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Reasonable Adjustments: Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

Reasonable adjustments are an important strategy to support students with disability while studying or training. Adjustments are negotiated to meet the needs of the individual student; this is predominantly done through a Disability Practitioner within the institution the student attends. They can include a wide range of adjustments outlined below. 


Students with Acquired Brain Injury may benefit from a range of inclusive teaching and assessment strategies. Some adjustments that are frequently used for students with ABI include:

  • access to copy of peer lecture notes
  • professional note-taker for lectures, practicals or tutorials
  • access to Student Access Study Centre if available on campus
  • provision of a Practical Assistant within laboratories or workshops
  • access to Assistive Technology, for example speech recognition, or screen reader and word prediction
  • access to information in electronic formats
  • arrangement of case management to assist studies and assess regular process
  • arranging the specific scheduling of tutorial allocations with smaller class sizes or tutors with specific ABI expertise
  • allowing students to be be accompanied by support persons where required
  • arrangement for student to meet with faculty prior to starting to identify strategies for accommodating the implications of the disability in relation to the inherent requirements of any required practicums
  • access to Assistive Technology or scribe in examinations
  • examination timetable adjustments to allow for adequate time between exams and scheduling for times that capitalise on the student’s maximum energy levels, such as morning or afternoon exams
  • provision for moving around in class and examinations, for example stretching, lying on floor
  • provision for additional toilet breaks during examinations
  • provision of explicit, step-by-step instructions for tasks and assignments that assist in compensating for deficits in short term memory or ability to organise information
  • provision of a peer mentor.