Accommodation:
* Changes *how* a student learns the material. It doesn't alter the curriculum or what the student is expected to learn. The goal is to provide the student with equitable access to the general education curriculum.
* Focuses on the *process* of learning. It addresses the *way* information is presented, how a student demonstrates understanding, and how a student accesses the learning environment.
* Examples: Extra time on tests, preferential seating, use of assistive technology (e.g., text-to-speech software), allowing oral responses instead of written ones, providing graphic organizers, breaking assignments into smaller chunks.
* Does not reduce the expectation of learning the same material. A student with accommodations is still expected to meet the same learning objectives as their peers.
Adaptation:
* Changes *what* a student learns. It modifies the curriculum, assignments, or expectations to make the content more accessible or achievable for the student.
* Focuses on the *content* of learning. It changes the subject matter, difficulty level, or assessment methods.
* Examples: Modifying assignments to reduce the number of questions or length, providing simplified reading materials, changing the complexity of projects, altering grading criteria, focusing on select learning objectives instead of all of them, using alternative assignments.
* Reduces the expectation of learning the same material in the same way. The student might learn a modified version of the curriculum or focus on a subset of the learning objectives.
In short: Accommodations change *how* a student learns; adaptations change *what* a student learns. Often, students with disabilities will use both accommodations and adaptations to succeed in school. The specific strategies used will depend on the individual student's needs and the nature of their disability.