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K4: Awareness of the pre-referral, referral, and placement process used for identifying and serving students with Other Health Disabilities.

K7: Understanding of basic assistive and health technology used to support students with OHD.

S2: Demonstrate the ability to adapt, modify, or structure the environment to accommodate the diverse needs of students with OHD.

S3: Demonstrates the ability to modify instructional methods as needed by students with OHD (including selecting, adapting, and using specialized materials and instructional strategies to maximize learning) in accordance with the Individualized Education Program.

1aR

3aR

Modifying the Learning Environment and Instruction—Meeting the Needs of Students

Picture of a student working on an assignment in class. In Core Competency Area 5: Supporting the Teaching and Learning Environment, you learned that several factors affect the teaching and learning environment. These include the learner, the teacher, the subject matter, and the instructional strategy used in the classroom. Another very important factor is the physical environment in the classroom. Where a student sits, his/her ability to see and hear the instruction, background noise (e.g., fans, other students talking), and a student’s ability to move around the classroom may be huge issues for students with health conditions. If you have not already done so, you may want to review Core Competency Area 5 for additional information on supporting learning before completing this lesson.

Meeting the needs of students with health conditions in the special education setting and regular classroom means different things for different students. The IEP will guide you in helping the student achieve his/her academic goals and recognize when modifications or adaptations are needed in the classroom and/or to the instructional material so you can more effectively meet the needs of the students you support.

There are many ways to help students achieve success in school. As a paraprofessional supporting a student on a daily basis, you become well acquainted with the student, his/her individual needs, and how he/she learns best. As a result, you may be asked to make suggestions for modifying the classroom environment or instruction in a way that supports the student in achieving his/her educational goals. When these requests are made, it is best to work closely with the student’s regular classroom and special education teachers because they may be able to help you refine suggestions and provide additional resources for the student. They will help you develop realistic adaptations that are proven to work and can assist you in implementing these changes in a consistent manner.

Some common modifications used in the classroom environment include the following measures:

Assess the classroom’s size, shape, lighting, etc., and the type of and needs of the students who use the classroom. Based on these findings, rearrange the classroom furniture—including desks, chairs, and work stations—to meet the students’ needs.
Rearrange where and how learning materials are stored to make it easier for students to find and use them.
Assess the needs of each student; does he/she need to be closer to the teacher, blackboard, or other learning area to pay attention? Do any students have hearing or visual impairments, and would these students benefit from sitting in the front of the class?

Some common ways to modify instruction are listed below:

Change the instructional methods used to teach the material.

Use one-to-one assistance.
Use hand-over-hand techniques to help develop motor skills.
Use tactile adaptations to help students feel the activity.
Create additional skill practice sessions for students who learn best through repetition.

Change or reduce performance expectations so it is easier for a student to learn.
Give students additional time to complete tasks and assignments.
Create study groups to help students gain and maintain social relationships with classmates.
Adapt, change, or reduce assignments and learning tasks to help students achieve educational goals.

References

Minnesota Department of Education. (2007). Other Health Disabilities Companion Manual (Draft). St. Paul: Author. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://education.state.mn.us/mdeprod/groups/SpecialEd/documents/Publication/001683.pdf

A portion of the information for Lesson 4 was used with permission from:

Institute on Community Integration. (n.d.). Para eLinkCore Competency Area 5:Supporting the Teaching and Learning Environment. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://ici2.umn.edu/elink/general/c5_units.html