Accommodations vs Adaptations

The idea of accommodations is often a foreign one to parents and it gets confused with an adaptation which is not the same idea.

An adaptation would be put in place if a child could not learn the material that «all» the other children are learning, and may be a reality for some students.  For dyslexic students however, the idea of accommodation is simply a change that allows them a chance to learn all the material the other children can or to give them a chance to prove what they have learned.

More importantly for all involved though, an accommodation should be a quick, cheap, and non-disruptive way to integrate a child fully into the classroom. For example, if it makes it easier to track written words, a teacher can print assignments or tests on blue paper – not a huge ask — just stick one blue page on the top of the pile before printing. Even…