Using Modifications and Accommodations to Enhance Learning of Young Children with Disabilities: Little Changes That Yield Big Impacts

Which students need accommodations the most, and to what extent are their needs met by regular upper secondary school? A cross-sectional study among students with special educational needs

“…Students may therefore still need individualised changes to be made in the school environment, called 'accommodations', to fully participate. Accommodations are changes in timing, setting, scheduling, response or presentation of the school environment or activity that allow the student to participate in the general educational curriculum (Harrison et al 2013;Sandall, Schwartz, and Gauvreau 2016). Examples of accommodations are modifications of tasks and/or instructions (Raggi and Chronis 2006), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as computers and a school's virtual learning environment (Wastiau et al 2013) and special education teachers.…”

Specifying Adult Interaction Practices as a Step Toward Enhancing Our Conceptualization of Process Quality

“…Children with developmental delays or disabilities often require supports, accommodations, and systematic instruction to achieve a level of active engagement that promotes the acquisition of preacademic, motor, social-emotional, and communication INFANTS & YOUNG CHILDREN/JANUARY-MARCH 2022 skills (Christensen-Sandfort & Whinnery, 2013;Conroy, Sutherland, Vo, Carr, & Ogston, 2014;Kemp, Kishida, Carter, & Sweller, 2013;Macsuga-Gage & Simonsen, 2015). For example, adults often adapt the criteria for participation (e.g., participation as imitating a single gesture instead of imitating a series of movements within a song) or ensure there are multiple modalities in which children can express themselves (e.g., verbal, sign, or pictures;Sandall, Schwartz, & Gauvreau, 2016). Children with diverse cultural, linguistic, and social assets deserve meaningful, relevant, and explicit interconnections between their school, home, and community to feel comfortable, confident, and actively engaged in classroom activities (Bennett, Gunn, Gayle-Evans, Barrera, & Leung, 2018;Gay, 2002).…”

Participation and ICT : Students with Special Educational Needs in Upper Secondary School

“…Research recognises that environmental aspects related to the physical, cognitive and/or social demands of school activities may challenge students' opportunities to participate in school (Bedell, Khetani, Cousins, Coster & Law, 2011;Coster et al, 2013;Egilson & Traustadottir, 2009;Hemmingson & Borell, 2002;Şahin, Kara, Köse & Kara, 2020;Sandall, Schwartz & Gauvreau, 2016). Consequently, the physical design of the school or classroom, how school activities are organised and expected to be performed and the extent to which they are modified influence students' need for support in order to live up to schools expectations.…”

“…This further implies that a change in activity requirements will influence an individual's performance, and accommodations in the occupational setting may be used to enable a facilitating environment to promote occupational participation (de las Heras de Pablo, Parkinson, Pépin & Kielhofner, 2017). In this thesis, learning is considered to occur as a result of participation in school activities, and it is therefore crucial to eliminate environmental barriers to participation in school activities (Sandall et al, 2016).…”