18 Accommodations and Modifications For Child in Special Education With Auditory Processing Disorder

Are you concerned that your child in special education may have Auditory Processing Disorder, because they seem not to understand verbal communication? Has your child with autism already been diagnosed with this disorder? Would you like to learn what accommodations and modifications can be given at school, to help your child with their education? This article will discuss 18 accommodations and modifications that you can ask for as you advocate for your child who receives special education services.

Auditory Processing Disorder is the inability to attend to, discriminate among, or understand auditory information. This does not mean that your child cannot hear, but that what they hear gets mixed up in their brain. This disorder causes many educational difficulties for children, which can be helped by accommodations and modifications.

Accommodations are defined as: Changes made in how a student accesses and demonstrates learning, and adjustments made to the presentation to or response from the student that does not change the content or the intended outcome. In other words an accommodation, is a change in presentation or in how the child responds, but does not change the content itself.

Modifications are defined as: Changes in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate, and changes in content, requirements, and/or expectations. You should be careful that modifications are as minimal as possible so that expectations for learning can remain high!!


1. Reduce or minimize auditory distractions
2. Reduce or minimize visual distractions
3. Flexible preferential treatment
4. Provide isolated area in the classroom for independent work
5. Make sure that the teacher has your child’s attention before giving verbal information or directions
6. Use visual clues, outlines, organizers and study guides as needed
7. Use technology to give visual clues (overheads, computers, etc)
8. Provide teacher notes
9. Use manipulative’s
10.Provide alternative test taking options
11.Extend testing time
12.Use an FM system
13. Use ear plugs to reduce distractions


1. Reduce language level or reading level of assignments
2. Adjust difficulty level and length of assignments
3. Provide alternative grading system
4. Avoid penalizing for spelling errors
5. Read test to student (this could be a accommodation, but it does change the expectations, so I included it in modifications)

By knowing what accommodations and modifications are available that could be used to help your child learn, you can advocate for these. A child with Auditory Processing Disorder can learn with special education services as well as accommodations and modifications.