High School IEP accommodations vs modifications

We have done a number of things that I'll describe. My son is doing tremendously well in high school, but he is often fatigued, so we're only partially successful. Here are a few of the things we've tried that seem to have helped:

1. Partial homeschooling. He takes some courses at the HS and some outside. The pacing of the outside classes gives him a break from having to sit in class for a full day, which he finds enervating.
2. Modifications to only do enough of the problems in a math/science course to be confident that he knows the material. He is responsible for performance on the tests. He gets extra time but no modifications on the tests.
3. Modifications of English courses to focus on writing.
4. We had originally planned for him to graduate in five years rather than four. However, he is one English class away from graduating in four years and the HS has offered to modify it so substantially that we will probably say yes. [This will save them money but I believe they are doing it because they want to see him graduate with his friends].
5. He will take a gap year and work on college applications, reading fluency, and writing his novel in the fall. Then, who knows what in the spring.
6. He has not taken a foreign language. He will do a one month Spanish immersion summer course. He has taken Honors/AP Math, Science, and Art.
7. Reiki seems to help with fatigue. We also discovered sleep apnea and a CPAP machine seems to help as well. But nothing really has solved the problem that too much reading and writing (or sitting in classes he finds too slow) just drains him physically, lowers his immune defenses, and leads to him catching and having a hard time getting rid of viruses.

Because summer classes can "move" more quickly than classes offered during the standard academic year, taking biology during the summer might not be a good idea.

The fatigue issue is a difficult one, dropping PE is one way we provided our daughter, who has been formally diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome since the 3rd grade, with additional time during the school day. (She figure skates but doesn't have a formal grade...)

I also can't emphasize the imporance of speaking directly to both the public and private colleges regarding their admission requirements. This is particularly true if this young man will be going from high school to a community college to a four year school. Students are often disappointed by the information they receive.

Which brings me to my final point, Asearchers has noted that a fifth high school year can be completed at a junior college -- this may be an option for this young man. I don't know how to do it but he may be better offer taking those last classes with his peers rather than younger students.

Make sure that any modifications do not count against him when it comes to:
1) meeting requirements for getting a high school diploma
2) meeting requirements for getting into college

(The two can be quite different.)

Accommodations usually do not change the curriculum, so they are preferred, especially at the high school level.

Modifications usually mean that the curriculum or expectations have been lowered. That **could** impact his diploma or his chances of getting into some colleges.

Don't rely only on the high school SpEd dept. for correct answers. Sometimes, SpEd folks are misinformed about what is required for a college prep diploma, or misinformed about what really is required to be accepted into a four-year college.

Talk to the head of the high school Guidance Dept. Also, call the admissions office of your state's public university system. Ask them what they require (not prefer, but require) for entry.

Small private colleges are often more flexible than public universities when it comes to admissions requirements. Community colleges are usually the most flexible of all.

Some accomodations I can think of is only doing a sampling of all types of work rather than the full homework load. This is still an accomodation as long as he demonstrates the desired skill.

For example doing every other or every 4th math problem, he still does some of each type to make sure he can do them but doesn't burden him with so much written work. Same for Language Arts - do 1 paper of each type required and spend the time doing it well, instead of doing a so-so job on several of each type.

What about opportunity for re-teaching and re-taking exam below a C.

Getting notes and study guides or even assignments the weekend before so he can start on it early and hopefully stay caught up.

I'm sure there will be more ideas...