IEP accommodations: how to choose, write and track them
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
IEP accommodations change how a student gets information or shows learning, without changing what the student must learn. Choose each one from a need in present levels, sort it into presentation, response, setting or timing, and write when it applies, how much, and who provides it. Then check that teachers use it and that it helps.
An accommodation removes a barrier between the student and the work. The student still learns the same content and is graded on the same standard. Extra time on a unit test, a reader for word problems, and a quiet room for quizzes are all accommodations, because the test still measures the same skill.
This page walks through choosing accommodations from data, writing them so any teacher could carry them out, and checking that they work. Each step has an example. The numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks.
What IEP accommodations are, and what the law asks for
The federal rule lists what an IEP must contain. Two parts cover accommodations. The IEP must state the supplementary aids and services and program modifications the student needs to advance toward goals and take part in the general curriculum. It must also state any individual accommodations the student needs on state and districtwide tests.[1] States then set their own testing accommodation rules, and the IEP team picks from what the state allows.[2]
Two glossary terms carry most of the meaning. An accommodation changes access. A modification changes the expectation itself, such as fewer standards, an easier text, or a different grading scale. The full comparison, with 30 examples, is in accommodations vs modifications. Accommodations often sit inside the IEP's supplementary aids and services section, though the heading differs by district software. The regulations define these as supports that let a student be educated with peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate.[4]
The four kinds of accommodations
Most teams sort accommodations into four groups, the same groups the IRIS Center uses in its accommodations training.[5] The groups help you check that you have not missed a barrier.
| Category | What it changes | Need it answers | Example accommodation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | How the student receives information | Decodes far below grade level | Text-to-speech for science and social studies readings |
| Presentation | Loses track of multi-step oral directions | Written copy of directions with numbered steps | |
| Response | How the student shows learning | Handwriting is slow and hard to read | Speech-to-text or keyboard for written answers over 3 sentences |
| Response | Knows the math but makes copying errors | Answers marked in the test booklet instead of a bubble sheet | |
| Setting | Where the work happens | Attention drops with noise and movement | Small-group room for tests over 20 minutes |
| Setting | Anxiety rises when others finish first | Testing area away from peers who turn in early | |
| Timing | How long, or when | Reads accurately but slowly | Time and a half on tests and timed in-class writing |
| Timing | Stamina fades after about 15 minutes | Short breaks between test sections, up to 3 per session |
Some needs fit more than one row. A student with slow decoding may need text-to-speech and extra time. Pick the smallest set that removes the barrier, then check it with data.
Step 1: Start from a need in present levels
Every accommodation should trace back to something the present levels say. If present levels describe a student who reads a grade 6 passage at 62 words correct per minute with 91% accuracy, a read-aloud or text-to-speech accommodation for content-area reading makes sense. If present levels say nothing about reading, the accommodation has no basis.
A quick test: cover the accommodation and read the need. Would a new teacher guess this support? If not, either the need is missing from present levels or the accommodation does not fit. The present levels examples show how to describe a need with a number.
Step 2: Choose the category and the specific support
Name the barrier, then the category, then the narrowest support that works. "Reading difficulty" is a barrier. "Presentation" is the category. "Text-to-speech for assigned readings in science and social studies" is the support.
Avoid adding supports because they are common. Preferential seating appears in many IEPs with no stated reason. If you write it, say why: "seat near the board and away from the door, because the student misses directions when there is hallway noise."
Step 3: Write it with when, how much and who
This is the rule that makes an accommodation usable. Each one names three things.
- When: the tasks, subjects or settings where it applies. "On tests and quizzes in math and science" is clear. "As needed" is not.
- How much: the amount or limit. "Time and a half," "up to 3 breaks of 2 minutes," "assignments over 10 items."
- Who: the adult or tool that provides it. "General education teacher," "special education teacher," "text-to-speech software on the student's device."
Weak: "Extended time."
Better: "Time and a half on tests, quizzes and in-class writing over 15 minutes, in all core classes. The general education teacher provides the extra time in the classroom or sends the student to the resource room to finish."
The better version tells a substitute exactly what to do. It also tells the student what to expect, which matters when the student is the one asking for it.
