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Setting accommodation

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A setting accommodation changes where or in what conditions a student works or tests, such as a quiet room, small group or special seating.

Topic: Accommodations, modifications and instruction

In plain terms

Setting accommodations reduce distractions or meet physical needs. Examples include testing in a separate room, working in a small group, seating near the teacher or away from the door, noise-reducing headphones, adaptive furniture and special lighting.

How it shows up in an IEP

Be specific about when the setting applies: all tests, only timed tests, or daily independent work. Overusing separate settings can pull a student out of class more than needed, so the team should check how much the accommodation actually helps.

Example

Related terms

  • AccommodationAn accommodation changes how a student learns or shows learning, without changing what the student is expected to learn.
  • Preferential seatingPreferential seating places a student where they can best see, hear, focus or move, such as near the teacher or away from distractions.
  • Timing and scheduling accommodationA timing and scheduling accommodation changes how long a student has or when work happens, such as extended time, breaks or testing at a certain time of day.
  • Testing accommodationsTesting accommodations are changes to how a test is given or answered that let a student show what they know without changing what the test measures.

On IEP Atlas

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