For those of us parenting children who need supports to thrive in school, we understand the feeling of wanting to start the school year off with everything in place, including their accommodations, which are meant to remove barriers to learning and meet THEM where they are (not the other way around!).
As parents, we live and breathe our kids’ daily experiences — often knowing when they’re not receiving the supports they need at school but unsure of how to help. Remember, accommodations can be as unique as our kids — and the possibilities are endless. In essence, accommodations in the IEP allow students to participate but with some variation in time, format, setting, or presentation. Dr. Pelangka’s expert accommodation tip for parents:
“At the end of the day, you know your child better than any specialists out there. You may not know all the fancy jargon or terminology, but you know your child. So if there’s ever something you think could potentially help them to access [the curriculum], throw it out there, like, ‘Hey, what about something like this?’ And it will, if nothing more, definitely start a discussion as to whether or not it is an accommodation.”
- Do you know who’s responsible for making sure a student has access to an accommodation? Brush up by reading our article What You Need to Know About Accommodations and Modifications. And for a deeper dive, education advocate Dr. Sarah Pelangka answers accommodation questions in How the Difference between Modifications & Accommodations Can Change Your Child’s Future.
- Going to an IEP meeting and need a list of real-world accommodations to bring with you? Use this printable list of accommodations compiled by the Undivided Research Team — from curriculum to test-taking to health and more — that you can bring with you to your meeting. You can also find them in our article here!
- Talk to the teacher! Set your child up for a supportive school year by sharing your child’s accommodations with their teachers. For a one-page sheet you can use, see this printable template.
- Preschool-aged kiddos can have accommodations too! Check out our list of Preschool Accommodations, which you can use as a starting point when discussing accommodations with your IEP team. Plus, a printable tip sheet outlining sample preschool accommodations that you can take on the go — from assessments to behavior, and more!
- Best of…adaptive tools! Finding the right tools and supplies can take a little trial and error. Our list of Top 25 Adaptive School Supplies for Kids with Disabilities is a great place to start!
Every child has unique needs and will need unique accommodations that fit “just right” for them. We’d love to hear about the real-world accommodations that work for your kiddos, so reply and let us know!
Is inclusion coming to ESY? A recent decision in the US District Court established that least restrictive environment (LRE) does apply during extended school year (ESY)! To find out more about what this means for parents, including how parents can explore inclusive ESY with their IEP teams, we sat down with the attorneys who won this case: David German, a partner at Vanaman German, and Melinda Bird, senior litigation counsel at Disability Rights California. Read all about it in our latest article: Do schools have to offer inclusive extended school year (ESY)?
Celebrate this parent’s triumph with Undivided! “I signed up for help navigating the daunting world of a new diagnosis, and my Navigator was organized, thorough, and proactive. But what ended up being of equal if not greater value was her emotional support. To be able to share fears and triumphs with someone who has walked a similar road is priceless.”
Getting the Most Out of Self-Determination (don’t give up!)
Our Facebook Live event with SDP Program Manager Christine C. Tolbert is coming up on October 5! Regional Center’s Self-Determination Program (SDP) gives people with disabilities more freedom to choose the services and supports that help them meet their goals.
Whether your child is already enrolled and you want to get more out of SDP, or you’re interested in learning more about the program, join us for a live event with the California State Council for Developmental Disabilities. (A full replay and recap of the highlights will be sent to RSVPs if you can’t make it live!) Sign up for the event here.
Office Hours with Education Advocate Lisa Carey
On Wednesday, September 20, 12:00–1:00 p.m. PDT, Education Advocate Lisa Carey will be available to answer questions about IEPs and special education. Stop by for five minutes or the whole hour to get expert answers and connect with other parents. Our bi-weekly Q&A sessions with specialists are open to Undivided members only, so if you’d like to attend, sign up here to begin your free Kickstart!
Parent Pop Quiz answer: is a calculator an accommodation?
According to special education advocate Dr. Pelangka, “It depends on its usage. It can be considered an accommodation if the student conceptually understands the math they are doing, but it is a modification if it is being used to support the concepts of the math computation.” It all comes down to the way a child accesses the curriculum and how what they’re learning compares to their peers.
Can parents request accommodations for their child’s assessment? Find out in this quick video! Watch on YouTube→- If you’re wondering whether other parents have experience with a certain accommodation or school support, our private group is the perfect place to ask! Join our parents-only group on Facebook→
- What accommodations and tips should you consider in your child’s IEP for autism? Check it out on Instagram→
- Help us spread the word about what Undivided does for families. Connect with us on LinkedIn→
- Use your Undivided account to build your own super binder to store IEP documents, work samples, assessments, and more. Share with your IEP team at the click of a button. Start here→
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This newsletter was originally sent to our subscribers on 9/14/23. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more resources like this in your inbox, or check out our full library of articles, templates, and videos at undivided.io/resources.
