Environmental Accommodations

• Provide preferential seating
• Moving student’s desk closer to teacher
• Seat near positive role model(s)
• Stand near student when giving directions or presenting lessons
• Place student near tolerant peer who will be helpful and understanding
• Reduce/minimize distractions (visual, auditory, spatial, movement)
• Increase distance between desks
• Provide study carrel/office area for student
• Provide privacy boards/other partitions
• Allow student to stand up at desk
• Allow student to reverse and straddle chair
• Plan student seating (bus, classroom, cafeteria, auditorium)
• Provide student with cooling off options (time and space to regroup)
• Post key rules
• Use of visual/graphic depictions of routines, procedures, steps
• Reduce auditory distractions through use of tools (e.g., earphones)
• Reduce noise level in room
• Experiment with background music at different times of the day and for various activities/purposes
• Reduce clutter in environment – especially in direct visual field
• Seat away from windows, doors, high traffic areas
• Provide student with 2 options of seating (e.g., desk a or b)
• Add color to increase focus on work (i.e., colored poster board under student’s work on desk)
• Define child’s work space and boundaries (e.g., colored masking tape)
• Use eye contact and voice modulation to maintain attention
• Avoid interruptions in classroom routine
• Establish calm, predictable environment
• Increase the structure of the environment
• Increase the monitoring and supervision
• Increase use of signals to alert students of approaching transitions
• Use discreet private signals with the student
• Personalize the environment and increase student ownership of environment