Reasonable Adjustments That Actually Work

5 min · Introduction

Granted is not the same as useful

Most institutions can point to an adjustments policy, and most individual cases have a document listing what's been "granted." Yet a huge proportion of these adjustments make almost no practical difference: extra time on an exam that's still cognitively brutal, a flexible deadline offered in a way that feels like a favour rather than a right, permission to leave a lecture that nobody actually feels able to use.

This module is about closing the gap between an adjustment being technically in place and it actually changing the barrier someone faces. That gap is where most reasonable-adjustment budgets and goodwill quietly go to waste.

By the end you'll be able to use a three-step method for matching adjustments to real barriers, spot the two most common ways adjustments fail even when granted, and know what to check with the person themselves rather than assume.

10 min · Understanding why adjustments fail

Two common failure modes

Diagnosis-matched, not barrier-matched. Adjustments are often assigned by category ("dyslexia gets extra time," "autism gets a quiet room") rather than by the specific functional barrier the task creates for that person. Extra time helps if the barrier is processing speed; it does nothing if the barrier is that instructions were only given verbally, once, at speed.

Delivered in a way that undermines itself. An adjustment offered with visible reluctance, publicly, or with an implication of special treatment often gets quietly declined or under-used, not because it wouldn't help, but because using it now carries its own social cost. A genuinely useful adjustment has to be usable without a fight.

Both failure modes are invisible on paper. A policy document and a signed form can look identical whether the adjustment actually works or not. That's exactly why checking in with the person is not optional extra effort; it's the only way to know.

10 min · Barrier → Adjustment → Check

A working method

1. Barrier

Name the specific functional barrier the task creates, not the diagnosis. "Verbal-only multi-step instructions are hard to hold in working memory" rather than "has ADHD."

2. Adjustment

Choose the adjustment that removes or reduces that exact barrier. Written instructions alongside verbal ones, not simply "extra time," if the barrier is about processing the instruction, not the task itself.

3. Check

Ask the person directly, after a reasonable period, whether it's actually helping, and be genuinely willing to change it if not. An adjustment that isn't checked is a guess, not a support.

This method also helps distinguish adjustments that cost almost nothing (written instructions, advance notice of changes) from ones that need planning (physical space, timetabling), so quick wins don't get stuck behind a slower process designed for the harder cases.

Worked example: a student diagnosed with dyspraxia is granted extra time, the standard, diagnosis-matched adjustment. It makes no real difference, because their actual barrier isn't processing speed, it's that multi-step verbal instructions get lost partway through. Applying the method: barrier is "verbal-only sequential instructions aren't retained," adjustment is a short written checklist alongside the verbal explanation, not more time, and the check, a brief conversation two weeks later, confirms it's the checklist doing the work, not the extra time they technically still have.

10 min · Interactive case studies

Applying it in practice

Case 1 — A student has "extra time" formally granted for exams, but still consistently underperforms relative to coursework.

What's the most useful next step?

Increase the extra time further, since the current amount clearly isn't enough. Go back to the barrier: ask what specifically makes exams hard for this student, since extra time only helps if processing speed is the actual issue. Conclude the student simply doesn't revise enough for exams.

Case 2 — A manager offers an employee a flexible start time, but always mentions it in team meetings as "the special arrangement we've made" for them.

What's the problem here, and what should change?

There's no problem. Flexibility is being offered, which is the important part. The adjustment is being delivered in a way that carries a social cost, which may lead the employee to avoid using it; it should be handled privately and without repeated framing as exceptional. The employee should be told to be grateful and stop worrying about how it's mentioned.

10 min · Reflection activity

Reflect before the assessment

Think of one adjustment currently in place for someone you support. Without naming them:

What specific barrier was it meant to address?
Has anyone actually asked them whether it's working?
Is there anything about how it's delivered that might carry a social cost?

0 of 80 words written

This reflection isn't saved by the page. It stays on your screen only — copy and paste it somewhere safe (a note, your CPD log) before you move on if you'd like to keep it.

5 min · Final assessment

Check your understanding

6 questions. A score of 5/6 (83%) or higher unlocks your printable certificate. You can retake it as many times as you like.

1. Adjustments assigned purely by diagnosis category rather than functional barrier: Often fail to help, because the same diagnosis can involve very different barriers in different people Always work because the diagnosis determines the need precisely Are the fastest and most reliable approach

2. The first step in the Barrier → Adjustment → Check method is to: Name the specific functional barrier the task creates for this person Look up the standard adjustment for their diagnosis Decide the budget available first

3. Why might a technically-granted adjustment still not help? It may not match the actual barrier, or may carry a social cost that discourages its use Granted adjustments always help by definition The person isn't trying hard enough to use it

4. The "Check" step in the method means: Asking the person directly whether the adjustment is actually helping, and being willing to change it Reviewing the paperwork once a year Assuming it's working unless someone complains

5. An adjustment delivered with visible reluctance or public attention is likely to: Be under-used, even if it would genuinely help, because using it now carries a social cost Work exactly the same as one delivered privately Be more effective because it shows effort was made

6. Extra time on an exam is a good adjustment when: The actual barrier is processing speed under time pressure For every barrier, since more time never hurts Only when specifically requested by a parent

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