Making Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The purpose of Elevate Learning Experiences (ELE) accommodations is to enable students with specific needs, disabilities, or health-related conditions to participate in the ELEs on an equal basis with other students. Teachers should make appropriate accommodations to meet the specific needs, disabilities, and health-related conditions of their students. The following are guidelines to consider as you make accommodations for your students:

• Identify students who may have specific needs or disabilities. Speak with each student privately to identify his or her specific need(s). Listen attentively, and be positive.

• Work with parents and Church leaders to create a plan that appropriately accommodates the student’s specific need(s). While sending the ELE home with the student is an option, be aware of the potential burden on parents. Do your best to determine the most effective option for students and parents.

• Implement the accommodations. Individual accommodations should remain confidential. It is impossible to list all possible accommodations; however, the following are examples of possible accommodations:

  • Presentation: Provide the student with an audio version of the ELE, present the instructions and ELE orally, or provide the student with a large-print version of the ELE.

  • Response: Allow the student to make verbal responses of his or her ELEs, or allow for answers to be dictated to a scribe or recorder.

• Avoid making accommodations that change or reduce the learning expectations of the student.

• Have Christlike love for each student, and follow the promptings of the Spirit as you make accommodations to meet students’ needs.

• Visit lds.org/topics/disability for more general information on helping individuals with disabilities.