Here are some important terms you will encounter in regards to students with specific needs.

Accommodations are designed to allow students access to the same curriculum as their classmates. Making accommodations means you are changing how the student will have access to the same opportunities to learn as their peers. This could be a change in time to complete a task, seating preferences, or lesson materials. For example, a student with vision impairment will receive the same book as her classmates, but have access to a copy that has enlarged text. The learning content is the same, but an accommodation has been made for how she can access the material.

Modifications are designed to allow students to have different standards and benchmarks to learning than their peers. The learning objective is modified and students with modifications are not graded the same way as their peers but instead are graded according to the modification. These are commonly seen in learning goals on IEPs. 

Confidentiality- If information about a student’s accommodations are shared with you, make sure to check and be aware of confidentiality requirements. Health plans, IEPs, and 504s are confidential documents. The student and their family’s privacy is protected.