Cognitive load theory
We break complex instructions into segments so effort goes into learning, not decoding.
Accommodations · Middle and high school
Accommodations: a different format, access, time, way of responding
An accommodation changes how a student gets to the task and how they respond, without touching the objective or the assessment criteria. It is the first response, and almost always the fairest.
Guide updated in October 2026 · Nubo pedagogy team
It changes the how. Never the what.
Nubo doesn't give you a checklist of supports to tick: it looks at the student's profile and what the question asks, and applies only the ones that are needed.
- Same questions and same criteria
- Only the supports this task needs
- Every support, with its reason
Explain what would happen if the herbivore population decreased, and connect your answer to the balance of the ecosystem.
- Think about the food chain.
- What do herbivores eat?
- If there are fewer herbivores, what happens to the plants and to the animals that eat the herbivores?
- Explain how this affects the balance of the ecosystem.
For PaulHe has trouble holding several instructions in mind and loses the threadNubo is matching his profile against what the question asks…
1Instructions in stepsThe question asks for four things at once, and Paul has trouble holding several instructions in mind.
2Highlighted key wordsThis way he finds what is asked at each step without rereading the whole prompt.
3A separate space for each answerOne answer for each step: he doesn't lose the thread.
Not applied: extra time or visual support. He doesn't need them for this task.
✓ Objective and assessment criteria: the same
Definition
What changes and what doesn't.
An accommodation changes the way in, never the destination.
Can change
- How information is presented: format, font size, line spacing, visual supports.
- How the task is explained: in steps, one at a time, with a worked example.
- Time: extra time, breaks or the test in two parts.
- How the student responds: orally, with a diagram, by choosing or completing.
- Where and with what: seating in the classroom, fewer distractions, support materials.
Doesn't change
- The objectives
- The content
- The assessment criteria
- The level of demand
If anything in this column has to change, it is already a curriculum modification.
Examples
Examples of accommodations.
By profile, in class and on tests.
Accommodations for dyslexia
In class
- Written instructions, also read aloud
- Texts with short sentences, good line spacing and highlighted key words
- An outline or notes ahead of time, so they don't have to copy from the board
On the test
- Extra time, or fewer questions per page
- Reading the question aloud when reading is not what is being assessed
- Grading content ahead of spelling, if the team agrees
Accommodations for ADHD
In class
- Long tasks split into chunks, with breaks
- Instructions one at a time and the list of steps in view
- A seat with few distractions, near the teacher
On the test
- The test in two parts or with an agreed break
- One question per block, with a clear space to answer
- Time reminders during the test
Accommodations for autism
In class
- Previewing the session with a visual schedule
- Literal, concrete instructions, with no double meanings
- Giving advance notice of any change
On the test
- The same format on every test
- Direct questions: what is asked, in one sentence
- A quiet space if noise is overwhelming
Accommodations for gifted students
In class
- Open-ended questions that ask students to connect and create
- Less repetition of what they have already mastered
- Projects with the independence to go deeper
On the test
- Questions that go into more depth on the same content
- The option to justify or expand an answer
- Transfer challenges in other contexts
Accommodations for newly arrived students
In class
- A glossary with the key terms of the unit
- A visual support for each concept
- Simple sentences that keep the concept
On the test
- Questions in plain language
- Being able to use the glossary during the test
- Answering with diagrams or labeled drawings
Examples for guidance only. The label points the way; what decides is what is hard for each student in each task.
By type of support
Six types of accommodations.
| Type of support | What changes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Access to information | How it is presented | Clear type, 1.5 line spacing, highlighted key words, visual supports |
| Instructions | How the task is explained | Step-by-step instructions, one at a time, with a worked example |
| Time | How much and how it is divided | Extra time, breaks, the test in two sessions |
| Response | How they show what they have learned | Orally, with a diagram, by choosing, matching or completing |
| Environment | Where and with what they work | Seating in the classroom, fewer distractions, support materials |
| Assessment | With which tools | A variety of tools and criteria known in advance |
Names vary by region in Spain: ordinary measures, general measures or methodological adaptations.
Before and after
A history test, adapted.
The same question, with the same level of demand: two economic changes, two social changes and how they relate to the steam engine. Only the path to get there changes.
- The long prompt, in four steps
- Key words, highlighted
- A hint and space to write
- What is assessed, untouched
Not every support helps
Five ideas worth rethinking.
