"Fair" doesn't mean "the same" (part 2: the terms & mindset)
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Yesterday, I explained why "fair" doesn't mean "the same" in special needs ministry. Today, we'll begin focusing on the "how" component: What are those not-the-same things that can make a difference for individuals with disabilities in your ministry? And tomorrow I'll provide some specific strategies, in part 3: how (which was originally promised for today, but this part ended up being longer than I expected, so the two part series has become longer than planned...actually, it will be five posts in all, wrapping up on Saturday!).
First, let's play a little Webster's...what are accommodations and modifications anyway? In the field of special education, an accommodation is a change in the way that a student is expected to learn or the manner in which she is tested (or, in a church setting, the way in which he is expected to recite a memory verse). A modification, on the other hand, is a change in the material that student is expected to learn.
Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably (as I have and will often use them on this blog), but the distinction is important. An accommodation is an adjustment in how learning takes place (for example, using a hearing aid or reading a Bible in Braille), while a modification changes what is learned. When you make an accommodation for an individual, that person still learns the same thing, just in a different way. When you make a modification, the person learns something different - sometimes a more simplified version of the same content, sometimes a completely different lesson.
When used well, modifications and accommodations act as undercover agents, meeting specific needs. By "undercover agents," I mean that they should not be obvious, nor should their cover be blown for anyone who doesn't have to be in the know.
Or, to use an even better analogy, proper accommodations and modifications are like contact lenses in two ways:
Come back tomorrow for the third post in this series, which will provide some specific modifications and accommodations that could be useful as you minister to and with people with special needs in your church! I'll follow that with a post on Thursday with helpful questions to consider for each person and a final post on Saturday to help you make decisions. (Plus Friday kicks off my new guest blogger series - you don't want to miss it!)
(Photo credit)
First, let's play a little Webster's...what are accommodations and modifications anyway? In the field of special education, an accommodation is a change in the way that a student is expected to learn or the manner in which she is tested (or, in a church setting, the way in which he is expected to recite a memory verse). A modification, on the other hand, is a change in the material that student is expected to learn.
Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably (as I have and will often use them on this blog), but the distinction is important. An accommodation is an adjustment in how learning takes place (for example, using a hearing aid or reading a Bible in Braille), while a modification changes what is learned. When you make an accommodation for an individual, that person still learns the same thing, just in a different way. When you make a modification, the person learns something different - sometimes a more simplified version of the same content, sometimes a completely different lesson.When used well, modifications and accommodations act as undercover agents, meeting specific needs. By "undercover agents," I mean that they should not be obvious, nor should their cover be blown for anyone who doesn't have to be in the know.
Or, to use an even better analogy, proper accommodations and modifications are like contact lenses in two ways:
- You choose them to meet the specific needs of an individual. If I tried to wear my husband's contacts, they would do more damage to me than good because my eyesight is pretty good. In fact, they wouldn't even fit me, because the shape of my eyes are not the same as his. Likewise, it does not help individuals with special needs to provide too few or too many modifications or accommodations. You're just aiming to meet the specific needs of the person. Think like Goldilocks: you want to find "just right."
- When being used correctly, they shouldn't be obvious. You can't tell at a glance that my husband is wearing contacts. Meanwhile, when I wear my glasses, they're hard to overlook. As you'll see in my lists of specific strategies, some are more obvious than others; you just don't want to draw undue attention to any of them.
Come back tomorrow for the third post in this series, which will provide some specific modifications and accommodations that could be useful as you minister to and with people with special needs in your church! I'll follow that with a post on Thursday with helpful questions to consider for each person and a final post on Saturday to help you make decisions. (Plus Friday kicks off my new guest blogger series - you don't want to miss it!)
(Photo credit)