What are Reasonable Adjustments & What is Reasonable?

What are Reasonable Adjustments & What is Reasonable? Let’s look at equality vs. equity!

Sept 2023 Webinar with Amanda Hinds for The PDA Space | Blog by Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Everyone wants their child to be happy and to succeed in school. However, for many children, if they are neurodivergent, they may find that school is a challenging environment. This can lead to difficulties accessing the curriculum, problems with attendance and a cumulative effect of unmet needs leading to poor mental health. 

In September’s webinar with Nicola, founder of The PDA Space, met with Amanda Hind (Educational Consultant) and discussed her experience as a SENDCo and Teacher and her personal experience as a parent. Amanda shared her wealth of knowledge and explored how best to meet neurodivergent children’s needs and the reasonable adjustments children may benefit from. The webinar is available to view here.

As parents and carers, knowing what your child needs or even what to ask for can be difficult. It can feel overwhelming and stressful if you don’t know what is available or what may be ‘reasonable’ you can’t ask for specific support.  It is hard knowing your child is struggling yet feeling you don’t know which direction to go in and how best to help them.  We intend to provide some ideas for 'reasonable adjustments’ so that you will be better prepared if you need to work with the school. We hope this will enable your child to get the most out of their education and have a happier, more rewarding, and more meaningful learning experience (and reduce the stress for you and the rest of your family as well).

Being ‘That parent/carer’
Your child may be coming home from school upset, having problems in class with certain subjects or with the school environment that leaves them unable to go in. You may feel like you are always arranging meetings or being called in to discuss things that are not going well. There can be an element of stigma if you feel you are ‘one of those parents’ who is always complaining or asking for various changes or resources to meet your child’s needs, or you may feel blamed for your child being unable to meet the school’s expectations. You may feel anxious or like you are causing an unnecessary fuss, yet frustrated your child is not able to be the best version of themselves in school. It can feel like a constant, exhausting battle - we get it!

We want to emphasise the difference between equality and equity. If your child is neurodivergent (autistic/PDA/ADHD/dyslexic or has any other needs or differences), treating them the same as everyone else will not help them; they may need additional support or different resources compared to their peers.

Equality vs Equity
When asking for accommodations or adjustments, your school may tell you that they treat everyone equally and that it is only ‘fair’ and that everyone is treated the same. You may have been told that everyone must wear the same uniform, do the same amount of homework, and have the same expectations for everyone to go to assembly /eat in a noisy dining hall, as that is what is fair for everyone.

Many PDAers and other neurodivergent children may need more or different resources and/or support to have the same opportunities and access as other students. Equity in education aims to level the playing field and provide appropriate support and reasonable adjustments for those who need it most; in reality, this is what is fair and what your child deserves.

In practical terms, equality may look like giving every child a book to read and a chair to sit on.  However, to achieve equity (the same potential outcomes as their peers), some children may need a wobble cushion on their seat to help them focus and listen, and they may need a laptop with a screen reader if they are dyslexic to help them keep up with the pace of the class. The infographic below explains the difference between equality and equity.

Reach for the Stars
From discussions on social media groups within The PDA Space and other online spaces, we know that the problem with equality and using the same rules and systems for everyone is that some children are always left behind. If we consider education in terms of equity, every child will need different provision. Providing varying support depending on needs enables everyone to reach for the stars.

Ideas for Reasonable Adjustments

Ideally, reasonable adjustments shouldn’t be needed; schools should be meeting the needs of everyone. Everyone deserves an education The Equality Act 2010 states:

" The Act makes it unlawful for the responsible body of a school to discriminate against, harass or victimise a pupil or potential pupil:

In relation to admissions, in the way, it provides education for pupils, in the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility, or service, or by excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment. "

(The Equality Act 2010 and Schools, DFE, 2014)

Reasonable Adjustments
Parents and carers shouldn’t have to fight for additional support or extra provision for their children. However, you may find this is not the case. Listed below are some reasonable adjustments to consider that may be valuable to discuss with your child and their school. These are just a few examples; some ideas may not be relevant, and others may need further adjustments. We hope this will give you a few ideas to discuss together with your child and their setting: -

• Designated person to go to who they feel comfortable talking with (and a backup plan if they are not available)
• Designated space they feel safe and happy to go to 
• Visual supports alongside text to help with processing and executive functioning       
• Tasks broken down into smaller steps
• Use of a time-out pass when needed
• Flexibility in the timetable for sensory and movement breaks as and when needed
• An alternative place for lunch/break time if they feel overwhelmed or a club that interests them
• Think of the classroom layout – are they more comfortable near the door so they are less anxious if they need to use a timeout pass or near a radiator or window to help with sensory needs?
• A range of fidget tools to help with processing (available to everyone so they don’t feel different)
• Offer different seating options for everyone in the class so no child is singled out
• Can technology help – e.g., text-to-speech/laptops/screen readers? There is a growing range of technology available to help make learning more accessible
• Extra time for exams or to complete work
• Other aids and support from staff as needed for your child
  

Autistic Girls Network has a fantastic document that is worth looking up, this may provide further ideas and information. ‘Reasonable Adjustments Possible at School’ is available here. Children’s ability to learn and progress should not be hindered due to unmet needs if reasonable adjustments can be made.

You can also get this free Ebook in The Portal.

Collaboration  - Family and School

If you know the reasonable adjustments are available to ask for, you are in a better position to discuss options with your child to meet their needs.  It is important to talk to your young person as openly as possible. You could work through their school day with them and talk about what is working well and what they find difficult. Talk about the positives as well as the more difficult aspects. You will then be better positioned to discuss a plan with school staff and all work together.

Talking and discussing school with your child can often be easier said than done, especially for PDAers with school anxiety. It may be easier to do this when in the car on a drive, out shopping or whilst they are playing, so it feels less demanding and more manageable. It could help to get a copy of their timetable in advance so they can quickly highlight the parts that are going well and not so well. For younger children, they may prefer to draw their ideal school day, then, you can talk about it together and discuss the similarities and differences compared to their day.

It will help to talk through the entire day, from breakfast to home time and break it down into small chunks. Some of their difficulties may happen before the bell rings or during break or dinner. Our previous blog article, ‘The Elephant in the Room,’ has further ideas to help you navigate these trickier conversations, and timing will be key.  

The more you learn about your child’s day, the better you will then be able to work with them and school staff to make changes or 'reasonable adjustments'. This will provide your child with the best chance to achieve their potential, be happier in school and feel more understood and supported.

It is ok to be ‘that parent.’

Remember it is ok to be ‘that parent’. Some children may need 'more reasonable adjustments' than other children or different adjustments for the same circumstance. We aim for equity; this means every child's plan will look different, every child is unique, and children’s needs also fluctuate from moment to moment, so their plan must be flexible.

Children do well if and when they can
Amanda and Nicola finished their webinar by reminding us that “children do well if and when they can”. We need to support and nurture our children to enable them to be the best version of themselves. Having some reasonable adjustments will help make their learning more accessible and allow them to thrive and ‘reach for the stars’.

We hope you will join us.