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Most special education students can be easily accommodated in the general education setting when provided with reasonable modifications to the learning environment. "Reasonable" is the key word as it is tempting when writing a student's IEP to overload the accommodations in an effort to provide as much help as possible. It is important to remember that the law is written with the intention of "leveling the playing field" and not providing an advantage to special education students.

Since the law clearly states that a "least restrictive environment" is mandatory, rarely should a costly change in the educational facility be necessary to meet the needs of the student.

The concept of "reasonable accommodations" can be tricky as they are often in the eye of the beholder. A parent's perception of what is reasonable may be totally different than an educator's. Most mainstreamed students can achieve academic success with a few helpful accommodations such as assistance reading tests and quizzes, use of a calculator, and extended time. With the current importance placed on standardized test scores, many special education students need certain accommodations for testing purposes. Keep in mind though, that all testing accommodations must be regularly utilized, and not saved just for testing day. Accommodations obviously vary depending on the student's particular weaknesses.

Good teachers offer reasonable accommodations to every student on a daily basis, without the mandate of an IEP. Teachers regularly arrange seating to avoid distractions, provide positive feedback frequently and consistently, and reinforce basic concepts with supplemental materials. Good teachers teach organizational skills, present material in small, sequential steps, and provide class instruction using a variety of modalities. They recognize and utilize the student's special strengths to promote learning, and they communicate frequently with the parents. Good teachers substitute oral reports for students who have trouble writing; they arrange for peer tutoring; and they remove time restrictions.

Finding a good mainstreamed teacher for the student should be the priority of the special education parent. It is in this type of classroom that their child will be successful. Locating these teachers is relatively easy through parental networking. It doesn't take a lot of "bells and whistles" written into the IEP for a child to succeed in the general education setting; it takes good teachers that work cooperatively with parents!

Learn more about this author, Gail Davis.
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