Earlier this week I met with a group of teachers to discuss Exceptional Learners in the Primary Classroom. After our session, I thought it would be helpful to share a post on the difference between adaptations, accommodations, and modifications. Clarity in this area can be helpful for both teachers and parents.

Firstly, let me lay some ground work. When we are looking at ‘Special Education’ we are referring to the way that instruction is designed to meet the needs of exceptional students. This may require special materials, teaching techniques, equipment or even facilities. When we refer to exceptional students or learners we are referring to students that require special education and related services if they are going to reach their full potential.

Many of our classrooms in the Turks and Caicos Islands are Inclusive Classrooms. This means that there is a general education curriculum being taught where students with or without learning differences learn together. For this to happen with success, educators often must ask themselves, how can the content I am teaching be adapted so that it can be accessed by all my students?
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Adaptations are changes in the way instruction and assessment are carried out to provide equal opportunity for students to achieve their learning outcomes. For exceptional learners, these adaptations can be essential for them to reach their potential. Adaptations can be either accommodations or modifications.

Accommodations change how the students access the curriculum. They don’t change what students are learning, but how the content is presented or how they are showing what is being taught to them.

Here are examples accommodations:

• A visual schedule posted on a student’s desk.
• Headsets provided to block out noise.
• Directions given both orally and in print.
• Numbering and sequencing steps in a task
• Providing access to assistive technology.
• Providing audio versions of books and textbooks.
• Providing alternatives to reading aloud in the class.
• Shortening assignments to focus on the mastery of key concepts.
• Allowing sensory and/or fidget objects for students to self-regulate.

Modifications are a little different than accommodations. Accommodations don’t change the content or instructional level, whereas modifications do. Modifications take the individual students need into consideration and change what they are expected to learn.
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Here are examples of modifications: 

• Providing reading material adapted to level.
• Having students read a text summary rather than entire text.
• Assigning one paragraph when other students are writing multiple paragraph essays.
• Completing different homework than peers.
• Alternate scoring rubrics or grading scales.

 
Inevitably when we discuss accommodations and modifications, the idea of fairness arises. It’s important to highlight that fair does not mean equal. Fair means giving students what they need. Modifications and accommodations do not give students an unfair advantage but are designed to create level the playing field…in other words to bring equity into the learning equation. When we focus on building equity into our education system and our learning environments, we create opportunities for all students to thrive.

I have taught many of children in my career and have met so many different personalities. Every child really is unique. I have always been extremely fascinated with strong willed children. Their confidence, their decisiveness, their sense of justice and their ability to stand alone! I know that parenting strong willed children can be exhausting, but I also know that strong willed children also grow up to not only do great things, but to make incredible contributions to our society.

Compliance is something that we like to see as adults. Some children are naturally more compliant than others, and although we can shape compliance in many ways, we do need to take the personalities of our children into consideration.

Strong willed children are generally spirited and courageous. The don’t fit well into the ‘seen’ but not ‘heard’ box. They thrive on independence. They are experiential learners that excel when they feel as though they are in charge of themselves. This sometimes creates power struggles in the household. Especially if your child has their heart set on something and needs to switch gears. Power struggles, as simple as which pajamas need to be worn, can create frustration for parents, and therefore it’s important to take your child’s personality into account when parenting.

Before I give you some strategies for strong willed children, I want to remind you parents, that there are some amazing long-term benefits for our strong-willed children. As they mature, they are often driven and extremely self-motivated. They are less likely to give into peer pressure and they are not afraid to stand up for their rights or the rights of others. In my books, these are important reasons to be intentional about the way you parent your strong-willed children, and to be mindful of the impulse to 'put them in their place' or show them who is the boss.
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Here are some tips when parenting strong-willed children:

1. Have predictable routines and rituals. This is important during school time and when your children are on weekends and holidays. Stick to your routines. When brushing teeth occurs at the same spot in the routine nightly, it’s a lot less likely to create a challenge.
2. Give Choices. Strong willed children thrive on independence. Give simple choices such as … “You can either wear this or that.” This avoids opening the entire closet to them, but still gives them to choose of one or the other. You can do your reading time at 6 pm or 7 pm. What is your preference?
3. Solve problems together. Strong willed children are often motivated by mastery. When a challenge or problem occurs, take it to them for their opinion and consideration.
4. Reframe obedience. I don’t think there is a parent in this word that doesn’t want their child to comply to their demands or instructions. Power struggles with strong willed children can get ugly. But wouldn’t you rather your child behaves because he or she trusts what you are saying. One of your relationship goals with your child should be that they understand that you cannot always say yes, but that you have their best interest at heart.  This type of relationship takes time to build. It takes intentional efforts and often takes more willingness to discuss matters with your child.

