Reasonable Adjustments: Intellectual Disability
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 an Intellectual Disability may benefit from a range of inclusive teaching and assessment strategies. Some adjustments that are frequently used for students with an Intellectual Disability include:
- provision of a peer mentor and/or peer tutor
- opportunities to practice new skills and concepts before assessment
- opportunities to discuss outlines and drafts of assignments and gain feedback before submitting for assessment
- provision of reading lists before the start of a course so that reading can begin early
- provision of simplified, step-by-step instructions for practical tasks, with verbal and written instructions and diagrams as appropriate
- access to assistive technology as appropriate, including software and smartpens for example
- additional time with a tutor or learner support officer to explain tasks and reinforce explanation of course content
- information provided in a range of formats that best suit the learner
- provision of a glossary of technical and professional jargon that students will need to learn at the beginning of the course
- recordings of lectures so that material can be covered more than once
- oral feedback on assignments in addition to written feedback
- individual orientation to laboratories, workshops, studios and computers and systems
- extensions to assignment deadlines
- alternative assessment methodologies such as digital photography, and audio or video recordings
- additional time to complete exams
- support in exams such as someone to read questions and to scribe answers or provision of text-to-speech and speech recognition software
- alternative exam venue that is private and free of distractions
- take home exams
- modified exam papers with questions presented in bullet points rather than complex sentences and short answer questions instead of multiple choice
- modified exam timetable, with extra time between exams
- use of a word processor to correct spelling.