List of Accommodations for Students With Disabilities

Accommodations are adjustments in teaching methods, classroom environment, or assessment strategies that support students with disabilities in accessing grade-level content. 

To be clear, they are not changes to academic standards or learning goals, but rather tools that help remove obstacles to learning. When used thoughtfully, accommodations enable students to better engage with instructional content, complete academic tasks, and participate fully in classroom activities.

A thorough understanding of the types of accommodations available can help schools respond more effectively to the academic and functional needs of students with disabilities.

Types of Accommodations

Schools employ various types of accommodations to support students with disabilities and enable them to access learning on the same level as their peers. The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) outlines four main categories, but in practice, some schools and organizations break these into five to better reflect how accommodations are applied in classrooms.

1. Presentation Accommodations

Some students struggle with the traditional format for delivering information. Presentation accommodations are particularly useful for these students, as they change how teachers deliver information during instruction and assessment.

These accommodations make the material more accessible, allowing students who struggle with reading, processing auditory input, or managing visual complexity on a page or screen to access content in various ways.

Common examples of presentation accommodations include:

• Audio supports: Audiobooks or text-to-speech software can assist students who struggle with reading printed text.‍
• Alternative formats: Schools can provide materials in Braille, large print, or electronic text for students with visual impairments.‍
• Visual aids: Graphic organizers, charts, and diagrams can help students better understand and organize information.‍
• Simplified instructions: Breaking down complex directions into smaller steps or rephrasing them in clearer language helps support students with processing challenges.‍
• Reading aloud: Teachers can read test questions or instructions aloud to assist students who struggle with decoding or have difficulty focusing their attention.

2. Response Accommodations

Response accommodations are especially helpful for students with fine motor challenges, expressive language difficulties, or writing-based disabilities. Some students may understand the content but struggle to express their knowledge using traditional methods. 

With these accommodations, students can demonstrate their knowledge using methods that reduce barriers related to motor skills, speech, or expressive language.

The goal of response accommodations is to separate knowledge from the method of expression, allowing students to show what they know without being hindered by physical or linguistic limitations.

Examples include:

• Speech-to-text tools: Speech-to-text software enables verbal articulation of ideas for students with dysgraphia or other writing impairments. Dictation apps may also be used for composing essays or answering open-ended questions.‍
• Typed responses: Students may be allowed to use a computer or tablet to complete assignments or tests instead of handwriting, which may be slow or painful due to motor skill challenges.‍
• Use of a scribe: A trained adult or peer may transcribe a student’s spoken responses during assessments. This is especially relevant during high-stakes testing, where handwriting would limit performance.‍
• Use of calculators or formula sheets: These tools can help students who struggle with math computation.‍
• Alternative formats: Students may complete multiple-choice tests orally or respond to drawings, charts, or other visual representations when appropriate.

3. Timing/Scheduling Accommodations

Timing and scheduling accommodations address the pace and timing of instructional activities and assessments. This type of support is often helpful for students who process information more slowly, require recovery time between activities, or struggle with focus and fatigue. With thoughtful planning, changes to timing and scheduling can help students stay engaged and perform closer to their actual ability.

Typical accommodations in this category include:

• Extended time: This accommodation allows students to complete tasks at their own pace, taking into account their processing speed or anxiety. It is often used during exams, timed writing assignments, or complex multi-step activities.‍
• Adjusted schedules: Schools may adjust the timing of subjects or tests to accommodate students who perform better at certain times of day.‍
• Frequent breaks: Short breaks during instruction or assessments can help students with attention difficulties maintain focus or manage fatigue.‍
• Chunked assignments: Breaking larger projects into smaller parts with separate deadlines can help students work through tasks more steadily and reduce their sense of overwhelm.

4. Setting Accommodations

Adjusting the physical or sensory environment can make a noticeable difference in how students access instruction and complete tasks. Setting accommodations focuses on where learning or assessment takes place and is especially helpful for students with ADHD, sensory processing disorders, or physical disabilities.

When schools create a more supportive setting, they reduce common environmental barriers that interfere with attention, self-regulation, or sensory processing.

Common examples of setting accommodations include:

• Preferential seating: Placing students near the front of the class or away from high-traffic areas can help them stay focused.‍
• Quiet testing areas: Some students with anxiety disorders or attention deficits may benefit from taking tests in a separate, distraction-reduced room.‍
• Sensory support tools: Items such as fidget tools or noise-canceling headphones help students with sensory processing challenges stay focused.‍
• Adaptive furniture: Adjustable desks or specialized chairs support students with mobility or physical needs.‍
• Visual schedules: Daily agendas or pictorial timetables can help students on the autism spectrum or those with executive functioning challenges prepare for transitions and follow routines with more confidence.‍
• Lighting adjustments: Using natural light or dimmable bulbs in classrooms can help reduce sensory strain for students who experience light sensitivity or frequent headaches.

5. Instructional and Organizational Supports

Schools can provide direct support during instruction for students who have difficulty following multi-step directions, managing materials, or keeping track of assignments. 

Instructional and organizational accommodations enable teachers to structure, clarify, and reinforce information while teaching. They also include tools and routines that help students plan, prioritize, and stay organized throughout the school day.

With this kind of support, students can better manage cognitive load and maintain consistent progress on tasks.

Common examples of these accommodations include:

• Guided notes: Schools can provide partially completed outlines or templates to help students follow instructions and identify key information.‍
• Use of checklists and planners: Tools such as assignment checklists, daily planners, or visual schedules help students organize tasks and manage their time effectively.‍
• Graphic organizers: Venn diagrams, flowcharts, and story maps help students plan essays, compare concepts, or analyze relationships.‍
• Color-coding and highlighting: Visual cues can help students to easily sort and remember information.‍
• Previewing new content: Offering a brief overview or vocabulary review before introducing new material helps build background knowledge.‍
• Step-by-step instructions: Breaking down multi-part tasks into clear, numbered steps can improve follow-through and task completion.

Making Learning Work for Every Student

Accommodations are essential for helping students with disabilities access instruction in meaningful ways. When schools apply them thoughtfully across various settings, tasks, and content delivery methods, they reduce unnecessary barriers and enable students to engage more fully in the learning process.

When schools recognize the range of available support and how it relates to individual student needs, they can create classrooms that are both inclusive and academically rigorous.

Tools like TestHound by Education Advanced can offer effective support to help schools manage accommodations more effectively. The platform simplifies test coordination, helps track student needs, and makes it easier for schools to apply accommodations consistently and accurately across classrooms and assessments.

If your school is interested in new ways to improve the learning experience for children, you may also be interested in automating tasks and streamlining processes so that your teachers have more time to teach. Education Advanced offers a large suite of tools that may be able to help:

• Evaluation: A solution for documenting every step of the staff evaluation process, including walk-throughs, self-evaluations, supporting evidence, reporting, and performance analytics.
• Pathways: A graduation tracking tool that enables administrators and counselors to create, track, and analyze graduation pathways, ensuring secondary students stay on track to graduate.
• TestHound: Our test accommodation software helps schools coordinate thousands of students across all state and local K-12 assessments while considering various accommodations, such as for reading disabilities, physical disabilities, and translations.

‍