Audra Jensen: your job is to work yourself out of a job. That is the end goal. Everything you're doing, think about how can I do less and less of it so the student gains that independence.
Welcome to the Misfit Behaviorists Podcast. Join your hosts, Audra Jensen and Caitlin Beltran, here to bring you evidence based strategies with a student centered focus. Let's get started.
Audra Jensen: Hi, welcome back. Do you know what the difference is between accommodations and modifications? Or are you like one of our listeners who would like some tips on how to do accommodations modifications in a gen ed classroom? So if so, this episode is for you.
Caitlin Beltran: Awesome. And while we are here, let me remind you to join our Facebook group, the Misfit Behaviors Podcast. We are always dropping freebies and exclusive things in there. And then follow us on Instagram, the Misfit Behaviorists Podcast as well and follow along.
Audra Jensen: A fun example from one of our listeners said this about modifications in her classroom. She teaches a transitional K program and she said, today we have a variety of six sided dice and some students needed one dice to for what the dots to count.
Another student needed dice that had a number to match with the activity and then other students rolled, two dotted dice and were able to add together. And then an even more advanced student was able to add two dice with just the number showing and that's just really nice and being able to give options to different students and modify and accommodate for the students there.
So that's just a great example I thought it was really good. I was thinking about accommodations and modifications this week. Anyway, I think I posted something on my Instagram about both of them separately on different days. And I thought of a good example of how to think about accommodations and modifications and what they are.
So I was thinking about, if we were both going to a coffee shop and you know where the coffee shop is and I don't, so I need to use a GPS to get there. So that GPS would be considered an accommodation because we're both going to get there at the same time or, you know, closely depends on how my driving is, but that GPS is an accommodation. Now, if we say, okay, we want to go get coffee. And I say, yeah, I don't know where that one is, but I know where this coffee shop is. That would be a modification because we're both going to go get coffee. We're able to drink coffee, which is disgusting. I don't drink it, but we're able to get it.
We just have to go somewhere else. So that would be a modification. So that was one example. And then I thought of this other one yesterday, cause I have this dog. He's awesome. We also have a lot of chickens and stuff. The chickens come up onto our back porch and they poop everywhere and it's nasty. And so I got these huge dog gate, well not huge gates, but they're like, you know, regular, they're baby gates is what they are.
And I put it all around our porch in the backyard. Now, the dog really likes to go outside. So he goes out and I'm like, oh, now I have to like, every time I go out there, I have to like open the door for him to get, so that he can go out into the yard. I'm like, that's stupid. So I made a little gap in the gate so that he could get out to the backyard.
And so that would be my accommodation, right?
Caitlin Beltran: But then I thought, okay, well, I don't want to leave that because then the chicken's going to figure it out. So I thought, okay, well, The modification I can make is I'm going to start teaching him how to jump the fence because he's a big dog. He could totally do it.
Audra Jensen: But the way I'm going to be able to do it is if I have part of the fence lower to start and I teach him that piece and then I can raise it up in different sizes and eventually he can jump over and get it and that would be a modification. So I thought of those two examples for accommodations and modifications. What do you think?
Caitlin Beltran: Only a BCBA Is like shaping or chicken wire fence jumping week by week.
Audra Jensen: Accommodations are how a student is able to access the learning. A modification is what and the change that we might be making to the actual information. So let me share my screen.
All right. So I thought I'd go through very quickly kind of what the 4 common accommodations are and then what 4 common modifications are and then some quick tips and how we can help modify for our students in classrooms. So the first thing I thought was the presentation. So that's the first thing and that is how the information is presented to a student.
So some examples might be audio books or any sort of audio content that instead of reading visual aids, visuals of any kind of presentation change that we're making. So that would be the first type of accommodation. Second one I thought about was Response and that would be like how the student responds.
So oral answers, if they're typing instead of writing, if they're using a scribe instead of writing, those are all fall under accommodations in their responses. The next one I thought about was a schedule. So the when. So do they need extended time? Do they need breaks in order to break up the tasks? A different time for testing than the other students are receiving?
Anything that's changing kind of the when? And then the last one I thought about was the setting or the where. So accommodation of a different area, preferential seating, you know, walking down the hallway when nobody else is there, those type of setting type situations would all be accommodations.
Caitlin Beltran: I love these and I feel like we're all probably doing these in so many different ways without even thinking about it.
Audra Jensen: Yeah, I think that's true. And the other thing I want to say that accommodations and modification, sometimes they do overlap. And so sometimes it really, it doesn't really matter for calling something one and it's The other, you know, it all comes down to, are we giving the student what they need? And these are just supports to help them do that.
