In special education literature, curriculum adaptation and instructional strategies are based upon the assumption that not all children need to be doing the same thing at the same time; varying types and degrees of participation is appropriate; and curriculum and school activities should be adjusted to accommodate the child's individual needs. Early childhood special educators advocate that instructional goals and objectives need to be embedded within the normally occurring routines and contexts of home, day care, and kindergarten or preschool. Because children with disabilities need intentional instruction, it is important in inclusive settings to make adaptations that focus on maintaining an intense level of instruction, purposeful participation in activities, and educational achievement.

The adaptation process involves determining the nature of adaptations and supports needed, defining how instruction will occur, and addressing how to maximize instructional inclusion of the child with disabilities into the preschool classroom. This process needs to be used by the team so that IEP objectives are familiar to all staff, opportunities to incorporate instruction related to those objectives occurs, and advance planning can be done. Even with planning, a modification may not work or a change in plans may occur, in which case the staff needs to develop skills for modifying and adapting the curriculum activities at the time of need. Three concepts provide general guidelines for instructional adaptations:

Same activities and materials- different objectives

Sometimes the same materials and activities can be used for multiple objectives depending on the needs of the child. While the typical peer is working on a classification concept of sorting objects by size, a child with a disability could be participating in the same activity but be working on labeling the objects, reaching and grasping the objects or turn taking with the peer. For both children, social opportunities are provided as they work on their individual objectives.

Same activity, materials and objective - adaptive responding

The child with a disability may understand a concept, but have difficulty with the speech or motor component of the activity. For example, a child with disabilities may be able to discriminate shapes, but can not physically sort them. Using eye gaze the child might be able to indicate what shape goes on next. If the peer is also learning to sort shapes and takes a turn, then both children have the same objective, but different means for expressing them.

Same activity, same or different objectives - adapted materials

Sometimes it is necessary to physically adapt instructional or play materials to facilitate the child's participation. The following is a list of some ways to adapt materials, thus increasing stability, ease of handling, accessibility and/or distinctiveness:
• add Velcro, tape, Dycem or other nonslip material to assist in the prevention of items from sliding on surfaces.
• increase or decrease the size of the materials.
• arrange materials on lower shelves for easier access.
• provide materials which have multi-sensory components (tactile, visual, olfactory, gustatory and auditory).
• use adaptive devices such as a mouthstick or universal cuff to hold paint brushes or markers.
• use a vertical surface to place materials within a child's visual field, to reduce glare on materials or to place materials within a child's movement pattern.
• Provide materials which have a strong contrast to surrounding materials or work surfaces
• add handles or attach a string to materials, so that those items can be picked up or retrieved.