Accommodations
Students with disabilities at NIU who need instructional and/or examination accommodations should contact the CAAR office at (815) 753-1303 or visit http://www.niu.edu/uhs/caar/index.asp The CAAR office will determine eligibility for accommodations and work with the faculty to provide them. CAAR coordinators are also available to respond to faculty questions as well.
To learn about accommodations appropriate to students with the disabilities listed below, just click on the type of disability.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Blindness/Visual Impairment
Deafness/Hearing Impairment
Health-Related Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Orthopedic/Mobility Impairments
Psychological Disorders
Speech and Language Disorders
Traumatic Brain Injury
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Accommodations may include:
- Allowing alternative test taking arrangements (i.e., taking tests in Test Center to remove distractions)
- Providing priority classroom seating
- Extending time to complete assignments
- Structuring assignments by breaking into small steps
Reference
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm
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Blindness/Visual Impairment
Accommodations may include:
- Providing a reading list or syllabi in advance to permit time for transferring into alternate format
- Ordering text books in the preferred medium of the student
- Seating in the front of class without glare from windows
- Tape recording of lectures and class discussions
- Note taking devices such as pocket Braille computers
- Distributing handouts in the medium that the student prefers
- Printing of material with clear black print on white or pale yellow paper for students with visual impairments
- Testing accommodations: taped tests, reading of tests, scribe, extended time, separate place, enlarged print, computer word processing software with speech access
- Reading aloud any materials present on the chalk board or on transparencies
- Assisting with Lab work
- Giving advance notice of class schedule changes
Types of alternate format of printed material for students with blindness/visual impairments include:
- Audio tape
- Most textbooks can be ordered on tape from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (1-800-221-4792)
- Large print
- Standard sized materials can be enlarged on a copier using 11"x17" paper
- Computer disk
- Convert the text to materials in ASCII format
- Scanning printed material into the computer and then using software such as Kurzweil to convert to voice as necessary
- Braille is probably the LEAST frequently requested alternate format for students with blindness.
Reference: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~accred/disability/bvi.html
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Deafness/Hearing Impairment
Accommodations may include:
- Seating the student in the front of the classroom
- Writing supplemental to oral instructions, assignments, and directions.
- Utilizing visual aids as often as possible
- Speaking facing the class during lectures
- Speaking repeating the questions that other students in the class ask
- Allowing note taker to be in class lectures
- Accommodating test by: extending time, separating place, proofreading of essay tests, access to word processor, interpreting directions
- Writing unfamiliar vocabulary on the board or a handout
- Utilizing a small amplification system called an FM loop system
- Seating the Interpreter where the student can see the interpreter and the lecturer
- Reducing excess noise as must as possible to facilitate communication.
Reference: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~accred/disability/hear.html
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Health-Related Disabilities
Accommodations will vary based on the type and severity of disability. Some of these accommodations are appropriate for many different types of disabilities. Following each accommodation in parentheses are suggested types of disabilities.
- Distributing copies of lecture notes, outline, overheads, and/or PowerPoint presentations (all)
- Providing assignments well in advance of due date (all)
- Providing syllabus and readings prior to the beginning of the semester (all)
- Negotiating absences or incompletes in light of the disability (all)
- Allowing students to take frequent restroom and snack breaks (Diabetes)
- Reserving seating near windows or doors (Epilepsy)
- Providing information regarding chemicals in labs or art studios (MCS)
- Asking class to avoid using heavily scented perfume (MCS)
References:
Other Impairments: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Disability/Other
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwods/faculty_information/health_related_disabilities.htm
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Learning Disabilities
Accommodations may include:
Suggested teaching accommodations:
- Making the syllabus available four to six weeks before the beginning of the class and, when possible, being available to discuss the syllabus with students considering the course
- Beginning lectures with a review of the previous literature and an overview of topics to be covered that day
- Using an overhead projector to outline lecture materials, being mindful of legibility and the necessity to read aloud what is written
- Explaining technical language, specifically terminology, or foreign words
- Emphasizing important points, main ideas, and key concepts orally, and/or highlighting them with colored pens on the overheads
- Speaking distinctly and at a relaxed pace, pausing occasionally to respond to questions or for students to catch up in their note taking
- Speaking distinctively and at a relaxed pace, pausing occasionally to respond to questions or for students to catch up in their note taking
- Noticing and responding to non-verbal signals of confusion or frustration
- Trying to eliminate or at least minimize auditory and visual classroom distractions such as noise in the hallways
- Leaving time for a question-answer period and/or discussion periodically and at the end of each lecture
- Trying to determine if students understand the materials by asking periodically for students to volunteer to give an example, a summary, or a response to a question
- Providing periodic summaries during lecture
- Giving assignments in writing as well as orally and being available for clarification
- Providing a suggested time line when making long-range assignments and suggesting appropriate check-points
- Being available during office hours for clarification of lecture materials, assignments, and readings
- Selecting a textbook with a study guide, if available, offering questions and answer sessions, review sessions, and quiz sections
- Helping students find study partners and organize study groups
- Providing study questions for exams that demonstrate the format that will be used as well as the contentProviding a model of exemplary answer and delineating what comprises a good response
- Asking the student who self-discloses how you as an instructor can facilitate his/her learning
- Discussing in private with a student when you suspect that he/she may have a learning disability, describing what you have observed, and if appropriate, referring the student to available support services
Suggested Testing/Evaluation Accommodations:
- Allowing extended time on exams
- Providing a reader or a tape-recorded exam when the exam entails a lot of reading, e.g., a multiple-choice exam.
