What Are Curricular Adaptations?
Perhaps you have ever heard the term “curricular adaptations”, but do not know exactly what they are or how they can affect your children. Therefore, it is important that you take into account everything that we are going to explain to you below. Only in this way will you be able to better understand what they are and the importance they have in the educational context.
The curricular adaptations in the educational plan are designed for those students with specific educational needs (SEN) who can continue ordinary schooling for as long as possible and who can enhance their abilities. These adaptations want it to be something positive for the development of their skills and competences and in no case is it intended to stigmatize or label children.
What is sought, in any case, is to enhance the abilities and capacities of minors so that they can have a successful future according to their real capacities. In no way is it intended to downplay the importance of the curriculum and the content is adapted so that the student with SEN can take it according to their skills. It is a complement to the curriculum, so to speak.
Curricular adaptations
Therefore, curricular adaptations (CA) are modifications or adjustments that are made in the curriculum of the course in which the child is enrolled. Objectives and methodologies are modified so that the minor with SEN can address the objectives in the most satisfactory way possible.
Thus, there are two types of curricular adaptations that you should know: significant and non-significant curricular adaptations .
Significant curricular adaptations
They are applied when the curricular adaptation affects all the students of a group-classroom because the entire syllabus is adapted taking into account the SEN of the students of the group-class. There is an official curriculum by autonomous communities that all students in educational centers must take. All professionals at the educational center have it at hand and take it into account when teaching their classes.
In this center curriculum the objectives, the contents, the evaluation and how the learning should be and the assessable contents of each significant point of learning are specified. When in this case the elements are adapted or adjusted, different ones are replaced or added.
For example, objectives from 4th grade can be substituted for others from 2nd grade for the student with SEN. It is designed individually, but involves a modification in the teaching methodology in the class group.
Non-significant curricular adaptations
These types of adaptations are made taking into account all the criteria (activities, methodology, evaluation instruments, etc.). They are adaptations that can be used both for students with SEN and for students who do not require SEN. It has a compensatory character for those students who may have greater difficulty in their learning.
Access adaptations
On the other hand , we can also find the access adaptations. They are not curricular adaptations in themselves, but you should know that they are used to adapt certain criteria so that the student can have access to the official study plan without having to adapt all the content or when the student does not require SEN, but it does have difficulties that need to be addressed.
They are also taken into account for students who need an alternative communication system, when architectural barriers must be suspended or furniture adapted for another specific one so that the student can make correct use of it for their development and learning, for example.
What else should you know about ACs?
Significant CAs are designed for students with SEN and will need a psychopedagogical evaluation report and a schooling opinion that requires this type of adaptation and, in addition, with the characteristics that must be taken into account.
The school is in charge of making these adaptations for students with SEN. Especially those educational professionals who are assigned to teach specific subjects in students with specific needs. But it will be the entire faculty and the management team that must approve it or, at least, give the go-ahead.
Curricular adaptations serve one school year and must be modified as the academic years progress. Although there is no specific regulation, it is logical to allow correct progress for students.
Thus, in the curricular adaptations the method of evaluation of students with SEN should also be reflected. In case of finishing Compulsory Secondary Education, what are the pedagogical objectives or criteria to qualify for the title of this educational stage.
