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Accommodations and Modifications
for the
Student with CFIDS
Reproduced with permission from
The YPWC Parent/Teacher Bridge Builder.
Shanon McQuown led a two-day seminar on CFS/CFIDS for educational professionals. In the brainstorming
portion of the seminar, teams of educational professionals were presented with 11 case studies
of children and adolescents with CFS/CFIDS. They were given 45 minutes to develop plans outlining the services
that they thought would best help the individual children. The resulting list of
accommodations and modifications is reproduced below.
This list was made by the staff of our local school system during a two day seminar a teacher and I held about CFIDS and the impact on a child's education. The staff included school nurses, administrators, related services, social worker, foreign language teachers, P.E. teachers, psychologists and special and regular ed teachers. They took this endeavor seriously and I applaud their efforts.
Because CFIDS affects each person differently, use what is useful to your child and then discard the rest.
If you have other ideas to add to the list, please email Shanon McQuown.
Putting the Puzzle of CFIDS Together
Stafford County Public Schools Professional Development Seminar
March 13, 20, 2002
CFIDS: The Impact of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on a Child’s Education
The student’s disability affects his/her performance in the following areas:
- Written work (expression, spelling, speed, legibility, copying)
- Reading skills (decoding, comprehension)
- Math skills (computation, reasoning)
- Listening comprehension skills
- Oral expression skills
- Attention/concentration for extended time
- Gross and/or motor skills
- Peer and/or social behaviors
- Organizational skills
- Emotional/Behavioral
Setting
- Preferential Seating (easy access to door)
- Small Group (prevents sensory overload)
- Homebound services (immune system dysfunction,pain, fatigue)
- Modified school day (full day, half day, homebound)
This is dependent on the severity of the symptoms of the child.
Assignments
- Shortened assignments (once a student has mastered a concept, move on)
- Reduced pencil/paper tasks (due to pain in small muscles and joints in hands)
- Extended Time (fluctuations in disease contradict time limitations)
- Opportunity to respond orally (when pain in hands is too severe. . . per request)
Instruction/Methods
- Assignment Notebooks (filled out and/or checked by teacher and parents daily)
- Highlight key words on handouts, notes and study guides
- Peer Tutor/Helper (to assists with disorientation problems)
- Frequent/Immediate feedback (necessary to be certain the student is on the right track)
- Repitition of instruction
- Student responses on tape (when manual responding is too painful or fatigue too severe)
- Additional directions (clarify, repeat, reword)
- Supplement with visual cues
Other
- Tape record all lessons (assists in recall and processing deficits)
- Recorder/Scribe (daily notes provided)
- Video recorded classes
- Email assignments to home
Materials/Technology
- Taped Text Books/Materials (visual dysfunction, short-term memory, comprehension)
- Highlighted Text/Materials (key points on handouts, notes and study guides)
- Large Print/Magnification (at least 14pt for visual dysfunction)
- Calculator/Math charts (dyscalcula)
- Spell Check on assignments (memory)
- Access to keyboard/word processor (reduces pain from writing)
- Augmentive Communication Device (when symptoms too severe too speak)
- Study guides
- Book with pictures, names, highlighted school map,condition explanation, address and phone number for disorientation issues
- Yellow sheet (break the glare from flourescent lights)
- Assignment Notebook
Other
- Course syllabus (provided so student has plenty of time to work on upcoming projects. Student can also take advantage of
up time to get ahead of the down times)
- Provide ruler or index card (to keep place when reading)
Behavior
- Frequent Breaks (scheduled rest breaks to prevent “crashes”)
- Quiet Time
Extra Suggestions for Needs Related
to CFIDS
- Study carol (minimize distractions)
- Second set of books for home (eliminates added pain and
fatigue)
- Laminated hall pass
- Ice chips or cold water (temperature fluctuations)
- Wheelchair/Scooter at door
- Release from classes five minutes early (minimizes sensory
disturbances)
- Eye drops (dry, scratchy eyes)
- Jacket kept in class (temperature fluctuations)
- Elevator privileges
- Classrooms in same area
- Snack breaks when necessary (nausea, digestive disorders)
- Mints/gingerale (nausea)
- Highlighted map (disorientation issues)
- PE modification, exemption or Physical therapy substituted for
P.E.
- Change of clothing in nurse’s office (abdominal issues)
- Allowed to have water at desk (throat and orthostatic intolerance
issues)
- NO Cafeteria (sound,motion, odor sensitivities)
- Allow student to have lunch in a quiet area with a few friends
- Dim lighting (allow use of sun glasses or brimmed hat)
- Minimize usage of overhead projector
- Caution with sciences, cologne usage, cleaning products (chemical
sensitivity)
- Laminated Nurse’s Pass (unlimited usage)
- Referrals to Related Services (Occupational Therapist, Physical
Therapist, Dietician, Speech-Language Therapist or
Assistive Tech for evaluation.)
- Consider available community resources
- Alert school nurse in reference to the student
- Allow to use comfort measure (ice pack, analgesic rub, heat
patches)
- HAVE A CRISIS PLAN IN PLACE FOR THE WORST CASE SCENERIO
Homebound Needs
- Special education teacher preferred.
- Instruction scheduled at best time of day for child
- Web cam in classroom to enable the student to have contact with others on regular basis.
Every staff member who comes in contact with
the child must be informed entirely about the child's disease. This includes
teachers, nurses, bus drivers, custodians, para professionals, office staff, and
administrators. (Because they look fine unless
they’re wheelchair bound, they are often overlooked until a
crisis arises.)
Testing Accommodations
Timing/Scheduling
- Flexible schedule, time, breaks, multiple settings
Setting
- Group size: small groups, individual testing, natural lighting
Environmental modifications
- Lighting, adaptive furniture, location, preferential seating, hospital/home
Presentation
- Visual aids, magnifying glass, templates, masks or markers, by sections not chapters, word banks, multiple choice
Font
- Large print test or increased size answer bubble
Directions
- Assistance with directions reading, simplifying, interpreting, repeating
- Tape recorder
- Audio tape version of test items
Response
- Mark in booklet or student responds verbally
Math aids
- Abacus, math tables, calculator
Writing instruments
- Large diameter or pencil grip
Word Processor/Typewriter
- Any other assistive tech they use regularly for academic work
Spelling aids
- Spell checker, spelling dictionary
Reproduced with permission from
The YPWC Parent/Teacher Bridge Builder.
You can read the original article
here.
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