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The Accessibility Needs of Students with Disabilities: Special Considerations for Instruction and Assessment

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Handbook of Accessible Instruction and Testing Practices

Abstract

In this chapter, we will discuss the distinct needs of students with learning differences and strategies to truly increase their access to effective instruction and testing. Over 6 million American students between the ages of 3 and 21 years receive special education services (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES]. Alternate assessments for students with disabilities. Retrieved from https://nceo.info/Resources/publications/TopicAreas/AlternateAssessments/altAssessFA Q.htm, 2016). Each of these students is entitled to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA], 20 U.S.C. § 1400, 2004), which means, to the extent possible, students with disabilities should be educated in general education classrooms with peers who do not have disabilities. These students present a unique set of considerations for ensuring access to high-quality instruction and assessing their learning and growth.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Jennifer R. Frey & Carrie M. Gillispie

Authors
  1. Jennifer R. Frey
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  2. Carrie M. Gillispie
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Correspondence to Jennifer R. Frey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

    Stephen N. Elliott

  2. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

    Ryan J. Kettler

  3. Accessible Hope, LLC, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

    Peter A. Beddow

  4. Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

    Alexander Kurz

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Frey, J.R., Gillispie, C.M. (2018). The Accessibility Needs of Students with Disabilities: Special Considerations for Instruction and Assessment. In: Elliott, S., Kettler, R., Beddow, P., Kurz, A. (eds) Handbook of Accessible Instruction and Testing Practices. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71126-3_6

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