Classrooms must be adapted to meet students' physical needs. Students have diverse physical needs. Some students are wheelchair-bound and require special desks, furniture or equipment to access materials. If a student is visually or auditorially impaired, she may require seating at the front of the classroom. Teachers and schools have an obligation to accommodate students' physical needs, whatever those needs may be.
Often, instructional format is adapted to accommodate students with special learning needs. Instructional format includes the arrangement or setting in which material is presented and practiced, such as in large groups, small groups, peer partners, student-to-teacher instruction or individual work. While it is important for educators to use a variety of instructional formats to benefit students, teachers must alter formats for students that have unique learning needs. For instance, if a child has demonstrated a special need for individual instruction, the teacher must take time to provide him with one-on-one attention on a daily basis, or as needed.
Another classroom adaptation for special needs is the adaptation of teaching strategies. Teaching strategies are the methods and means by which an instructor communicates lessons. Teaching strategies include oral lecture, visual aids and the use of concrete materials, such as practice worksheets. Teaching strategies also include methods of instruction such as progressing or sequencing from easy to difficult concepts or repetition to reinforce concepts. Frequently, these strategies need to be adapted to meet students' special needs. For instance, a student with poor reading skills may require verbal prompts, rather than visual instruction, to absorb material. Alternatively, a student who has demonstrated difficulty attending to oral instruction may require visual aids for each lesson and activity.
Teachers use curricula to enforce standards of learning. However, a student with special learning needs may not meet the developmental levels of his classmates in some or all subject areas. In such cases, a teacher needs to adapt curricula and develop rubrics for the individual student to measure progress and evaluate her performance according to revised standards. She should revise learning expectations to match the students' specific needs and abilities.