Assessment accommodations: Helping students with exceptional learning needs

Accommodations in both instructional strategies and assessment procedures have long been required for students with special learning needs. Over the last 6 years the authors have worked with schools on fostering inclusion. It has been evident that some educators were not certain of the reasons for assessment accommodations, the range of assessment opportunities, and the nature of acceptable accommodations. This article clarifies, based on experience and the literature, those factors that seem to be problematic for many general educators as well as some special educators. Examples from field experiences are used to illustrate the concepts presented.