Accommodation or modification?

Get this right before writing goals. The choice changes what the student is expected to learn.

Other provinces use other names, such as IPP or student support plan. Ontario's policy guide describes the IEP as a record of accommodations, modified expectations and alternative expectations. Start with accommodations. Do not lower grade-level expectations when an accommodation removes the barrier.

Common accommodations for dyslexia

Instructional:

• Text-to-speech for reading assignments
• Audiobooks or recorded texts
• Speech-to-text for writing
• Copies of notes or slides
• Chunked instructions, given orally and in writing

Environmental:

• Quiet workspace
• Preferential seating near instruction

Assessment:

• Extra time on tests
• Separate room
• Questions read aloud
• Oral responses or scribe
• Spelling not marked unless it is the skill assessed

Statistics Canada reports extended time for tests and exams was the most-needed course accommodation among students with learning disabilities in 2022.

Writing measurable goals

A good goal names the skill, the condition, the target and the measure. Use this formula:

By [date], given [condition], [student] will [skill] at [target], measured by [tool].

Sample goals

Reading fluency: By June, given a grade-level passage, the student will read 90 words correct per minute, measured by monthly one-minute probes.

Decoding: By March, given 20 multisyllable words, the student will decode 16 correctly, measured by biweekly word lists.

Written expression: By January, using speech-to-text, the student will produce a five-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence, measured by a class rubric.

Self-advocacy (alternative expectation): By December, the student will request one accommodation from each subject teacher, measured by a teacher sign-off log.

Assistive technology (alternative expectation): By November, the student will open and use text-to-speech without help, measured by teacher observation in three of four checks.

Note: targets above are examples. Set real targets from the student's own baseline data.

Goal-writing worksheet

• Skill area: ________
• Baseline (date and score): ________
• Condition: ________
• Target: ________
• Measure and frequency: ________
• Person responsible: ________
• Review date: ________

Transition planning

In Ontario, every IEP must include a transition plan under PPM 156. Consider one self-advocacy goal in every IEP from Grade 7 on.

Diagnosis reminder

Teachers identify needs and plan supports. They do not diagnose. Only a licensed professional can diagnose dyslexia, usually a psychologist or psychological associate. Rules differ by province. In Quebec, a speech-language pathologist can also assess it.