Dyslexia Accommodations at School

Dyslexia accommodations, called adjustments in Australian schools, are changes to how a child is taught and assessed so that reading and spelling do not block their learning. Schools are required to make reasonable adjustments for students with disability, and that can include a child with dyslexia. To get them, ask the class teacher for a meeting, bring any reports you have, and leave with the adjustments written into a learning plan with a review date.

Common adjustments include instructions read aloud, audiobooks and text to speech, speech to text for longer writing, extra time, and not being asked to read aloud in front of the class without warning. Which ones suit your child depends on their age and what is hardest for them now. This guide is part of the dyslexia support guide, which sets out what to do first.

What adjustments can a child with dyslexia get at school?

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 are made under the Disability Discrimination Act. Under them, a school must consult the student and their family and make reasonable adjustments so the student can take part in education on the same basis as other students. An adjustment is not required where it would cause the school unjustifiable hardship. Whether dyslexia counts as a disability for these purposes is covered in is dyslexia a disability?.

Healthdirect gives examples of school adjustments for dyslexia: audiobooks, assistive technology such as speech to text, extra time, and not being asked to read aloud or copy from the board. It also notes that adjustments are specific to each child and change over time.

Schools also record the students they make adjustments for because of disability in a national data collection, the NCCD, and the Department of Education says this is not limited to students with a medical diagnosis. Adjustments give a child access to learning. They do not teach reading or spelling, so a child who has adjustments still needs explicit teaching.

Which adjustments are worth asking for at each stage?

The adjustments worth asking for change as school asks more of a child. This table is a starting point for the conversation, not a list of entitlements.

Stage	Adjustments worth asking about	Why they help
First years of school	Reading taught in small steps, with books matched to the sounds already taught; no reading aloud to the class unless practised first; spelling words that follow the sounds being taught	Early reading should be built on decoding, and being put on the spot feeds avoidance
Middle and upper primary	Instructions read aloud; audiobooks or text to speech for class texts; marks for ideas separate from spelling; less copying from the board	The reading load grows faster than decoding, so learning in other subjects starts to depend on access
High school	Typed or printed notes; speech to text for longer writing; extra time for tests; key vocabulary given before a new topic; homework adjusted for reading load	Every subject is text heavy, and slow reading can hide what a student knows
Senior years and exams	The same adjustments used through the year, applied for in time for the exams; extra time, rest breaks, a reader or writer or a computer where the rules allow	Exam authorities generally look for adjustments the student already uses in class

The guide to assistive technology covers the tools in the table, including what is already free on a school laptop or tablet. The page on teenagers covers high school in more depth.

Who should I talk to at school, and what should I bring?

Start with the class teacher, and ask for an appointment instead of raising it at pick up. AUSPELD’s guide for parents suggests going to the teacher first, then asking who else should be involved, such as the learning support coordinator, the school psychologist, a year coordinator in high school, or the deputy principal or principal.

Bring:

any reports from a psychologist, speech pathologist or other professional, with a one page summary of the main findings
what teaching, tutoring or therapy your child has had, and what they are having now
your child’s strengths and interests
the two or three things that are hardest for them right now
your questions, written down

A full report is often too long to read in a meeting, so the AUSPELD guide suggests talking it through and sending a short summary.

What should a learning plan contain?

A learning plan for a child with dyslexia should say exactly what will happen, who will do it and when it will be checked. Schools use different names for it, such as an individual learning plan or an individual education plan. AUSPELD’s guide to these plans lists what one should state:

goals for now, and the time frame for them
the teaching or program your child will receive
how progress will be measured and monitored
when and how often the plan will be reviewed
who is responsible for each part

Make sure the adjustments themselves are written down, with the subjects they apply to. AUSPELD makes a point worth remembering: a plan is a plan, not a program. Having one does not mean teaching is happening, so ask at each review what has been done and what has changed.

What do I say at the first meeting?

Say what you have noticed, what you know, and what you are asking for, then agree a next step before you leave. Something like:

“Thank you for meeting with me. Reading and spelling are hard for Sam, and homework takes him over an hour most nights. His report says he has dyslexia, and I’ve brought a one page summary. I’d like to talk about what adjustments would help in class, and whether he can get extra reading support. Could we write down what we agree, and set a date to look at how it’s going?”

Before you leave, check three things: what will change, who is doing it, and when you will meet again.

How do NAPLAN adjustments work for dyslexia?

NAPLAN allows adjustments for students with disability, and the school decides which ones a student needs. The types listed by the National Assessment Program include assistive technology, a scribe for the writing test only, a NAPLAN support person, extra time and rest breaks. Some need approval in advance from the test administration authority where you live.

Two limits matter for dyslexia. The reading test cannot be read to a student, because it is a test of reading. And extra time and rest breaks should only be given where they are part of the student’s usual learning in class. So the adjustments your child uses every day are the ones most likely to be available in NAPLAN.

What about senior exams?

Senior exam adjustments are set by the authority that runs the final exams in your state or territory. Each has its own name for them (special provisions, disability provisions or access arrangements, for example), its own evidence rules and its own deadlines. The school applies on the student’s behalf. Ask the school early, and no later than the first senior year, what evidence the authority needs and by when, because the adjustments a student already uses in class are generally the easiest to support.

What does a speech pathologist’s report add, and what can it not do?

A speech pathologist’s report describes a child’s reading, spelling and the spoken language skills underneath them: how well they hear and work with the sounds in words, decode, spell and understand. That detail helps a school choose adjustments and teaching that fit, and gives a baseline for measuring progress.

It has limits. A speech pathologist does not diagnose dyslexia; a formal diagnosis is usually made by an educational psychologist. A report can recommend adjustments, but the school decides what it provides. Dr Lauren Crumlish, a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with a PhD, assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath and teaches them in online sessions; her sessions do not cover school homework or assignments. Every child she works with starts with an assessment, set out on how it works.

What if the adjustments are not working?

If adjustments are not working, ask for the plan to be reviewed early instead of waiting for the next date. Bring what you have seen: homework times, work samples, what your child says. The Standards require consultation with the family, so a request to meet and review is reasonable. If the teacher and learning support staff cannot resolve it, the principal is the next step.

Which teaching strategies help students with dyslexia?

The teaching strategies that help students with dyslexia are explicit and systematic: sounds and letters taught in a planned order, plenty of practice with text the student can decode, and regular review of what was taught before. Healthdirect recommends teaching phonemic awareness and phonics. AERO, Australia’s education research body, notes that academic vocabulary is not learned from everyday speech and has to be taught.

What makes a school dyslexia friendly?

A dyslexia friendly school teaches reading explicitly, starting with sounds and letters, and checks early which children need more. Look for a clear answer to three questions: how reading is taught in the early years, what extra teaching is offered to children who fall behind, and how adjustments are recorded and reviewed. A school that answers those plainly tells you more than any list of the best schools for dyslexia.

Spelling often stays hard for longer than reading. The page on spelling help explains why, and the guide to helping at home covers homework.