by Vicki Phipps

Created on: April 19, 2008

ARD is a special education way to say that the Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee has determined what is best for the child with special needs in your classroom. When the ARD committee sends a special needs child into the regular classroom, they will most likely send a list of modifications with him.

Teacher's often feel overwhelmed by the list and wonder how they will find time for this. Still, what the ARD committee decides is best for the special needs child is printed on a legal document and must be implemented. Not only is the school held liable, but the classroom teacher is too. You don't want to go into a court room and explain why you failed to modify, do you?

There's no getting around the need for modifying the way we teach to provide for the needs of each and every child in our classrooms. Even so, there will be no need to become overwhelmed when we look at that list of modifications with an open mind and through a student view with a new perspective.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NEED FOR MODIFYING:

The truth is that whatever modifications are listed in the legal document are most likely what teachers should do for each and every child in her classroom. As a special education teacher for many years, I've been amazed by the teachers who never complained or minded being asked to modify, because you see, that teacher already did all those things. To give you an example of what a modification list looks like, which arrives with the special needs child, I'll list a few modifications for you which every teacher should use. These are good ways to teach, whether or not you have a special needs child in your classroom.

A SAMPLE MODIFICATION LIST:

1. Student activities will be limited to 15 minute intervals.

Special needs children have a hard time sitting quietly and listening for any length of time, but then again, so does every child. When teachers comply to this special needs modification, they are using a technique for teaching that is wise, saves time and keeps the children focused on the task at hand.

2. The student will be given extra time to complete assignments.

Every teacher knows that each child works at their own pace and although we do need to give them a time limit, providing extra time only means that we are being realistic about what it means to teach. If any child in the classroom doesn't get it yet, the teacher should be happy to go over it again. Extra time might mean spending more time with a particular child after school, but what would a teacher

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