By: Jessica Revitt-Mills
School years can be challenging for neurodivergent students and their families. Some students may need additional supports to help them access education in the most effective way. Read on to discover more about reasonable adjustments and the steps to finding support.
As a behaviour support practitioner, I find there are two common presentations when working with families: students who escalate in the school environment and students who ‘mask’ at school and escalate at home. While students may be able to ‘keep it together’ at school, masking can be a mentally draining process and can detract from them learning effectively.
The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (DSE) helps students and their families to access the right support and discuss it with their education providers. The DSE covers all educational settings, public and private. It also helps students with disabilities to access educational experiences or settings on the same basis as their peers.
This means that any modifications that are reasonable and financially viable should be taken into consideration to allow students to fully engage in the school environment.
Education providers can follow three simple steps to assist students:
- Consult with the student and their family to understand how their symptoms affect their ability to access learning effectively.
- Discuss and implement reasonable adjustments (accommodations) in a timely manner.
- Take steps to avoid mistreatment during this process.
Whilst this can sound like a daunting process, there are resources available to assist. The Department of Education website has several workbooks available to help families work through the process with their school, particularly the ‘Advocating with and for your child’ workbook.
This workbook helps parents or carers to work through each step of the process. It allows for student input and gives advice on conversation supports, environmental examples and how to make an appointment to approach your school.
Schools can use this resource to assist families in breaking down their child’s additional needs and working with them to ensure the best possible outcomes.
ADHD is a neurological condition and difficulties in the school environment may not be as easy to identify and support as those for someone with a physical disability. As ADHD can present as both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, each person’s situation is unique.
Adjustments can also increase and decrease in different environments. A child at primary school may find it easier to manage in a single classroom with one teacher and a lot of environmental support. The same child may progress to high school and find this environment daunting and overwhelming. Suddenly, they are navigating a larger school area, organising books and supplies, meeting deadlines, and coping with different teachers and stricter assessments whilst navigating social changes. For some, this may become too much, leading them to lash out, run away, or withdraw from challenging environments.
It is important that school and families monitor adjustments over time to ensure they continue being effective, especially during transition periods like transition to high school.
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