Same activities and materials - different objectives.
Sometimes, the same activities and materials need to support different objectives for preschoolers with typical development and young children with severe disabilities. For example, a typically-developing child may be working on a classification concept by sorting blocks according to their shapes. A child with a disability could be participating in the same activity, but working on the skills of reaching, grasping, and releasing by picking up each block and handing to their friend who is sorting the blocks. This activity would result in each child working on different objectives with the same material and also each child being involved in an important cooperative social activity.

Same activity, materials, and objectives - adapted responding.
Perhaps the child with a disability can discriminate shapes but is unable to physically manipulate the blocks in order to sort them. In this case an adapted activity might be for the child to use eye gaze to indicate which block should be sorted into a particular area, and the typical peer can move the block to the correct place. If the typical peer also takes turns with his friend by sorting every other block, both children are working on the same objective and both are engaged in an important cooperative activity.

Same activity, same or different objectives - adapted materials.
Sometimes it is also necessary to physically adapt instructional or play materials to facilitate the child's participation. Materials can be physically adapted in a number of creative ways. A few examples include:

• Increasing stability (e.g., adding a nonslip materials to the surface of the area on which the child is working, such as Dycem or using Velcro on materials and surfaces)
• Increasing ease of handling (e.g., adding handles, making materials, or part of a material, larger)
• Increasing accessibility (e.g., developing a prosthesis such as a hand splint that can "hold" on to a paintbrush or crayon, attaching an elastic cord or string to objects so they can be easily moved or retrieved)
• Increasing visual clarity or distinctiveness (e.g.., adding contrast or specialized lighting, increasingly size, placing materials in a more obvious location, marking materials in a special way, adding texture or a sound component to materials)

Adapted from: Thompson, B., Wickham, D., Wegner, J., Ault, M., Shanks, P., & Reinertson, B. (1993). Handbook for the inclusion of young children with severe disabilities. Lawrence, KS: Learner Managed Designs, Inc.