ELOs for Students with Disabilities

ELOs are for ALL students. This includes students who:

• don’t attend school
• are on the honor roll
• have failed classes
• have diverse learning needs
• are gifted learners
• are non-responsive to traditional teaching methods
• are home-schooled
• have IEPs or Section 504 plans

Students with IEPs or Section 504 plans

ELOs can be available to any student in any subject, and there are specific considerations to take into account for a student with an IEP or Section 504 plan. A student with a disability may have a special education IEP or a Section 504 plan; rarely if ever will they have both.

For special education students, ELOs work best when they are connected to the student’s postsecondary goals and when ELOs are integrated into the transition components of an IEP. ELOs may appear in a student’s course of study (the education plan) or as a specific transition activity. It is important for the IEP team to work together with the ELO team to outline specific goals and roles for relevant support staff.

A Section 504 plan ensures a student with a disability has equal access to an education, and specifies accommodations and modifications to make that possible. The design of an ELO for a student with a Section 504 plan should incorporate accommodations and modifications specified in the student’s 504 plan.

Accommodations

A good site to research workplace accommodations is the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), where you can explore various accommodation options for people with disabilities in both work and educational settings.