Writing accommodations for students with learning disabilities

By Amanda Morin

There are many ways teachers can help kids who are struggling in school. Here are some common accommodations and modifications that schools and families can discuss as possible options for kids.

Common accommodations

Presentation accommodations (changes the way information is presented)

• Listen to audio recordings instead of reading text
• Learn content from audiobooks, movies, videos, and digital media instead of reading print versions
• Work with fewer items per page or line
• Work with text in a larger print size
• Have a “designated reader” — someone who reads test questions aloud to students
• Hear instructions spoken aloud
• Record a lesson, instead of taking notes
• Get class notes from another student
• See an outline of a lesson
• Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word webs
• Get a written list of instructions

Response accommodations (changes the way kids complete assignments or tests)

• Give responses in a form (spoken or written) that’s easier for them
• Dictate answers to a scribe who writes or types
• Capture responses on an audio recorder
• Use a spelling dictionary or digital spellchecker
• Use a word processor to type notes or give answers in class
• Use a calculator or table of “math facts”

• Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions
• Sit where they learn best (for example, near the teacher)
• Use special lighting or acoustics
• Take a test in a small group setting
• Use sensory tools such as an exercise band that can be looped around a chair’s legs (so fidgety kids can kick it and quietly get their energy out)

• Take more time to complete a task or a test
• Have extra time to process spoken information and directions
• Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a worksheet

Scheduling accommodations

• Take more time to complete a project
• Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days
• Take sections of a test in a different order
• Take a test at a specific time of day

Organization skills accommodations

• Use an alarm to help with time management
• Mark texts with a highlighter
• Use a planner or organizer to help coordinate assignments
• Receive study skills instruction

Common modifications

• Complete different homework problems than peers
• Answer different test questions
• Create alternate projects or assignments

• Learn different material (such as continuing to work on multiplication while classmates move on to fractions)
• Get graded or assessed using a different standard than other students
• Be excused from particular projects

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About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of “The Everything Parent’s Guide to Special Education” and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days. 

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Donna Volpitta, EdD is the founder of Pathways to Empower. Her work draws on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and education.

By Amanda Morin

Students with dysgraphia can have trouble with handwriting, typing, and spelling. What classroom accommodations can help? Here are some ways teachers can make all aspects of writing easier.

Classroom materials and routines

• Provide pencil grips or different types of pens or pencils to see what works best for the student.
• Provide handouts so there’s less to copy from the board.
• Provide typed copies of classroom notes or lesson outlines to help the student take notes.
• Provide extra time to take notes and copy material.
• Allow the student to use an audio recorder or a laptop in class.
• Provide paper with different-colored or raised lines to help form letters in the right space.
• Provide graph paper (or lined paper to be used sideways) to help line up math problems.

Giving instructions

• Provide paper assignments with name, date, title, etc., already filled in.
• Provide information needed to start writing assignments early.
• Help the student break writing assignments into steps.
• Provide a rubric and explain how each step is graded.
• Give examples of finished assignments.
• Offer alternatives to written responses, like giving an oral report.

Completing tests and assignments

• Adapt test formats to cut down on handwriting. For example, use “circle the answer” or “fill in the blank” questions.
• Grade based on what the student knows, not on handwriting or spelling.
• Use a scribe or speech-to-text so the student can dictate test answers and writing assignments.
• Let the student choose to either print or use cursive for handwritten responses.
• Allow a “proofreader” to look for errors.
• Provide extended time on tests.
• Provide a quiet room for tests if needed.

What’s next

Does your child struggle with handwriting? Explore fun, effective expert tips to practice at home.

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About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of “The Everything Parent’s Guide to Special Education” and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days. 

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Whitney Hollins is a special education teacher and adjunct instructor at Hunter College.