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Putting it all together: a Real World Adaptation for a Real Student
 Recently, I taught a workshop on adapting teaching of science and social studies for students with
disabilities. I would like to share with you how one team put it all together—state science standards,
the student's IEP goals, and the science lesson—to teach a student with significant disabilities
alongside his peers.
The middle school student has physical disabilities, is non-verbal and blind. He uses a wheelchair and
a communication device (AAC system) with auditory feedback to help him find the words. One of his IEP
goals is to learn to independently move his wheelchair through the school with verbal prompts: right,
left and push.
One of the state standards for science is to understand the vast distances between objects in the
solar system. The text has students learn this by looking at the measurements of the planets from
the sun, and organizing them numerically from closest to furthest. Instead of this activity, the
SERCH-adpated activity "Solar System Bead Distance Activity" (from Arizona State University Mars
Education Program) was substituted:
http://www.serch.cofc.edu/special/matmods/ssbead.doc.
As the team began to adapt the activity, using different size or shaped items for each object in
the solar system, they decided that it would be a great idea to combine the IEP goal for mobility
with the model of the distance of objects in the solar system. So they chose to assign the library
as the sun, and to have the student navigate the school in order to find the various other objects
in the solar system. He would judge the distances to them by counting the "push" prompts he received
on his way there. Once he arrived at the various locations, a tactile object representing the planet
would be there for him to explore. Because of his limited language, the team decided that he would use
the terms "little far" and "big far" for him to explain his understanding of the relative distance to
the various objects.
This is a great example of an adaptation that allows a student with significant disabilities to
learn the concepts being taught, while the whole class can also participate in the learning. Each
student in the class can go to the locations around the school in order to learn about the relative
distances: visuals of the sun and planets can be posted at each location for those students who rely
on sight. In discussing the relative distances from the sun, the verbal students will likely use words
like "it's a little far, it's really far, it's a long, long way…" When you actually stop and think
about these words, they aren't all that different from those the student with significant needs will
use to describe his experience!
Though the team made their adaptations based on the solar
system bead model, they could also have used the "100 Yard
solar system" lesson, also adapted by SERCH. This could be
used on the football field as designed or used indoors if
necessary because of weather or accessibility: http://www.serch.cofc.edu/special/matmods/solarsystem100yd.doc.
I hope that this example will inspire educational teams to "put it all together"—to plan learning
experiences that help students practice IEP goals, language goals and meet state standards at the same
time. Such integrated learning not only makes the most of limited time, but also helps the student to
use the information he is learning within different contexts.
ABOUT THIS COLUMN
SERCH is excited to bring you a new monthly column that focuses on children with disabilities and the
math/science curriculum. Children are all different; children with disabilities may have learning
differences that require a re-thinking of the usual methods of teaching science and math. But children
with disabilities can grow up to get higher education and hold jobs in science in science and math fields.
This column is dedicated to the proposition that success in science and math is possible, and is dedicated to
making that success possible by helping parents and school staff learn about the many ways to achieve learning
for students with disabilities.
This column is written by Robin Hurd, who is a mother of 4 boys, ages 13, 11 and 8 year old twins. The
combination of disabilities at her house includes non-verbal physical impairments, sensory issues, Autistic
spectrum disorder, Tourettes syndrome, auditory processing disorder, anxiety disorder as well as talented and
gifted. In spite of this list, Robin, David and the boys enjoy life and learning to the fullest! Robin serves
as parent support liaison for the AAC Institute, a non-profit organization supporting people who communicate
using alternatives to speech. She writes a monthly column for parents at the AAC Institute, moderates a
parents' on-line group, and is available for support to individual parents. If you would like to contact
Robin about this column, you may e-mail her at
parents@aacinstitute.org.
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