Some very common accommodations don't help, or help less than they seem to.
History testGrade 8B · 25 students
Version 114 studentsHighlighted key words
+10
+10Version 29 studentsInstructions in steps and a worked example
+6
+6Version 32 studentsShort sentences and more space
✓ 3 versions of the same test · 4 min
With Nubo
For your whole class, in minutes.
With Smart UDL, Nubo groups your class by similar profiles and prepares a version of the same test for each group, with the supports that group needs. Everyone works on the same thing.
- No “adapt for dyslexia” button
- Every support, explained
- You review and adjust question by question
- How a material gets adapted
Evidence
What's behind each support.
Our method draws on research on cognitive load, multimedia learning and Universal Design for Learning.
Multimedia learning
We reorganize the visual format and signal what matters.
UDL Guidelines 3.0
Multiple ways to access and to respond: the basis of Smart UDL.
See science and evidence · White paper “Adapt without watering down”
Bring it to your classroom
Two ways to adapt well with Nubo.
Same approach, two starting points: your own material, or the whole school at once.
For teachers
Adapt your next test.
Upload your material and get a version for each student in your class, based on their profile. You review, adjust and download.
- Free to start
- PDF, Word or PowerPoint
- An average test, in 3 or 4 minutes
One consistent approach across the whole school.
The counseling team agrees on the supports once, and each teacher applies them when adapting their material. Every change is logged.
- Accommodations, modifications and Smart UDL
- The whole team in sync
- We'll show you with your own material
Real cases
Teachers already using it in their classrooms.
Watch the interview ↗
“You realize that the material you thought was good could be much better, and that it can be adapted much more closely to specific profiles.”
Joan · Assistant principal, counselor and language teacher · Maristes Montserrat, Lleida (Spain)
Read the full case →“My student no longer worries about whether he can do the task. He knows he can do what is put in front of him each day.”
Homeroom teacher · CEIP Justicia de Aragón (public elementary school), Alcorisa, Spain
Read their story →“What stayed with me most was the enthusiasm of the teachers when they came out of the training and said it was very practical and very concise.”
Ana · Director of the Alcorisa Teacher Training Center (Spain)
Read their story →Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about accommodations
What is an accommodation?
It is an ordinary measure that changes how a student receives information and how they show what they have learned (format, instructions, time, visual supports or the way of responding). Objectives, content and assessment criteria are not touched. Access adaptations, strictly speaking, are something else: resources and communication systems such as braille, sign language or communication devices.
What are examples of accommodations?
Giving instructions in steps, highlighting key words, allowing extra time or splitting a test into two parts, allowing oral answers or a diagram, or previewing the session with a visual schedule. Above you will find examples by profile: dyslexia, ADHD, autism, gifted students and newly arrived students.
Is it the same as a non-significant curricular adaptation?
In many regions of Spain, yes: a non-significant adaptation changes the methodology, activities, timing or assessment tools without touching the assessment criteria, just like an accommodation. Some regions also use it to prioritize or sequence content, and others no longer use the term. What never changes in either case is the assessment criteria for the student's grade.
How is it different from a curriculum modification?
An accommodation changes the how; a modification changes the what too. A significant curriculum modification changes objectives, content and criteria, and can affect graduation. An accommodation lets a student keep pace with the class without lowering the standard.
Is a report needed to apply them?
Generally not: they are ordinary measures decided by the teaching team. It helps to record them in the student's support plan so the whole team applies them the same way. For Bachillerato and the PAU (Spain's university entrance exam), adapting the tests usually requires the student to be identified as having learning differences (NEAE) and a report. The exact procedure depends on your region.
Can they be used on tests?
Yes, as long as they don't change what is being assessed. Reading the question aloud makes sense on a science test, but not on a reading comprehension test.
Are they only for dyslexia or ADHD?
No. They work for any student who runs into an access barrier, with or without a diagnosis. What decides the support is what is hard for the student in each task, not the label.
Why doesn't Nubo use the OpenDyslexic typeface?
Because studies don't show that changing the font alone improves reading speed or accuracy. There is somewhat more evidence, though modest, for larger type and more space between letters. If a student finds it more comfortable, they can use it.
Can I use Nubo without my school?
Yes. You can create your free account and adapt your materials on your own. If your school joins, the profiles are linked and nothing is duplicated.
Change the how. Never the what.
Try it with your next test, or take it to your whole school.
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