Adapting instruction is not a new practice for instructors/teachers in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation Study of Teaching (Gallén & Bold, 1989) indicates that instructors/teachers have been responding to student learning needs through adaptation. Staff meeting discussions and staff room conversations attest that professionals are attempting to meet the challenges of dealing with individual differences.

The cues that some students' needs may not be adequately met come from a variety of sources. They may come to the perceptive teacher/instructor as a result of monitoring for comprehension during a lesson. The cue may come from a unit test, or from a student need or background deficiency that has been recognized for several years. A student's demonstrated knowledge of, or interest in, a particular topic may indicate that enrichment is appropriate. The adaptation required may vary from presenting the same content through a slightly different instructional method, to modifying the content because of a known information background deficit, to establishing an individual or small group enrichment activity. The duration of the adaptation may range from five minutes of individual assistance, to placement of the student in an alternative or enrichment program. The diagnosis of the need may be adequately handled by the classroom instructor/teacher, or may require the expertise of other support specialists such as the school's resource teacher.

The recognition of the need for adaptive instruction is dependent upon the professional judgment of the instructor/teacher, as the decision to initiate adaptive practices must be an informed one. While the practice of adapting instruction may occur through the placement of students in programs other than those defined as regular, the most frequent application of the Adaptive Dimension will occur as teachers/instructors in regular classroom settings adjust their use of both content and method of instruction.