students. They are usually chosen by families of high-functioning autistic students (kids who have higher learning abilities) or those who can afford them. But generally, families prefer public schools for their children because they have the opportunity to interact with regular students as well as receive a quality education.