A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research: Students With Disabilities Perceptions of Accommodations

• In Event: Inclusion and Accessibility in Educational Assessment SIG (#96) Paper Session

Abstract

“Are we different? Are others smarter than us?” This quote represents how students experience accommodations in their classroom and in front of their peers (Williams 2015, p. 50). Accommodations are designed to remove barriers, but what if the accommodation itself is a barrier?

Research documents the possible negative consequences of practices that do not consider students perceptions of accommodations. Research also documents the positive impact of including students in selecting accommodations for use during instruction and testing. This synthesis of research compiled data from 20 years of studies that included student perceptions of accommodations. Findings were analyzed through the lens of self-determination theory in order to highlight the importance of considering how students experience accommodations when making accommodations decisions.

Authors

• Virginia Ressa, University of Minnesota
  Presenting Author

• Kascinda Fleming, University of Minnesota
  Presenting Author

• Martha L. Thurlow, University of Minnesota
  Presenting Author