When using this strategy, the teacher provides a copy of class lecture notes to the student so the student is not responsible for taking their own notes. Providing a copy of the notes increases the likelihood that the student has all relevant information from class, which may improve homework and test performance. Although this strategy may reduce problems in the classroom (e.g., low homework or test scores, difficulty following lecture content), it will not teach the student independent notetaking skills. Thus, this strategy should be used in conjunction with other strategies that facilitate notetaking skills (e.g., notetaking training; daily report card).
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Read aloud is a strategy wherein tests or quizzes are orally administered to students. When using the read aloud strategy, the teacher (or other adult such as an instructional assistant) reads the test or quiz aloud to an individual or small group of students as they are taking the exam. This strategy is intended to reduce the impact of the student’s disability (e.g., making careless errors, being off-task for students with ADHD; limited reading skills for students with low reading skills) on their performance, and give them equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. By reducing the impact of the disability, teachers can obtain an accurate measure of student performance on the relevant subject material and content.
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Shortened assignments is a strategy in which teachers give the student a shorter assignment than other students. Shortening classroom assignments is a way to reduce the impairment experienced by a student with academic and behavioral difficulties. In theory, by shortening the assignment, the student will be able to be more attentive to the content that is presented and complete the assignment with higher quality. Although this strategy may lead to higher rates of classwork completion, it will not provide the student with skills that allow them to meet typical classroom expectations.
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Test aides are materials a student can use during an exam to help their performance. Aides may be used for assistance on exam content (e.g., open book, open notes), adjacent skills (e.g., calculator, graph paper, dictionary), or the surrounding environment (e.g., white noise machine; head phones; card board “offices”). Some students become overwhelmed or frustrated on exams for reasons other than their knowledge of the material. Providing test aides may reduce test stress and distractions so the student can attend to the relevant academic material.
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Therapy balls for seating allow a child to use a flexible stability ball as a seat rather than a traditional desk chair. In theory, this strategy is aimed at reducing disruptive or off-task behavior by providing students with a less disruptive way to release their energy or tension.
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Student choice in the classroom allows the student to select a task or assignment from an offered set. Because the student is being given flexibility and ownership of the work being completed, the choice in itself should be reinforcing for the student. As such, providing such choices can increase academic engagement and decrease disruptive behaviors. Providing choices also communicates that the teacher trusts and respects the student's desires and gives students opportunities to practice making autonomous decisions.
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