TIES TIPS Foundations of Inclusion

Introduction

Students with significant cognitive disabilities need opportunities to interact with original text to ensure language development and comprehension of grade-level content. When the grade-level text is not accessible in its original form, an adapted text may be needed. Alternate texts are not necessary within an inclusive classroom. Instead, educators can collaborate with one another to find existing accessible options, or to create them when they are not available. This TIPS explains ways teachers can adapt the text and provide scaffolding to ensure each and every student is provided access and opportunity to meet grade-level learning expectations.

Evidence

Students with significant cognitive disabilities need access to the content in the curriculum at grade level if they are expected to make progress in the general curriculum. It is not enough to simply assign a lower-level book or provide an audio reader. 

Research Support for Creating Accessible Grade-level Text

Research is available that describes how to create accessible text, including the use of several strategies to adapt visual presentation of the text itself. Lee et al. (2015) describes how to add visuals, make auditory accommodations, and simplify the text to keep essential content intact. Research has shown that students with significant cognitive disabilities can be successful if text is paired with response options to match questions about the text and the teacher uses a system of least prompts (e.g., refer to the text, highlight single sentence, point to the answer, state the answer) to teach comprehension (Hudson et al., 2013). When accessible text is aligned with grade-level content, students with significant cognitive disabilities have increased reading comprehension outcomes (e.g., Roberts & Leko, 2013).

Here are five steps (see flowchart) we recommend general education and special education teachers use to make collaborative decisions when adapting a text.

 When adapting books for students with significant cognitive disabilities, teachers should consider not only potential barriers to the text itself (for example, size of the font, length, complexity of language, lack of images in chapter books, decodability or sight word fluency needed to read, challenge level of vocabulary) but also the physical barriers that may exist for students (for example, fine motor or visual limitations which may dictate the need for visual or tactile cues; Lee, 2010). For students who use an alternative augmentative communication (AAC) device, related service providers and educators should collaborate to select and program AAC devices with vocabulary, symbols, voice output options, access modes, and consider the placement of devices for students’ use (Orlando & Ruppar, 2016).

Using Technology to Create and Share Accessible Grade-level Text

Advances in technology have made it easier for teachers to create and share accessible texts. Many teachers create slides for an online adapted book with texts, images, summaries, and rewriting of content supportive of individual students and their identified needs. (see TIPS #18 for an example).  All students may benefit from having access to and using the adapted versions, not just students with disabilities. We recommend developing a school or district-wide library where adapted books can be stored electronically. These electronic resources could be beneficial to future teachers in different grade levels and serve as examples of how texts were adapted in the previous grade for specific students, as well as a way for teachers to see how to do it if they have not before.

How to create accessible grade-level text

Teachers can use two main types of adaptations to make grade-level text more accessible for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

• Physical adaptations to the book
  • Physically altering a printed text (see image for an example)
    • Cut pages out and laminate them
    • Bind the book or put it in a three-ring binder
  • Adding images or symbols the student will recognize and that do not require inference skills to interpret meaning
    • Add age-appropriate and relevant pictures at the beginning of chapter summaries
    • Pair symbols or images with important keywords
    • Add tactile pieces for the student to track or follow along with the text
      • Cover the title in foam letters
      • Underline important information in puff paint
      • Use pipe cleaners to frame important words or images
    • Adding materials to make it easier for the student to turn the pages of the book (see image for examples)
      • Attach different color piper cleaners or clothespins to pages
      • Use foam stickers between pages to make the pages not stick together

• Content adaptations to the book
  • Defining original vocabulary in a less complex way and including fringe vocabulary (for example, low frequency vocabulary words that are specific to an activity, typically nouns; see image for an example)
    • Prepare AAC devices to include all vocabulary ahead of the lesson
  • Shortening the text based on individual students' needs
    • Leave in as much detail as possible without making text too long
    • Use technology to rewrite the text and paste it over the original text for younger students
    • Create a new chapter book for older students with dialogue and as much detail as appropriate to mirror the intent of the original text
  • Rewriting the text as a summary
    • Pre-read the text and summarize each page or chapter to capture the main idea
    • Rewrite the page or chapter using a summary statement
    • Reduce the Lexile level closer to the student’s reading level while still maintaining the content from the grade-level text
    • Use a predictable structure or repeated story lines

As you make content adaptations, consider what essential understandings all children should have after reading the text (see the 5-15-45 collaboration process for more information). Ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities will have the content needed to answer the questions you will ask all readers (e.g., literal, inferential, recall, or summary).

Summary

Creating accessible grade-level text requires planning by general education and special education teachers and staff. Districts can also take a lead role in this area by supporting general education curriculum adaptations, such as adapting critical science and social studies texts and adopting accessible curriculum materials. Teachers can become responsible consumers of resources that are readily available (e.g., TIPS #18: Choosing Accessible Grade-level Text for Use in the Inclusive Classroom)  by knowing the key features of a well-adapted text. When teams work together to create adapted text for students who need them, rich literacy experiences which may be embedded are possible for all students.