Support Made Simple: A Guide to Special Education Practices by Amy Hernandez

Defined : Prevention

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-03 20:16:08 UTC

Who Gets Interventions?

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-03 20:26:51 UTC

All students can be given interventions based on need such as not making expected progress, students at risk, or students with disabilities.

Examples of Interventions

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 03:12:12 UTC

Behavior Chart- A student struggling with behavior in the class is given a behavior chart to help manage behavior by offering an incentive (sticker)
Math drills- Computer-based fluency programs like Boodle Math
Graphic Organizers – Help students plan and organize their writing.

Helpful resource

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 03:56:01 UTC

What is Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents

The article is from the National Center for Learning Disabilities and is a summary of what interventions are, how they fit within the RTI framework, and provide information on what parents should understand to support students early with information on strategies for struggling students.

Link: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-response-to-intervention

High Leverage Practice OR evidence based Practices

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 04:10:18 UTC

EBP: What You Need to Know About Academic Interventions
This article gives parents a friendly breakdown of academic interventions, and how they are implemented in schools. It’s is also helpful explaining interventions to families.
Link: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/instructional-intervention-what-you-need-to-know

Defined: Adjustment

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 04:19:29 UTC

Differentiation is when you design instruction to meet the students diverse needs. This means you can make adjustments to the content, process, products, or learning environments based on students’ interests and learning profiles.

Who Gets Differentiation?

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 04:30:01 UTC

All students are eligible for differentiation. It does not matter if a student has a documented disability, but students who have Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Autism, ADHD, Giftedness, or students with varying language proficiency levels can benefit from differentiation. This ensures the same access to the curriculum but through tailored and individualized approaches.

Examples of Differentiation

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 04:42:15 UTC

Targeted small group instruction- Students are grouped by skill level in small groups to target specific student needs.
Audio Texts-Providing Students who are struggling with reading alternative versions of textbooks such as audiobooks
Tiered Assignments- students research a person or event using different resources: some use videos and infographics, others use textbooks, depending on their unique needs.

Helpful Resource

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 04:47:28 UTC

Differentiation: An Overview
This article from Edutopia share an idea of what differentiation looks like in real classrooms, it includes helpful strategies, videos, and teacher tips. It also simplifies how to differentiate content.
Link: https://www.edutopia.org/article/differentiated-instruction-resources

High Leverage Practice Or Evidence Based Practices

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 04:52:44 UTC

High-Leverage Practice #17: Use Flexible Grouping

Flexible grouping lets the educator place students into small groups that change as the student's needs change. You might group together students who need extra practice on the same skill, or mix abilities so classmates can help each other. By switching groups often, you make sure every student gets the right level of support and challenge.

Link: https://highleveragepractices.org/hlp-17-use-flexible-grouping

Defined: Solutions to help

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 11:19:13 UTC

Minor changes that are put into place to accommodate the students how to Learning needs. Accommodations should nor change student expectations or what the student learns but rather help the student meet the expectation in a way that works for them in the general education classroom.

Who gets Accomodations?

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 11:26:32 UTC

Accommodations are usually given to students who are on Individualized education plans (IEP) or 504 plans. These students usually have some type of disability or learning disability and include diagnosis's such as autism, hearing or visual impairments, any other disabilities recognized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education act (IDEA).

Examples of Accommodations

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 11:29:19 UTC

Giving additional time to complete assignments.
Responding verbally instead of writing.
Small group Instruction or testing environment.

Helpful Resource

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 11:41:07 UTC

The difference between Accommodations and Modifications:
This article explains how accommodations and modifications differ, and provides simple and clearly defined examples. Information is also given information on who qualifies for each .
Link: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-difference-between-accommodations-and-modifications

High Leverage Practice or Evidence Based Practice

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 11:46:08 UTC

HLP 19: Use Assistive and Instructional Technologies
This practice highlights the integration of technology tools to enhance learning opportunities for students with disabilities, facilitating access to instructional content.
Link: https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2020-2021/brownell_ciullo_kennedy?utm

Defined: Helpful Changes

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 13:14:58 UTC

Adaptations are simple changes to the classroom, materials, or routines these can range from different seating arrangements, enlarged text, or shorter worksheets these changes help students maintain equal access the same lessons, making it easier to show what they know without changing what they’re expected to learn.

