So, What is a Reasonable Accommodation?
A “reasonable accommodation” is a phrase used in
accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990 (ADA) and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
It is meant to offer modifications or alterations that result in equal
access or improved accessibility to physical, programmatic, and academic areas
of schooling. They are meant to provide changes to traditional educational
approaches so that students’ disabilities do not hinder the learning
process. For example, if a student has major deficits in fine motor
control and their handwriting is labored and illegible, a reasonable
accommodation may be providing a copy of the teacher’s notes. Consequently, the student’s disability will
not hinder the learning of lecture-based content.
Who can request a reasonable accommodation
from a school?
A student with a qualified
disability can request a reasonable accommodation. In addition, a parent
or legal guardian can also make the request for a child with a disability.
What are Some Common Reasonable Accommodations?
Although it is impossible to determine
reasonable accommodations without a review of all student records as well as a
comprehensive psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation, there are
some common options. Please note, that the schools or an outside source
can provide an assessment. Here is a list of general options, all of
which depend upon the specific type of learning disability:
• Provide seating in the classroom
where visual and auditory distractions are minimized.
• Offer preferential seating.
• Provide copies of the teaches
notes or another students notes.
• Provide a scribe for in-class
writing and testing situations.
• Allow the student to use a tape
recorder or use a Smart Pen.
• Provide books on tape.
• Provide a reader for tests.
• Offer the use of assistive
technology such as word prediction, text to speech, and speech to text software.
• Provide testing in a distraction
free environment.
• Allow the use of a calculator
during testing.
• Offer extended testing time.
• Provide extended time for homework
assignments.
• Offer extended time for in-class
assignments.
• Reduced homework load.
• Offer no penalty or spelling
mistakes on in-class writing assignments and tests.
• Avoid scan-trons and allow the
student to write directly on the test.
• Provide a computer with a spell
check for written assignments and tests.
• Simplify and repeat questions on
language loaded assignments and tests.
• Break tasks into organized,
manageable chunks with clear expectations and deadlines.
• Provide reminders to record and
turn in assignments.
• Check for understanding by having
the student repeat back what they heard.
• Offer a foreign language
substitution, waiver or exemption.
• Provide handouts and homework
assignments with fewer problems on each page.
• Provide short breaks when needed.
There is a step-by-step protocol required by
all schools to pursue reasonable accommodations, and there is no guarantee that
they will be granted. So, if you think that this is an intervention you
would like to pursue, be sure to contact your school to begin the process.
This blog post is intended to provide an overview of reasonable accommodations and is not legal advice.
If you have any thoughts or comments, please
let me know.
Cheers, Erica
Dr. Erica Warren, Learning
Specialist and Educational Therapist
What is the students disability and what are his struggling areas? That is much needed information in determining appropriate accommodations?
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