Caitlin Beltran: Yeah, and I think especially when we're thinking about accommodations versus modifications, it's helpful when you really know your learner and you know, okay, this is a student who could get to the same end goal as their peers, or, okay, and I'm just providing accommodations, or I know this is not the same end goal that this student can reach and I'm going a different route.
So sometimes it is helpful, I think, in thinking about it backwards like that.
Audra Jensen: That's a really good way to think about it. I like that. So then I thought the four common modification types, the first one being,the content or which is the, what, how we're simplifying or changing the content for using a different curriculum than the other students. anything we're making changes to the actual content, that would be, that Modification.
And then the second one would be like the quantity, the how much, if we're doing fewer numbers of questions or doing a short assignment, anything that's changing the amount of the assignment or the information's being presented to them. Third one would be like their performance.
And this is when it overlaps a lot because oral answers could be either a modification or an accommodation. But it's how the student is sharing their knowledge. if they're doing like project based learning instead of essays or if they're doing alternative assessments. So those would all be kind of considered the performance side of it.
And then the last one, the level of support. And this is when we use a lot, how much help and from whom, extra prompting. Pre teaching concepts, how much support they're needing in order to access the learning that they're capable of.
Caitlin Beltran: For sure
Audra Jensen: And so those all kind of change the content of what the service, you know, the learner is learning, the what, so the different coffee shop, and then the, that, those accommodations would be kind of the GPS to get there. Okay, so now I want to share just five quick tips on how to provide accommodations and modifications in a general education setting. And the first one. Is almost I think maybe the most important. It's just partnering with your team, becoming friendly with the people around you, the better relationship you have with your general education teacher, the easier, you know, you have the open communication, you're having regular check ins, you're sharing responsibility, that partnership makes any sort of modification or accommodation to students so much easier, it's just seamless, I mean, if you're going into a classroom and you have some sort of animosity between you or any sort of, you know, conflicting feelings, it just makes, It makes it so much more difficult to support your students when you have that tension.
Building a positive relationship is really important.
Caitlin Beltran: 100 percent and someone said this to me a long time ago, and I always think of it that, like, if you're a teacher, say, you're a special teacher working co teaching with the general education teacher, but it also applies as to what the power in your room or any other colleague. it's almost like an arranged marriage and it kind of helps when you think about it that way, because even if you, it's not someone you would normally be friends with, or, you know, go out and get coffee with, there's no way out, like, you're with this person, like it or not.
And so it does kind of help when you think about, like, you can have your opinions and you can, you know, want to compromise on certain things and want to not compromise on certain things, but doing it in a respectful way and preserving that relationship is the ultimate goal because you're still coming back to the same arranged marriage the next day.
Audra Jensen: Oh, I like the arranged marriage. That's good. I'm going to use that. The second one I think is really important is to be discreet. I've talked in the past with the With staff, I don't want my either my one-on-one's or my paras to become the velcro para, the person that's attached to the student. I want it to be as discreet as possible.
I always trained or taught my staff, your job is to work yourself out of a job. That is the end goal. Everything you're doing, think about how can I do less and less of it so the student gains that independence. So being discreet, adapting those assignments and those activities in ways that benefit all the students.
Be sure that you have a student in there. There's going to be at least another student that's going to benefit from the same accommodation or modification that you're doing. So how can you bring that into kind of a community setting examples like, you know, using graphic organizers, your students not going to be the only one that benefits from that if it's okay with your teacher and the student
needs that as an accommodation. Find out if you can bring it for a few other students so that kind of makes it more discreet. visual aids, you know, visuals in general are just so beneficial to more than just the students on the IEP.and providing options for oral response. You know, just always think about how can I be discreet? How can I be inclusive with everybody in the classroom?
Caitlin Beltran: I love that.
Audra Jensen: Alright, so, and then the third thing is focusing on the student's strengths. So, leveraging their interests, highlighting their abilities, using kind of that growth mindset language, focusing on Progress and effort over that fixed ability, anything that you can kind of buoy up the student themselves.
And that makes those accommodations modifications easier to them to accept. And like, you know, internalize and then use personally. And that kind of brings me right into number 4, which is totally empowering the student involve them in that decision making and how those. How to receive that help. what is best for them.
