The Adaptive Dimension of your Child’s Education
Did You Know? Every Saskatchewan student is entitled to education that is meaningful, appropriate, and achievement focused. Your child’s school team is responsible to make adaptations in learning environment, instruction, assessment, and resources to ensure success in the school environment.
What Does the Adaptive Dimension Look Like? Along with your son or daughter’s regular school progress report, you may find a document called a “Record of Adaptations” or “ROA.” Your child’s classroom teacher created this document with guidance from the school Learning Resource Teacher, administrators, and/or School Counsellor, and will be happy to discuss it with you in detail. A Record of Adaptations does NOT indicate altered curricular outcomes or changes in your child’s educational programming. It is simply a working document intended to track best practices and differentiated strategies tailored to a student’s individual learning style. School teams are continuously working collaboratively to determine new ways to enhance student learning and engagement.
What Is Included on a Record of Adaptations? A Record of Adaptations takes into consideration a child’s cognitive development, interests, physical development, social/emotional development, and self-concept. Keep in mind; your child may not require adaptations in every learning environment. Moreover, as an individual grows and develops, adaptations will change.
Learning Environment Adaptations may include executive functioning/organizational strategies, modeling, visuals, and alternative work areas
Instruction Adaptations may include multi-sensory instruction materials, chunking of information into shorter segments, guided practice, pre-teaching vocabulary, and opportunity for oral (instead of written) responses
Assessment Adaptations may include additional time to complete tests, scribing, communication with caregivers about assignments and exams, presenting multiple options to demonstrate learning, and ongoing daily assessment to monitor progress.
Resource Adaptations may include use of a variety of formats (print, visual, multimedia), use of assistive technology (i.e. speech to text), online accessibility to materials, visual dictionaries, and EAL (English as an Additional Language) supports
For more information, please visit: https://www.nesd.ca/Programs/studentsupportservices/Student%20Support%20Services%20Handbooks/The%20Adaptive%20Dimension%20for%20Saskatchewan%20K-12%20Students%20-%202017.pdf
Written by Kimberly Desautels, Wildflowers Educational Strategist/Tutor