Preferential seating
Last updated
Preferential seating places a student where they can best see, hear, focus or move, such as near the teacher or away from distractions.
Topic: Accommodations, modifications and instruction
In plain terms
The best seat depends on the need. A student with hearing loss may sit where they can see the teacher's face, a student with attention needs may sit away from the door, and a student who uses a wheelchair may need an aisle seat. "Preferential seating" alone is vague, so the IEP should say where and why.
How it shows up in an IEP
Write it with detail: "seated within 6 feet of the teacher with a clear view of the board, away from the hallway door." Check that it is used in every class, including specials and assemblies.
Example
A student with a cochlear implant sits with the implant side toward the teacher, near the front, and away from the noisy air vent.
Related terms
- Setting accommodationA setting accommodation changes where or in what conditions a student works or tests, such as a quiet room, small group or special seating.
- AccommodationAn accommodation changes how a student learns or shows learning, without changing what the student is expected to learn.
- Hearing impairmentUnder IDEA, hearing impairment is a permanent or fluctuating hearing loss, not severe enough to be deafness, that adversely affects educational performance.
- Low visionLow vision is vision loss that cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contacts, medicine or surgery and affects daily tasks.
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