Accommodations for a Student Who Has Difficulty Organizing

List of needs and solutions

Accommodations in Instructional Methods and Materials

Instructions

• Give preview of what will happen in class.
• Provide overview of learning outcomes and content at beginning of lesson.
• Break complex information into steps or identify key components.
• Have student read summary or lesson objectives first.
• Provide study guide for student to follow during independent reading.

Notataking

• Highlight important points in text for student.
• Let student use sticky notes, erasable highlighter, or highlighter tape to mark key points in text.
• Provide oral or visual prompts during lecture or discussion about what to include in notes.
• Provide copies of transparencies, lecture outline, or graphic organizer to assist with notetaking.

Highlighting

• Color-code or highlight key words in math word problems.

Monitoring

• Ask student to tell or write important points in own words before end of class.

Accommodations in Assignments and Assessments

Instructions

• When modeling expected behavior, identify key components.
• Repeat and simplify instructions, numbering each step.
• Use clear formatting for handouts, assignments, and tests.
• Give page numbers for locating answers to textbook questions.

Highlighting

• Underline or highlight important words in directions or test items.
• Use color coding to help identify tasks, meanings, or expectations.

Support

• Give student access to resources and materials outside of class.
• Assign buddy to help student.
• Check to see if student needs help getting started.
• Let student use flow chart to plan strategies for math problem solving.
• Teach student to use paper or electronic calendar or personal planner to track assignments and work.

Organizing

• Give student structured outline or graphic organizer to plan assignments.
• Use different types of paper, such as graph paper for computations or paper with midlines for taking notes.
• Let student use special folder or binder, with color-coded dividers or folders for subjects, to keep materials organized.
• Let student use physical supports, such as bookends, plastic containers for supplies, bags or folders for work materials.
• Give student checklist of materials needed for each class to keep in locker or binder.
• Help student keep journal or homework log that includes instructions and timelines.

Classroom Tests

• Let student use webs, diagrams, charts, and outlines, to plan or respond to open-ended or essay questions.

FCAT

• Use math guides or grids to organize computations.

Accommodations in Time Demands or Scheduling

• Place timetable or assignment list on student’s desk.
• Give student extended time on assignments and assessments.
• Give assignment ahead of time to extend student’s time to work on it.
• Break long-term assignment into parts with corresponding due dates.
• Provide a clear schedule with checkpoints along the way.

List of needs and solutions