ACCOMMODATIONS
The 2018 Texas Dyslexia Handbook provides a helpful overview of accommodations (p 54), which states:
Students with dyslexia who receive dyslexia instruction that contains the components described in this chapter will be better equipped to meet the demands of grade-level or course instruction. In addition to dyslexia instruction, accommodations provide the student with dyslexia effective and equitable access to grade-level or course instruction in the general education classroom. Accommodations are not one size fits all; rather, the impact of dyslexia on each individual student determines the necessary accommodation. Listed below are examples of reasonable classroom accommodations:
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Copies of notes (e.g., teacher- or peer-provided)
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Note-taking assistance
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Additional time on class assignments and tests
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Reduced/shortened assignments (e.g., chunking assignments into manageable units, fewer items given on a classroom test or homework assignment without eliminating concepts, or student planner to assist with assignments)
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Alternative test location that provides a quiet environment and reduces distractions
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Priority seating assignment
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Oral reading of directions or written material
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Word banks
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Audiobooks
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Text to speech
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Speech to text
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Electronic spellers
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Electronic dictionaries
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Formula charts
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Adaptive learning tools and features in software programs
More Sample Accommodation Lists
Accommodations: Student Feedback Form
Need ideas on what accommodations might be helpful? Or how your child feels about current accommodations? Print this chart and review with your child to gain insight for your child and all of those who provide support, including you!
Dyslexia Accommodations from Region 10 Education Service Center
This list includes possible accommodations for the §504, or Admission, Review, Dismissal (ARD) Committee of Knowledgeable Persons to consider for a student with dyslexia. This is not an exclusive list.
Accommodation Students with Dyslexia in All Classroom Settings
It is important to identify accommodations that are reasonable to ask of teachers in all classroom settings. The following accommodations appear reasonable and provide a framework for helping students with learning problems achieve in general education and special education classrooms. They are organized according to accommodations involving materials, interactive instruction, and student performance.
Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia from the International Dyslexia Association
Accommodations, provided for both testing and instruction, change the way students access information and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities; they do not change academic standards or expectations. The purpose of accommodations is to ensure equal access to the full school experience for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities (e.g., providing extended exam time for a student who has slow processing speed affecting academic fluency). Accommodations are adjustments made to allow a student to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities without lowering learning or performance expectations and without changing what is being measured (e.g., providing text in audio-format when academic knowledge [e.g., history, biology, literature] is the target skill being measured). Accommodations do not change the content of instruction, give students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge that a test measures. Accommodations make it possible for students with dyslexia to demonstrate their learning without being hindered by their disabilities.
The Difference Between Accommodations and Modifications
Sometimes a parent or student may request an accommodation, but the school responds that the requested support is actually a modification. What’s the difference? An accommodation changes how a student learns the material. A modification changes what a student is taught or expected to learn. Why does it matter? If students receive academic modifications, they might not learn all of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) required for high school graduation. The resources on this page of the Decoding Dyslexia Park Cities website focus on accommodations.
STAAR Accommodations
STAAR Accommodation Resources from TEA
Parents should learn about STAAR accommodations to make sure the testing plan for your student reflects his/her needs...and to understand how to ask for more accommodations if needed. One of the biggest criteria to have an accommodation on the STAAR is that the student “routinely and effectively uses it during classroom instruction and classroom testing.
Some of the more common STAAR accommodations used by dyslexic students are below. However, make sure to check the full list at the link above to see what is most appropriate for your student: