What's the Barrier
A student is given 5 directions at once and forgets what to do after the first step.
What is the barrier?
Too many directions at once / difficulty remembering multiple steps.
This accommodation gives a student extra time to complete an assignment or test.
Extended time/extra time
Complete this sentence:
“I don't understand. Could you ______?”
“Explain it another way?” / “Give me an example?” / similar response.
True or False:
Everyone's brain learns exactly the same way.
False!
Turn this into self-advocacy:
“I don't get it.”
“Could you explain that another way?”
A student understands math but has trouble figuring out what a word problem is asking.
What is the barrier?
Difficulty identifying important information or understanding the language of the problem.
A student understands information better when it is read aloud. What accommodation might help?
Text-to-speech / read-aloud.
Instead of saying:
“This is stupid. I'm not doing it.”
What is a more effective self-advocacy statement?
Answers could include:
“I'm having trouble getting started. Can you help me with the first step?”
A student may understand something when it is explained verbally but struggle to understand it when reading it independently.
Does this mean the student is unintelligent?
No. People can have different strengths and challenges across different types of tasks.
Turn this into self-advocacy:
“This assignment is WAY too much.”
“Could we break this assignment into smaller steps?”
A student knows the answer but has trouble writing their ideas in an organized paragraph.
What is the barrier?
Difficulty organizing written ideas.
A student has trouble organizing writing. Which could help?
A. Graphic organizer
B. More homework
C. Removing recess
D. Making the assignment harder
A. Graphic organizer
Your teacher asks, “Do you understand?”
You don't understand, but you're embarrassed to say so.
What could you say?
“I understand ___, but I'm confused about ___.”
I don't understand, can you repeat the directions please?
Name one strength a student might have even if they experience academic challenges.
Possible answers:
Turn this into self-advocacy:
“I'm not doing this.”
“I'm having trouble getting started. Can you help me figure out the first step?”
A student can complete an assignment but has trouble starting it without someone reminding them.
What is the barrier?
Difficulty with task initiation/getting started.
True or False:
An accommodation changes what a student is expected to learn.
False. An accommodation changes how a student accesses or demonstrates learning, not necessarily the learning expectation.
Which is stronger self-advocacy?
A. “I can't do this.”
B. “This is too hard.”
C. “I'm stuck on step two. Can you explain that part again?”
C. “I'm stuck on step two. Can you explain that part again?”
Why is saying “I'm just bad at reading” less useful than identifying the specific difficulty?
Because identifying the specific barrier helps you figure out what strategy or support might help.
Turn this into self-advocacy:
“You never give me enough time!”
“I need additional time to finish this. Can I use my extended-time accommodation?”
A student is working independently. The room is noisy, people are talking, and the student keeps losing their place.
What is the barrier?
Environmental distractions/noise.
A student knows how to solve the math problems but struggles to copy numbers accurately from a crowded worksheet.
Name two accommodations that could help.
Possible answers:
Turn this complaint into self-advocacy:
“You never give me enough time!”
“I need more time to finish this assignment. Could I use my extended-time accommodation?”
A student says:
“I'm really good at explaining things out loud, but organizing my ideas in writing is hard.”
What does this demonstrate?
A person can have different strengths and challenges within the same academic area. Their difficulty with writing organization doesn't mean they lack ideas or understanding.
Free points!
Free points!