♿ Special education · IEP · 504

Special education (SPED) resources

Lessons, worksheets and slides that follow a student's IEP: grade-level work with accommodations, or modified work at the level they work at, always respectful of their age.

Accommodations and modifications in one switch

Every lesson, worksheet, slide and activity generator has an IEP / Accessibility mode switch in the form. Turn it on and the resource keeps the same grade-level objective, but the way it is written changes: simpler language, short chunked steps, numbered instructions, sentence starters, key words explained, and stronger visual support. Documents switch to a dyslexia-friendly layout at the same time.

In IEP terms, that is an accommodation: same content, easier access. When a student's IEP calls for modified work instead, choose a working level underneath the switch. The two options cover most of what special education teachers adapt by hand every week.

Social stories and visual schedules

For routines, changes and new experiences, the visual supports generator makes a matching set for one situation, such as a fire drill, a field trip or trying new foods: a first-person social story with one short sentence and one picture per page, a visual schedule with cut-out cards, Now / Next and First / Then boards, a choice board and a feelings check-in. Pictures are openly licensed Noto Emoji, text is large and high contrast, and older students get age-respectful pictures. Print it, or edit every card in PowerPoint and the story in Word.

Working level: their age and their level, kept apart

The grade you choose sets how the resource looks and who it is for. The working level sets how hard the content is. So a 10th grader can get work pitched at a Grades K-2 level, without it looking like it was made for a six-year-old. The levels you can choose are:

  • Pre-academic (sensory / engagement)
  • Functional / life skills
  • Pre-K level (about 3-5)
  • Grades K-2 level (about 5-7)
  • Grades 3-5 level (about 7-11)
  • Grades 6-8 level (about 11-14)

Content, numbers, texts and questions are pitched at that level, so students can succeed on their own or with light adult support. Key subject words are kept, but each one is defined in plain language with a concrete example.

Age-respectful, always

Older students working at an early level deserve work that respects their age. When a working level is set, the AI is told to use real-life contexts such as money, shopping, jobs, travel, cooking, sport and music. Picture searches ask for real teenagers or adults and real objects. It is told never to use nursery themes, cartoon animals, "boys and girls", stickers or praise aimed at young children. We simplify the level, never the dignity.

Dyslexia-friendly formatting

  • Body text in Lexend, a font designed for reading fluency, with Verdana as the fallback so Word and print match.
  • Wider line spacing and letter spacing, and slightly larger text.
  • A soft cream page instead of bright white, to cut glare, following the British Dyslexia Association style guide.
  • For slides, the theme picker has accessibility filters: Dyslexia-friendly, ADHD, Low stimulation and Low vision.

ELL support

Turn on ELL mode for English Language Learners. It lowers the language demand without lowering the objective: a pre-taught key-vocabulary glossary, plain concrete sentences, sentence frames, word banks and visual support. It works on its own or together with IEP mode.

Adapted worksheets for mixed classes

On worksheets, activity sheets and exit tickets, the Differentiated (3 tiers) switch adds an easier Support version and a harder Stretch version of every question to the same sheet, so one resource serves the whole class. You can also set the ability level to Foundation, Core or Challenge. Every resource opens in the editor, and downloads as PowerPoint, Google Slides, Word, Google Docs or PDF, so you can make the last changes your student needs.

Examples by need

Dyslexia
Turn on IEP / Accessibility mode for a dyslexia-friendly document layout, and pick a theme from the Dyslexia-friendly filter for slides.
ADHD
Short, chunked steps and clear numbered instructions from IEP mode. The ADHD theme filter shows calmer slide designs with less clutter.
Autism
Step-by-step instructions, plain literal wording and a predictable structure. Low-stimulation themes keep slides calm. Read the wording before use: you know which phrases work for your student.
Specific learning disability in math or reading
Keep the grade-level content with accommodations, or set the working level to Grades 3-5 or K-2 when the IEP calls for modified work.
Intellectual disability
Choose Functional / life skills: real-life tasks such as money, shopping, cooking and travel, with one-step instructions and pointing, matching or sorting instead of long writing.
Significant support needs
Choose Pre-academic (sensory / engagement): sensory, cause-and-effect and choice activities, where every task says what the adult does and how the student can respond.
Low vision
Pick a theme from the Low vision filter for larger, high-contrast slides. Every resource is editable, so you can enlarge anything further.
English Language Learners
Turn on ELL mode for a key-vocabulary glossary, plain sentences, sentence frames and word banks. It works alongside IEP mode.

These are starting points, not diagnoses. You know your students: read every resource before use and adjust it to their IEP or 504 plan.

Make an adapted resource now

Open a generator, then turn on IEP / Accessibility mode in the form and, if you need it, choose a level under Pitch the work at.

Social story & visual schedule →Adapted worksheet →Slides →Lesson plan →Activity sheet →Study guide →Booklet →Whole lesson pack →

Special education FAQ

What is the difference between IEP mode and a working level?
IEP / Accessibility mode is an accommodation: the student gets the same grade-level content with simpler wording, chunked steps, sentence starters, visual support and a dyslexia-friendly layout. A working level is a modification: the content itself is pitched at a lower level, such as Grades K-2, while tone, examples and pictures stay right for the student's real age.
Will a high school student get babyish worksheets?
No. When you set a working level, the AI is told to keep contexts, examples and images right for the student's real age: money, jobs, travel, cooking, sport and their interests. It is told never to use cartoon animals, nursery themes or praise aimed at young children.
Can I use it with ELL students too?
Yes. ELL mode adds a key-vocabulary glossary, plain sentences, sentence frames and word banks, and keeps the subject objective at grade level. You can turn it on together with IEP mode.
Does it write IEP goals?
No. LessonHQ makes classroom resources, not legal IEP documents. Use the student's IEP to choose the accommodations and working level, then check every resource before use.
Is it free?
IEP / Accessibility mode is included on every plan, including the free plan.

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