Environmental and Curricular Adaptations – Ariel Su
Environmental Adaptations:
1 Dimmer lighting
2 Quiet workspace
3 Different seating
arrangements or chairs
4 Calm music or white noise -
in the background
Curricular Adaptations
1 Give alternative testing
options
2 Provide study guides or
worksheets (Bulloch, 2009)
Providing written as well
as oral instructions
3 Provide visuals and
manipulatives
4 Give choices
- So that there isn’t sensory overload for some students, this
also generally calms down the class as a whole
- If your classroom does not have a dimmer for the lights,
use alternative lights like lamps, fairy lights or Christmas
lights etc.
- Provide a nook in the classroom or right outside the door
where students can choose to work at if they need a
space to be able to focus at
- Or provide noise-cancelling headphones for students
who are sensitive to noise or easily distracted by their
surroundings
- Allow for preferential seating
- Provide different working space around the room
- Different areas might include:
o Standing table
o Small group table
o Wobbly chair
o Beanbag chairs
o Rocking chairs
Some research has shown that playing classical music in
the background helps student concentrate when
working (Florida National University, 2019); white noises
have also shown the same result
- Verbal test rather than a written one may help with
students who have difficulty with written output but is
capable verbally
- Multiple choice rather than short answer questions
- Provide a very similar version of the test / quiz ahead of
time so that they have a chance to see what kinds of
questions will be asked
- Break down the notes for the student so that they can
better understand what is being asked of them
- Students with special needs may have a more difficult
time understanding verbal instructions, so using visual
might help them comprehend and remember
information easier
- The use of manipulatives help students visualize the
question
- This can provide some students with a sense of control
over their own lives and also provide an opportunity for
them to learn how to work with others (Kluth, 2010)
- Some choices might be:
o Solve 6 of the 12 questions
 o Work by themselves, with a partner, or in a small
group
o Read by themselves or with a friend / teacher
o Write or type
o Do work in the classroom, in the open area, or in
the resource room

Works Cited

Bulloch, K. (2009). How to Adapt Your Teaching Strategies to Student Needs. Retrieved from Reading Rockets:
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/how-adapt-your-teaching-strategies-student-needs
Florida National University. (2019, August 13). The Benefits of Studying with Music. Retrieved from Florida
National University: https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/
Kluth, P. (2010). Supporting Students with Autism: 10 Ideas for Inclusive Classrooms. Retrieved from Reading
Rockets: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/supporting-students-autism-10-ideas-inclusive-
classrooms