Chapter 8

The design of materials can

create several types of problems for
students with disabilities. Many of
these problems, some possible
short-term adaptation solutions, and
some long-term instructional goals
associated with the problems are
listed in Table 1. Teachers can use
this table to help identify features of
curricular units and expectations
that might be causing a learning
problem.
 Short-Term Long-Term
Design Problem Design Design
Adaptation Adaptation
1. Abstractness –The Provide students Teach students how
content appears too with more concrete to seek more
conceptual, examples, analogies, examples,
hypothetical, and
interpretations, or explanations, and
impractical
experiences. interpretations
through questioning
and research.

2. Organization –The Make the Teach students how

organization is not organization explicit to survey materials
clear or is poorly for students by and identify text
structured.
creating graphic organization, read
organizers and to confirm
reading guides and organization of
inserting cues that ideas, and
focus attention. reorganize
information for
personal
understanding and
use.
 Short-Term Long-Term
Design Problem Design Design
Adaptation Adaptation
3. Relevance – Make the Teach students to
The information connections ask appropriate
does not appear to between the questions about
have any
information and relevance, search for
relationship to
students or their students' lives personal
lives. explicit by building connections, and
rationales and tying explore ways to
information to make content
student experiences. relevant when given
material that
appears irrelevant to
their lives..
4. Interest – Present information Teach students self-
The information or and assignments in management
presentation of the ways that build on strategies for
information is
students' attention controlling attention
boring..
span, participation, in boring situations,
strengths, and and how to take
interests. advantage of options
and choices provided
in assignments to
make work more
interesting.
 Short-Term Long-Term
Design Problem Design Design
Adaptation Adaptation
5. Skills – Present Provide intensive
The information is information in instruction in basic
written at a level that ways that use the skills required for
assumes and requires
skills students basic literacy to
skills beyond those
possessed by students have.. middle-school
students who are
unprepared for
secondary school
content.

6. Strategies – Provide instruction Cue and guide

The information is in learning students in how to
presented in ways that strategies to approach and
assume that students students who do complete learning
know how to not know how to and performance
approach tasks approach and tasks by leading
effectively and complete tasks. them through
efficiently in complex tasks.
strategic ways.
 Short-Term Long-Term
Design Problem Design Design
Adaptation Adaptation
7. Background – Present information Teach students how
Understanding in ways that to become
information usually provide background consumers of
requires critical
experiences or information from a
background
knowledge, but make background variety of
students often lack linkages clear. information sources
the experiences and and how to ask
concepts (or cannot questions of these
make connections to sources to gain
personal background background
experiences) to make
knowledge and
new information
meaningful. insights.

8. Complexity – Break down the Teach students how

The information or information or to "chunk" tasks,
associated tasks have tasks and present represent complex
many parts or layers. them explicitly and information
in different ways so graphically, ask
that students can clarifying questions,
learn and perform. and work
collaboratively in
teams to attack
complex tasks.
 Short-Term Long-Term
Design Problem Design Design
Adaptation Adaptation
9. Quantity – Present the Teach strategies for
There is a lot of information in ways chunking,
difficult or complex that facilitate organizing, and
information that is
remembering.. remembering
crucial to remember.
information.
10. Activities Provide students Teach students to
–The instructional with scaffolded independently check
activities and learning and redo work,
sequences provided experiences that review information
do not lead to include additional ,seek help, ask
understanding or or alternative clarifying questions,
mastery. instructional and inform others
activities , when they need
activity sequences, more or different
or practice types of instruction
experiences to before instruction in
ensure mastery at more content
each level of begins..
learning before
instruction
continues. .
 Short-Term Long-Term
Design Problem Design Design
Adaptation Adaptation
11. Outcomes – Inform students Teach students how
The information does about expectations to identify
not cue students how for their learning expectations and
to think about or goals embedded in
and performance.
study information to
materials or to
meet intended
outcomes.. create and adjust
goals based on
previous experiences
with similar
materials.
12. Responses Provide Teach students how
–The material does opportunities to they can best
not provide options students to demonstrate
for students to demonstrate what competence, identify
demonstrate they know in and take advantage
competence in different ways. of performance
different ways.. options and choices
when they are
offered, and request
appropriate
adaptations of tests
and competency
evaluations.