The techniques described above would be described as 'Positive Parenting Techniques.' Positive parenting techniques often sound fabulous but are not always the easier choice. Just remember, that the groundwork laid for our children in childhood creates the pathway for their behaviors and the way they interact with you and others in adolescence and adulthood.

I often get questions about ADHD. These questions come from two directions. Parents who are concerned that their children are exhibiting signs of ADHD, and adults who are concerned that they may be.

ADHD is not something that is cured or outgrown, but it is something that can be successfully managed. Like in children, Adult ADHD stands for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, a syndrome characterized by an impaired ability to regulate activity level (hyperactivity), attend to tasks (inattention), and inhibit behavior (impulsivity). ADHD is thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects the parts controlling attention, concentration and impulsivity. (Adultadhd.com)

ADHD may affect how one learns but does not actually affect intelligence. Individuals with ADHD are often very quick minded and intelligent. The key to being successful for individuals with ADHD often lies in the individual’s ability to assess their strengths and use them to their advantage, and to assess their areas of struggle and tap into strategies to support these struggles.

So, what does ADHD look like in adults?

Predominantly Inattentive: The predominantly inattentive type is an adult that is often seen as very dreamy and often not paying attention but just in their own world. Overall, they have difficulty keeping their mind focused which affects their concentration in conversation and when executing tasks. These individuals often are easily bored. Which sometimes has them constantly looking for attention.

Predominantly Hyperactive: The predominantly hyperactive type is the adult that just always seems on the go. They never seem to stop. Individuals in this category are often restless and have trouble sitting still. On the upside, they are often capable to fit more into a day than the average person because of their need to be constantly doing something.

Predominantly Impulsive: Individuals that are predominantly impulsive often have a hard time controlling their immediate reactions. This can lead to difficulties controlling verbal outbursts and problems with addictions to gambling, shopping, substance abuse etc.

Individuals that have ADHD can have difficulty filtering information. This makes it very easy to get distracted, to be impulsive and act before they consider situations properly and often not knowing when to stop. As you can imagine, these symptoms can have an effect on an individual starting a new job or continuing their studies or even raising a family.

So how can one successfully deal with ADHD as an adult? Firstly, ADHD is a medically diagnosed disorder and it’s a good idea to consult your physician. Share your suspicions and get some feedback on whether medical intervention would be beneficial. Next, reflect on your recognizing areas of strength and areas of concern. Start by writing a list. Having this list will give guidance on areas that need to be tackled.

Here are my top 6 helpful tips for Adults with ADHD.

1. Develop Structures: Creates systems that will help you be successful. Give everything it’s place. Use a planner or organizational app to help you keep track of your appointments and to do lists. Create filing systems for important information. Make lists of things that you want to stay on top of. Color code if that is helpful for you.
2. Be Mindful of Time: Most adults seem to walk around with multiple devices other than their watches that tell time. Whether it’s your watch, phone, tablet or whatever, use one of these devices as a timer and to set reminders. Also, give yourself a little extra time for tasks that you know you often need extra time for. Be realistic.
3. Prioritize. Whether it be at the beginning of the day when writing out a to do list, or when thinking of the projects that you want to work on. Clearly prioritize and make it visual.
4. Budgeting and Bill Payments: If you forget to pay your bills, become an online banker. Move towards automatic payments. Use systems to help you stay on top of your money management.
5. Be Mindful of Distractions: Keep your workplace as distraction free as possible. Turn off non-essential notifications on your devices and set times for apps that you want to surf such as social media.
6. Take Care of Your Mind, Body and Soul. Take some time to evaluate the amount of sleep you are getting, your exercise and your diet. Look as well at your spiritual practice. Put routines in place that help you follow through on the ways you keep a healthy mind, body and soul.

For more information, or to inquire about ADHD Coaching for Adults, connect with Yolande. [email protected]