Utilizing Information to Support Curriculum Design
The information provided in an IFSP or IEP is a required element of the curriculum design process. As a teacher, one must incorporate the accommodations into the lesson for the class. Although each child will have specific learning needs, the design process does not have to be overwhelming. In most cases, minor accommodations are all that is needed to support the identified accommodations in the IEP.
For example, a child who is a second language learner may only need a translator to explain the directions. A child with a physical disability may need an object moved or an item placed in a certain location. In many cases, the accommodations you make for a child with a special need can also benefit other children in the class who may have a specific struggle but who have not yet been identified as having a special need.
More examples of accommodations are provided by Head Start: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/children-disabilities/article/materials-adaptation
The following video addresses strategies to support children who have not yet been identified as qualifying for a special need, but who may benefit from classroom modifications.
Supporting Children Who Do Not Qualify for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):
https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/supporting-children-who-do-not-qualify-individuals-disabilities-act-idea
In some cases children meet multiple categories for special accommodations. Twice exceptional children may be a second language learner and gifted, or a child with a social and motor delay. Working with children with multiple exceptionalities requires the teacher to consider how to support different areas of development and learning at the same time. The following video identifies a group of twice exceptional learners and how their learning needs were met. Although the video does not specifically focus on ECE settings, the information addressed can promote strategies to support twice exceptional children in your own practice.
2e: Twice Exceptional
As you begin the design process, consider how accommodations can be relevant to all learners and what minor changes you can make to the learning environment to continue to support growth and development for children with special needs.
