1. Adapting Materials for the Inclusive Classroom
Taken from Keith Lenz and Jean Schumaker

2. When instructional materials present a barrier to student learning, teachers often adapt the materials to allow students greater access to the information to be taught.

3. Accommodations=Access
These accommodations may involve
1. changing the manner in which the material is presented
Provide on audio tape
Provide in large print
Reduce number of items per page or line
Provide a designated reader
Present instructions orally

4. These accommodations may involve
2. Changing the response mode
Allow for verbal responses
Allow for answers to be dictated to a scribe
Allow the use of a tape recorder to capture responses
Permit responses to be given via computer
Permit answers to be recorded directly into test booklet

5. These accommodations may involve
3. changing the order in which it is presented
Task analyze the steps
Teach the steps that are not mastered
Review steps that are easier for the student

6. These accommodations may involve
4. changing the product of learning
Projects
Dioramas
Outlines instead of paragraphs
Presentations instead of papers
Bulletin boards

7. These accommodations may involve
5. changing the timing
Allow frequent breaks
Extend allotted time for a test
Administer a test in several timed sessions or over several days
Allow subtests to be taken in a different order
Administer a test at a specific time of day

8. These accommodations may involve
5. changing the setting
Provide preferential seating
Provide special lighting or acoustics
Provide a space with minimal distractions
Administer a test or instruction in small group setting
Administer a test or instruction in private room or alternative site

9. Adaptations should be a bridge to skill development, a short-term solution to: increase access to the curriculum to increase the probability that the students will be able to complete an academic task.

10. Step 1. Create a Plan for Adapting Materials
Effective adaptations require sustained development and support. They must be made within the framework of a larger plan that includes consideration of
(a) basic and strategic skills instruction and
(b) the roles of people involved in the adaptation process

11. Who is responsible? You must involve as many other people as possible.
Other teachers
Student
Parents
Paraprofessionals

12. Step 2. Identify and Evaluate the Demands that Students Are Not Meeting
Define the problem to be addressed by the adaptation.
Observe students' performance when they use typical instructional materials.

13. Students may have difficulty acquiring or getting the important information:
from written materials
storing or remembering the information presented in the materials
expressing the information or demonstrating competence on written tests

14. Some problems can be solved by adaptations;
Other problems may signal the need for intensive instruction in skills or strategies.

15. All adaptations lead students to be
DEPENDENT
Adaptations should be
SHORT TERM
to lessen the chance of learning a dependency

16. Step 3. Develop Goals for Teaching Strategies and Making Adaptations
Content adaptations may be made only when the student's Individualized Educational Program (IEP) notes that the general curriculum is inappropriate for this student.
DON’T adapt unnecessarily! Why?

17. Content adaptations must also meet local and state education standards.
In some cases, the IEP may address the degree to which the requirements associated with meeting state standards will be applied.

18. It is your job to PRIORITIZE!!!
The teacher must decide which parts of the curriculum the student will be required to learn and will constitute mastery of the course content.
It is your job to PRIORITIZE!!!

19. Step 4. Decide Whether to Make Content or Format Adaptations
Format adaptations are made to compensate for mismatches between the presentation or design of the materials and the skills and strategies of the student.
In format adaptations, the content is not altered.

20. Format Adaptations First, identify the critical ideas or concepts.
Second, identify the information that must be mastered in each unit to ensure that the critical course ideas are mastered.
Third, identify the order in which content must be mastered.
Finally, determine how students will demonstrate their mastery at the end of each unit and at the end of the course.

21. Step 5. Identify the Features of the Materials that Need To Be Adapted
very abstract
complex
poorly organized
present too much information.
not relevant to students
boring.
it may call for skills or strategies or background information that the student does not possess
present activities that do not lead to mastery
fail to give students cues about how to think about or study the information
does not provide a variety of flexible options through which students can demonstrate competence.

22. Step 6. Determine the Type of Adaptation That Will Enable the Student To Meet the Demand
Size
Type
Media
Amount

23. Step 7. Inform Students and Parents About the Adaptation
Adaptations are more successful when they are offered and introduced to students at the beginning of the year.
Parents should also be informed about them at the beginning of the year.

24. Students should be taught explicit strategies to use any adaptation effectively and how to process the information received through the adaptation.
This calls for direct instruction!

25. As students progress, they should be taught how to recognize the need for and request materials adaptations.
While content adaptation decisions are made at IEP meetings, decisions about format adaptations may be made informally, and parents may need assurance that content is not being altered and that standards are being met.

26. Step 8. Implement, Evaluate, and Adjust the Adaptation
As you are implementing, evaluate the effectiveness of he adaptation
Tweak as needed.
The goal is to reduce the failure associated with learning disabilities.

27. Step 9. Fade the Adaptation When Possible
Adaptations should be considered short term
Skills should be targeted for instruction
Fade only when the student can perform the skills .
Variable time limits will be needed.

28. Resources
Deshler, Schumaker, and McKnight, (1997).The survey routine. Lawrence: University of Kansas Press. Guidelines for identifying features of materials that may be inconsiderate of the learner.
Knackendorffel, E.A., Robinson, S. Schumaker, J.B, & Deshler, D.D. (1992). Collaborative problem solving. Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises.
Lenz, K. & Schumaker, J. (1999). Adapting language arts, social studies, and science materials for the inclusive classroom. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children.