Step 4: Check that it is not a modification
Ask one question: does this change what the student is expected to learn or how the work is graded? If it does, it is a modification and needs its own team decision and a note on grading. Reading a math test aloud is an accommodation. Reading a reading comprehension test aloud may change what the test measures, so many states treat it differently. The IEP modifications examples page shows how modifications are written and graded.
Step 5: Match classroom and testing accommodations
A student should not meet an accommodation for the first time on a state test. Use the same accommodation in class through the year, so the student knows how to use it. Then check your state's testing manual, because states allow different supports on state tests. The rules, a worked student case and a state-variation table are in testing accommodations for students with IEPs.
Step 6: Share it with every teacher who works with the student
The regulations require the district to make the IEP accessible to each teacher and provider responsible for carrying it out, and to tell each one about their specific duties, including accommodations.[3] In practice, few general education teachers read a 30-page IEP. A one-page summary works better. The IEP at a glance template has a fill-in version and a completed example.
Step 7: Track whether it is used and whether it helps
An accommodation that is never used, or used but does not help, should be reviewed. Track two things.
- Use. On how many chances was it offered and used? Record each test or task where the accommodation applied. An opportunity data sheet works: one row per chance, marked offered, used, or refused.
- Effect. Compare performance with and without it on similar tasks. Keep the comparison simple, such as items completed or accuracy on two short quizzes.
Worked example: extended time for a 7th grader
Jordan is in 7th grade. His present levels say he reads grade 7 text at 88 words correct per minute with 96% accuracy. He understands what he reads. On four timed science quizzes in September, he finished a median of 12 of 20 items in 25 minutes and got 11 of those 12 correct.
- Need: slow reading rate, with strong accuracy and comprehension.
- Category: timing.
- Written accommodation: "Time and a half on tests and quizzes over 10 items in science, social studies and math. The general education teacher provides the time in class; the student may finish in the resource room during the next period."
- Modification check: the quiz content and grading do not change. It is an accommodation.
- Tracking: across the next six quizzes, the teacher marks whether extra time was offered and used. Jordan used it on 5 of 6. With 37 minutes, he finished a median of 19 of 20 items, with 17 correct.
That is a clear effect. At the annual review, the team keeps the accommodation and adds a reading fluency goal, because the accommodation gives access but does not build the skill.
Who provides each accommodation
An accommodation with no named provider tends to happen only when someone remembers. Assign each one at the meeting.
| Accommodation type | Usually provided by | What they need from the case manager |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom presentation, such as guided notes or written directions | General education teacher | The exact wording and which lessons it applies to |
| Assistive technology, such as text-to-speech | Special education teacher or technology staff, then the student | Setup on the student's device in the first 2 weeks, and a short training |
| Small-group or separate setting for tests | Special education teacher or resource staff | A schedule, so tests do not clash with other services |
| Extended time | General education teacher, or resource room for finishing | Where the student goes to finish, and who supervises |
| Breaks and check-ins | Classroom teacher or paraprofessional | The limit (how many, how long) and what the student does on the break |
| State test accommodations | District testing coordinator | The list, in the state's terms, before the platform deadline |
The student is a provider too. From upper elementary on, students should know their accommodations and practice asking for them. A student who can say "I get time and a half on this quiz" does not depend on every adult remembering.
How accommodations change from elementary to high school
| Grade band | Typical accommodations | Shift to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| K-2 | Directions repeated, visual schedules, picture supports, short work periods | Adults deliver nearly everything |
| 3-5 | Read-aloud on tests, text-to-speech, extended time, chunked assignments | Student begins to use tools with help |
| 6-8 | Guided notes, planner checks, small-group testing, speech-to-text | Student uses tools alone and asks for some supports |
| 9-12 | Same supports, used independently, plus testing requests for college entrance tests | Student requests supports, as they must after high school |
By high school, the goal is a student who can explain each accommodation and use it without an adult setting it up.
When to fade or remove an accommodation
Accommodations are not permanent. Review each one at the annual review and ask three questions.
- Is it used? If the tracking shows it was used on fewer than half of the chances, find out why before you keep it.
- Does it still help? If performance is the same with and without it on two or three similar tasks, it may no longer be needed.
- Has the skill grown? A student whose reading rate has risen from 60 to 110 words correct per minute may no longer need extra time on every quiz.
