Adapting English Language Arts Text for Students With Complex Support Needs: What’s Next in Adapted Text

Adapted books can serve as a support for students with complex support needs in general education classes. However, creating adapted books can be difficult for a special education teacher with a demanding schedule. Therefore, this article presents a feasible and efficient process for creating adapted books extended from the guidelines originally developed by Apitz et al. This process begins with special educators becoming familiar with the story through summarizing and outlining the original text. Next, collaboration with the general education teacher is recommended to identify the essential themes and key vocabulary. Special educators are encouraged to follow the book’s plot structure and use visual supports, such as images or videos, based on key events in the text. Also included in this article are suggestions on how teachers can more effectively and efficiently adapt books using modern technology tools, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E.