IDEA '97 allows for increased flexibility in addressing the needs of all students. One result is that special education personnel can now teach within the general education environment, even if the students they are working with are not identified as having special needs. This can reduce the burden on both teachers and provide a wonderful opportunity for all of the students to benefit from the expertise and attention of two professionals. Conference time to plan for IEP meetings can be included in the IEP under support for personnel. Supports for the student, in the form of accommodations and modifications, can be written into the IEP as well.
Accommodations usually involve changes made to materials, facilities, or work time.
Modifications usually involve changes in workload or curriculum expectations. Your general curriculum will not change. Instead, you'll work in conjunction with Stephanie's special education teacher to develop accommodations and modifications that will allow Stephanie to learn material from the general curriculum. For example, if Stephanie has fine-motor difficulties due to her disability, she might be allowed to do part of the math homework, or she might need an assistive technology device, such as a laptop, to help her complete all of the math problems. If her disability involves memory difficulties, she might be allowed to use an open book during an exam or listen to a book on tape.