If you have a child who struggles in school, it can be hard to make sense of all the different supports and services available.
Some kids spend all day in the general education classroom and use accommodations. Some receive specialized instruction ( special education ). Still others leave the classroom to take part in response to intervention (RTI) programs. And some may do all these things.
Intervention and accommodation are both types of support. But they aren’t the same thing, and they’re not designed to help in the same way. Here are the key differences.
Interventions
Accommodations
What they are
Targeted instruction to improve a specific skill. Interventions are based on a child’s needs. They:
• Supplement the general education program
• Use evidence-based strategies and techniques
• Help students improve a skill or learn to apply existing skills to new situations
A change to teaching or testing that removes barriers and provides equal access to learning. Unlike a modification , it doesn’t change what a child is learning. It changes how a child is learning or showing knowledge. For example, a child with writing challenges might say the answers for a test instead of writing them.
When they’re used
• Interventions are used to teach the skills kids need to improve a specific area of weakness. Once those skills are gained, interventions typically end.
• Those weaknesses could be deficits in academic skills, like reading or writing.
• There are also interventions for behavior problems (PBIS) that help kids better manage self-regulation, or learn more appropriate ways to interact with other kids.
• Students with an IEP or a 504 plan have formal accommodations included in their plans. They may or may not continue to get those supports throughout their school years.
• Struggling students who don’t have an IEP or a 504 plan may be able to get informal supports that let them show what they know.
What they should include
Interventions should include targeted assessments to measure the development of a child’s skills. Instruction should be planned carefully and provided regularly. It should include data collection (or progress monitoring) to track growth and help shape decisions about next steps.
Accommodations allow a child to get around a specific barrier or challenge. They should represent a change in one or more of the following:
• Presentation (the way information is presented)
• Response (the way assignments or tests are completed)
• Setting (where your child learns)
• Timing and scheduling (the time your child has to do the task)
Examples may include
• Showing kids that what they already know can help improve their understanding of a topic
• Multisensory reading programs
• Schoolwide PBIS programs that explicitly teach behavior that is acceptable in the school environment
• Social Thinking®
• Seating away from distractions
• Use of a formula sheet or number line for math tests
• Extended time for assignments or tests
• An extra set of textbooks for home
• Audiobooks or text-to-speech technology
• The freedom to work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions
Learn more about instructional interventions. Explore common accommodations you may see in the classroom. And download a toolkit of resources that can help you advocate for teacher training on the use of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS).