Who gets Adaptations?

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 13:20:11 UTC

Any students with disabilities (IDEA-eligible or 504-eligible), especially if their disability makes the standard environment or materials challenging. Adaptations are written into IEPs or 504 plans and guarantee that the setting, timing, or presentation of instruction are provided to students.

Examples of Adaptations

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 13:35:33 UTC

Flexible Seating Options- Students are provided with alternatives to seating such as standing desk or bean bag floor or rocking chairs.
Reduced work load- This allows students to complete the same type of problems but limits the number done since their processing skills are slower.
Noise reduction headphones-Helps students who are easily distracted or sensitive to noise block out sounds and helps maintain focus.

Helpful Resource

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 13:42:48 UTC

Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) in the IEP: Quick Guide
This video guide from the AEM Center shows families and educators how and where to include accessible educational materials in a student’s IEP.
Link: https://aem.cast.org/get-started/resources/2021/aem-in-the-iep

High Leverage Practice or Evidence Based Practice.

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 13:50:01 UTC

EBP: Assistive Technology: An Overview (IRIS Center)
This is an IRIS learning module that gives a research-backed perspective of how AT devices like text-to-speech, or graphic organizers and AT services can be modified to meet individual student needs.
Link: https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/at/

Defined: Changing What We Learn

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 15:56:39 UTC

Modifications change what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate. Unlike adaptations, modifications make adjustments the curriculum expectations so that a student works toward different, learning goals.

Who gets Modifications?

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 16:03:11 UTC

Students whose learning needs require even more (often IDEA-eligible). The IEP team determines that grade-level standards must be modified. Modifications are documented in the IEP and focus on the necessary skills that are customized to the student’s abilities.

Examples of Modifications

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 16:13:03 UTC

Adjusted reading goals -Practices below grade Level Comprehension.
Simplified Writing Assignments- A student will write a one page story vs a 5 paragraph essay.
Alternate Math objectives-Instead of working on fractions a student is working on multiplication and division fluency.

Helpful Resource

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 16:24:19 UTC

The Difference Between Accommodations and Modifications

This article summarizes the difference between accommodations which change how students learn without altering learning goals and modifications which change what students learn by simplifying or reducing curriculum requirements.
Link: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-difference-between-accommodations-and-modifications

High Leverage Practice Or Evidence Based Practice

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 16:34:30 UTC

HLP 5 – Interpret & Communicate Assessment Information

This explains how teachers gather information from student observations, work samples, tests, behavior assessments, and family input to gain anunderstanding of a student’s strengths and needs. Then they share this with teachers, families, and the student to create and carry out a personalized plan with high goals and the right supports.

o4-mini

Link:
https://highleveragepractices.org/four-areas-practice-k-12/assessment

Defined: Changing Teaching Method

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 17:08:16 UTC

Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) means changing how a student with a disability is taught to help them reach their IEP goals. It is planned just for them based on what they need to learn best.

Who gets Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 17:10:38 UTC

SDI is only for students who qualify for special education services under IDEA. It is written into the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and tailored to help the student work toward grade-level or functional goals, depending on their needs.

Examples of SDI

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 17:45:49 UTC

Re-teaching Concepts with Hands-On Activities
After a general ed lesson, review concepts using manipulatives to reinforce learning for a student who needs more concrete examples
Small-group reading instruction using a structured phonics program
Pre-teaching key vocabulary before a lesson

Helpful Resource

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 17:54:01 UTC

Specially Designed Instruction

This article explains Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) means changing what or how something is taught to help a student with a disability reach their IEP goals. It focuses on personalized teaching, not just general supports like accommodations or modifications.

Link: https://exceptionalchildren.org/topics/specially-designed-instruction

High Leverage Practice Or Evidence Based Practice

amyhernandez19 — 2025-05-04 19:26:26 UTC

Associated High-Leverage Practice (HLP)

HLP 16 – Use Explicit Instruction
This practice uses clear, direct teaching steps with modeling, guided practice, and feedback which are key features of SDI for students who need additional structure to learn new skills.
Link: https://highleveragepractices.org/hlp-16-use-explicit-instruction