Accommodation finder
Build a list of supports to ask for, by what your child struggles with
What does your child struggle with?
Filed by what you actually notice, not by diagnosis — you see that homework takes three hours, not that working memory is at the 12th percentile.
63 of 63 shown · 0 on your list
How material is taught
Directions given one step at a time, and repeated on request without penalty
Written copy of every set of verbal instructions
Check for understanding by asking the student to restate the task, not by asking "any questions?"
Copy of notes, slides or a completed outline provided in advance
Guided notes with blanks rather than notes taken from scratch
Preview of new vocabulary before the lesson, not during it
Text read aloud, by a person or by text-to-speech, for any material not assessing decoding
Audiobook or digital text available alongside the print copy
Multiplication and formula reference chart available at all times
Worked example of each problem type left visible during independent work
New concepts introduced with a concrete or visual model before the abstract notation
Advance warning of being called on, or a private signal for opting out
Instruction in a small group for the subject of greatest need
Assignments & homework
Reduced number of problems where the shorter set still covers every skill
Extended time on assignments, with the length of the extension stated
Long assignments broken into parts with separate due dates
A hard cap on homework time, after which the parent signs and the work is complete
Alternatives to handwriting accepted: typing, dictation, or oral response
Spell-check and word prediction permitted on written work
Graphic organiser provided for any writing task longer than a paragraph
Rubric or exemplar given at the same time as the assignment
Assignments posted in one consistent place, in writing, by the end of the school day
Second set of materials kept at home
Late work accepted without penalty when the lateness relates to the disability
Credit given for work completed, rather than zeros for work not attempted
Tests & quizzes
Extended time on tests, stated as a multiplier (time and a half, double time)
Testing in a separate, quiet setting with reduced distractions
Tests broken across sessions or days
Directions read aloud and clarified on request
Test items read aloud, except where reading is the skill being tested
Answers may be dictated to a scribe or recorded
Answers written directly in the test booklet rather than on a separate answer sheet
Calculator permitted, except where computation is the skill being tested
Fewer items per page, larger print, or increased spacing
Scheduled breaks during long tests, with the clock stopped
Tests scheduled at the time of day the student works best
Advance notice of tests, with no surprise quizzes
The room & the day
Preferential seating chosen for the child’s need, with the reason recorded
Noise-reducing headphones or earplugs available and permitted
Access to a quieter alternative for lunch or break
Movement breaks on a schedule, not only when behaviour has already escalated
Flexible seating: wobble stool, standing option, floor space
A pass to leave the room for a defined calm space, without having to ask in front of the class
Warning before transitions, fire drills and assemblies where possible
Reduced fluorescent lighting, or seating away from flicker and glare
Visual schedule of the day posted and referred to
Extra time between classes, or permission to move during passing periods
Access to water, snacks or medication as the health plan requires
Unlimited, unquestioned bathroom access
Adult & peer support
A named adult the student can go to, with a stated alternative when that adult is absent
Daily check-in at the start of the day and check-out at the end
Home–school communication log, with the frequency and who writes it specified
Adult help to begin a task after instructions are given
Help organising the locker, bag or binder on a set schedule
Structured role assigned in group work rather than left to the group
Adult support at unstructured times: lunch, recess, corridors, the bus
Peer note-taker or a shared class notes document
Advance planning for substitute teachers, so the plan does not lapse when the teacher is out
Behaviour plan based on a functional behaviour assessment, reviewed on a set schedule
De-escalation steps written down and agreed, including what adults will not do
Re-entry plan after an absence, a removal or a hospitalisation
Parent notified the same day of any removal from class, however brief or informal
Staff working with the student trained in the specific disability and the specific plan
Nothing you type here is sent anywhere. This page has no server to send it to.
This is information about what the regulations say, not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for someone who knows your child. Special education law also varies by state. Your state parent center is free, federally funded, and will go through any of this with you.
Accommodations, not modifications
Everything on this list changes how a child accesses the material. Nothing on it changes what they are expected to learn — those are modifications, they alter the curriculum, and they belong in a longer conversation with the team rather than on a checklist. Reduced quantity where every skill is still covered is an accommodation. Reduced content is not.
The words that make an accommodation real
The difference between a support that happens and one that does not is usually a number. "Extended time" is interpreted as five minutes by one teacher and an untimed test by another; "time and a half" is not. "Breaks as needed" is granted after the problem; "a five-minute break every twenty minutes, scheduled" is granted before it.
Three questions to ask about anything that goes into the plan:
- How much, how often — is there a number?
- Who is responsible, and what happens when that person is absent?
- Does the substitute teacher know?
How to use this list
Pick a handful, not thirty. A short list of well-chosen supports, each with a reason attached, gets discussed. A long one gets treated as a negotiating position and answered with a shorter one.
This is also a good list to take to your state parent center — they will know which of these your district actually implements well.