And I've had students who need, you know, accommodations to say they need to bring something. And so I let them decide how best to use it for them. some students don't want to be called out, don't want any attention on them. I have my nephew's one who loves the attention. It loves having a one on one, you know, So really bringing that student and let them say how they want to receive that help and then to also help them identify when they need the help and also when they don't need the help, you know, and being able to say, Hey, I've got this, let me work through this and giving them that chance for that growth.
Caitlin Beltran: That's so true, and I love how three and four connect, but also maybe to two being discreet, because if you're, you know, say a parent or the special education teacher in the room, you're obviously there to provide the support during times that the student may be struggling or need support. But when we also are focusing on their strengths, it kind of puts them in a different light to their peers too, because, you know, their peers might initially think like, oh, this person's always helping the student. And, you know, over time, just naturally think, oh, that student needs a lot of help. But if we're also highlighting, but wait, look how creative they were with this, or look how well they read with their partner for this, then the peers are noticing the strengths of that student too. And that could really help them feel empowered in that general ed setting.
Audra Jensen: Oh, I love that. You know, and also it fits into number four is using that peer support whenever possible, you know, it doesn't always have to be the adult telling the team. child to do something, you know, have the peers learn to, and I've seen great examples of this over the years of peers being the helpers, peers helping out, you know, if you have a really responsible, beneficial type student, have them talk to them beforehand, you know, have them, Hey, I've got, you know, our friend over here, he often needs help organizing his materials.
Can you be in charge across the table of making sure that he knows where his pencils are? That would be so helpful. And let them be a part of that system. I think that'll help, that helps the student as well, as it's not always the adult coming over and, Get your pencil out!
Caitlin Beltran: Right, right.
Audra Jensen: So then, kind of the fifth one is to monitor and adapt, to track that effectiveness of the modifications, to be flexible, to change when needed, to celebrate the successes. We don't want anything to be stagnant. Realize that an IEP, though we have an IEP meeting once a year, it doesn't have to be an IEP meeting once a year that we look at these things that, you know, we may have, you know, 10 accommodations or modifications on an IEP. Maybe after a few months, he only needs two. That's great. We can change it up. Maybe after a few months, he actually needs more because the content has changed and he needs more support.
Let's change it up. So always being mindful of making those changes when needed.
Caitlin Beltran: Yeah, that's so important for us to, as BCBAs, right, to remember to check in because even if and when things are going well, that's obviously wonderful. But also just that reminder, like, wait, can we pull back? Can we start to peel back some of the supports if the student's ready and not just coast for longer than we need to?
Because ultimately, We don't want to over support. We want to prepare them for independence and moving on in the world. So just that check in the back of your mind to keep checking in and see if we're providing the right level of support.
Audra Jensen: We want to work ourselves out of a job. We don't want to be there. We want them to be independent. So yeah, and remember always the biggest thing I guess the gem of the week is the best accommodations and modifications are individualized I know and I actually wanted to put together like a list of possible ones I think that's really helpful kind of a bank get your juices flowing.
But as always it'sit's not stagnant. It's like whatever that student needs. And if it's not on whatever list of accommodations you may have, if you think of something creative and out of the box, that's great. I mean, that's the way to do it. So you're always going to consider that student's specific needs and learning style.
When you make those choices,
Caitlin Beltran: Absolutely.
Audra Jensen: I will also, I'll share these graphics that I showed today. Then I also have, an LRE decision making guide, which is a really just simple rubric. and it's just something that we put together, It helps us think about the student and, you know, it's so important to make sure that all of our students are in the least restrictive environment, that LRE or least restrictive environment, isn't always gen ed.
So this is kind of a way, how can we be providing as little as possible for the students? So they're in as much as possible with their non disabled peers in settings that allow them to be as independent. And that's really the big thing. How they'd be the most independent and socially adaptable. So I'll also put this in the Facebook group for everybody.
Caitlin Beltran: That's awesome. I think that rubric is going to be so helpful for teachers and BCBAs because that's so hard to wrap your head around when you're asked to give an opinion about placement or something because it's like, oh, I could see them successful here or here. So having something kind of objective and tangible to look at is going to be so helpful.
Audra Jensen: Yeah. And that's what I thought. So that's it for this week. What do we have going on next week? Caitlin.
Caitlin Beltran: Next week we are talking about skill acquisition and the difference between probe data and trial by trial data and pros and cons to each. So join us next week and in the meantime, like we mentioned, join the Facebook group to grab these freebies and follow us on Instagram at The Misfit Behaviorist Podcast.
Audra Jensen: Awesome. Thanks everybody. See you next time.
Caitlin Beltran: Bye!