- Providing the exam in an alternative format (if appropriate to subject matter), e.g., objective instead of essays or vice versa
- Allowing students to take exams in a separate room that is a distraction-free environment
- Allowing students to answer exam questions using methods other than writing, for example, orally taping, or word processing
- Allowing students to clarify or rephrase an exam question in their own words as a comprehension check before answering the questions
- Analyzing whatever appropriate (for example, in solving math, chemistry, or physics problems), not only the final solutions, but also the process the student used to reach the solution
- Allowing alternative methods to demonstrate mastery of course objectives (e.g., research project, class demonstration, oral presentation, or a paper.)
- Allowing students to use adaptive technology such as a handheld spell checker, word processor, or calculator
- Avoiding unduly complex sentence structure such as double negatives and embedding questions within questions
- Providing ample blank space or additional exam booklets for students with overly large handwriting
- Providing alternatives to computer-scored answer sheets such as allowing students to indicate their answers directly on the examination
- Providing tape recorder and transcription services or word processor for students with illegible handwriting
- Allowing students who have memory deficits to bring to exams a list of important formulas that may be required to solve problems/questions
Reference:
(Vogel, S.A., 2000) College students with learning disabilities: A handbook [7th edition]. Learning Disabilities Association of America, Pittsburgh, PA):
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Orthopedic/Mobility Impairments
Accommodations may include:
- Scheduling an accessible location for the classroom and place for the faculty to meet with student
- Allowing extra time to get from one class to another, especially in inclement weather
- Providing special seating in classrooms
- Allowing Test accommodations: extended time, separate place, scribes, access to word processors
- Using special computer equipment/software: voice activated word processing, word prediction, keyboard modification
- Allowing extra time for assignments due to slow writing speed
- Having adjustable lab tables or drafting tables available for classes taught in lab settings
- Assisting in a Lab class
- Having accessible parking in close proximity to the building
- Customizing physical education class activities that allow the student to participate within their capabilities
- Waiving or substituting courses for certain students
- Taping texts
- Advance planning for field trips to ensure accessibility
Reference: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~accred/disability/ortho.html
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Psychological Disorders
Accommodations may include:
- Extending time for exams and administering them in a quiet testing area
- Allowing note takers, readers, or tape recorders in class
- Seating arrangements that enhance the learning experience of the student
- Permitting incompletes or late withdrawals in place of course failures in the event of prolonged illness
- Assisting with time management and study skills
- Encouraging the use of relaxation and stress reducing techniques during exams
- Allowing flexibility in the attendance requirements in case of health-related absences.
Reference: http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/public.html
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Speech and Language Disorders
Accommodations may include:
- Modifying assignments such as one-to-one presentation or use of computer with voice synthesizer
- Substituting written papers or a project for oral class report.
Speech and language disorders may be managed by computerized voice synthesizers or electronic speaking machines. Speech therapy is frequently used to improve certain disorders. Anxiety and stress often accompany oral communication and exacerbate the problem.
Special Considerations:
The student may speak slower in class and should be given time to express his/her thoughts. Interrupting or completing a sentence for the student is not helpful and may lead to embarrassment. It is appropriate to ask the student to repeat the statement. Summarizing the message helps the student to check for accuracy of understanding. The instructor's acceptance and support of the student is important to facilitate communication and manage the speech disorder. If an oral presentation is required the instructor should discuss alternatives with the student.
Reference: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~accred/disability/speech.html
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
Accommodations may include:
- Providing extended time to complete examinations
- Providing assignments well in advance of due date
- Providing syllabus and readings in advance
- Providing copy of lecture notes or outline, overheads, and/or PowerPoint presentations
- Permitting tape-recording of lectures or note-takers
- Reviewing skills and concepts periodically
- Reviewing instructions and asking student(s) to paraphrase key concepts from lectures and/or readings
- Providing strategies or examples of how to organize and learn material
- Providing appropriate assistance if student has a seizure during class
References:
Other Impairments: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Disability/Other/
http://www.heath.gwu.edu/
Last revised on 11/10/2004
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