Fade one support at a time, and keep collecting data for 4 to 6 weeks after the change. If performance drops, restore it. Write the decision and the data into the IEP, so the next team knows why.
Common mistakes
- Weak: "Modified assignments as needed." Better: name the assignments, the change, and whether it alters grading. If it alters grading, it is a modification.
- Weak: a list of 15 accommodations copied from last year. Better: 4 to 6 accommodations, each tied to a current need, with old ones removed when data show they are not used.
- Weak: "Preferential seating." Better: "Seat within 2 rows of the teacher during direct instruction, so the teacher can give a quiet cue."
- Weak: "Breaks." Better: "Up to 3 breaks of 2 minutes during independent work blocks over 20 minutes, requested with a break card."
- Weak: an accommodation on the state test that is never used in class. Better: the same support used all year, written in both places.
Accommodations guides in this cluster
Comparisons and examples:
- Accommodations vs modifications: 30 side-by-side examples
- IEP accommodations list by need area
- IEP modifications examples
Testing and templates:
Accommodations for specific profiles:
Accommodations and goals work together
Accommodations give access now. Goals build the skill over the year. A student who uses text-to-speech in science may also have a decoding goal. That is not a contradiction. If a student's accommodation list keeps growing while goals stay flat, the team should ask whether instruction is doing enough. The guide on goal vs accommodation sorts common cases into one or the other.
For the goal side, read how to write IEP goals, start with the IEP goal bank, and check drafts with the goal checker. Then confirm the services section, which tells how and where the student receives instruction, matches what the accommodations assume.
Frequently asked questions
How many accommodations should an IEP have?
There is no set number. Most students are well served by 4 to 6 accommodations, each tied to a need in present levels. A long list is harder for teachers to carry out, and supports nobody uses make it harder to see which ones help.
Can a general education teacher refuse an IEP accommodation?
No. Once the accommodation is in the IEP, the district must provide it, and each teacher responsible for it must be told about it. A teacher who thinks an accommodation is not working should raise it with the case manager so the team can review it.
Are accommodations the same as a 504 plan?
Both IEPs and 504 plans list accommodations. An IEP also includes specially designed instruction, measurable goals and progress reports. A 504 plan usually lists accommodations and services without goals. The guide on IEP vs 504 compares them in full.
Can a student refuse an accommodation?
A student can decline to use an accommodation on a given day, and that choice should be recorded. If the student keeps refusing, the team should find out why. The support may be embarrassing, hard to use, or no longer needed.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Accommodation in the IEP glossary
- Modification in the IEP glossary
- Testing accommodations in the IEP glossary
- Supplementary aids and services in the IEP glossary
- Opportunity data sheet for tracking accommodation use
Related guides
- Accommodations vs modifications: 30 side-by-side examples
- IEP accommodations list by need area
- IEP modifications examples: assignments, grading and curriculum
- Testing accommodations for students with IEPs
- IEP at a glance: one-page summary template for teachers
- Writing accommodations for the IEP: 20 examples, including dysgraphia
- Math accommodations for the IEP: 16 examples, including dyscalculia
- UDL vs accommodations
- Accommodation tracking sheet
- Accommodations for English learners with IEPs
- Accommodations for students with diabetes, seizures or allergies
- Anxiety accommodations at school: 24 examples for the IEP or 504 plan
- Assistive technology accommodations list
- Before and after: an accommodated assignment
- Behavioral accommodations list
- Calculator as an IEP accommodation: when it fits and when it does not
- Executive function accommodations: 24 examples for the IEP
- Extended time: how much and how to run it
- Grading students with IEPs
- High school accommodations and college readiness
- Homework accommodations in the IEP: 16 examples
- How general education teachers implement IEP accommodations
- Note-taking accommodations (guided notes, copies of notes)
- Read-aloud on reading tests: when it changes what is measured
- Reading accommodations by need: decoding, fluency and comprehension
- Reduced work as an IEP accommodation: when it becomes a modification
- Spelling accommodations: spell-check, word banks and 14 more for the IEP
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.160: Participation in assessments, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.323: When IEPs must be in effect, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
- 34 CFR §300.42: Supplementary aids and services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.