Accommodations for the Classroom
Supporting fine motor skill development
- Use a wide range of multi-sensory activities and materials, large and small
- Practice skills in real and meaningful situations to increase motivation
- Provide additional guidance and encouragement when learning motor skills
- Place children near the front of the class
- Use larger type
- Use simple and uncluttered presentation
- Use lines and signs on floors and walls to help direction, to understand limits of space or moving around in large spaces, such as the playground or hall
- Individual computer in the classroom
- Individual chairs that can move and fit with different tables, so the child can work in different locations
- Help to develop a school that is physically accessible for everyone
- Use face to face and direct eye contact
- Speak clearly using clear whole sentences, with repetition of the key words of the sentence and use of signs as necessary for the individual
- Avoid ambiguous language
- Reinforce speech with facial expression, gesture and sign
- Reinforce spoken instruction with print, pictures, diagrams, concrete materials
- Emphasize key words and reinforce key words visually
- Avoid 'closed' questions so the child is encouraged to speak and communicate, not just answer 'yes' or 'no'
- When children are keen to communicate, don't be too quick to help them – try waiting a little longer between sentences, say 'hm', 'that's interesting' (pause), etc. and encourage them to keep going
- Give sufficient time for the child to process language and respond
- Model activities – allow children to watch others, if they wish to, before participating
- Shorter work sessions interspersed with choosing activities
- Build a range of tasks and activities into the lesson
- Break tasks and activities down into short, clear and concise steps
- Focus on one aim at a time
- Vary the level of demand from task to task
- Vary the type and extent of support
- Allow peers to help keep the pupil on task
- Use meaningful material
- Introduce new concepts in familiar context
- Make the tasks self-contained
- Provide plenty of visual cues, e.g. pictures, diagrams and print
- Give plenty of opportunities for success
- Highlight/explain all key and new words
- Use subheadings to break down and structure the written sheet
- Use a simple and uncluttered layout
- Break up continuous text
- Highlight instructions in some way, e.g. in a box, particular font or color