What Accommodations Does My Child Really Need?

One question I've received recently as families prepare for a new school year is: “What accommodations should I advocate for my child?”

If your child has had a psychoeducational evaluation, the evaluator may have already recommended accommodations based on your child's learning profile. That's a great starting point—but it doesn't necessarily mean your child needs every accommodation listed, or that there aren't others that may be helpful.

Accommodations Should Grow With Your Child

An accommodation that was necessary in the past may no longer be needed. Sometimes students continue receiving a support simply because it has always been there, even though they may now be capable of completing that task independently.

That's why accommodations should be revisited—not just with your child, but with the people who work with them at school.

Talk with your child's teacher and school team. Ask:

• Are they using this accommodation?

• Do they still need it?

• What happens when they complete the task without it?

• Is there another area where additional support may be needed?

What worked last year may not be necessary this year. As children mature, develop new skills, and encounter different academic demands, their needs can change.

Include Your Child in the Conversation

Most importantly, include your child in the conversation.

Ask them:

• What helps you learn?

• What makes schoolwork harder than it needs to be?

• Which accommodations do you actually use?

• Is there something you wish your teacher understood about how you learn?

Your child is the one experiencing the classroom every day. They need to feel ownership over the supports they receive and understand why they have them.

An Accommodation Doesn't Mean Your Child Is Less Capable

Some children may not want to use their accommodations because they're worried about what other students may think.

This is an important conversation to have with your child.

An accommodation doesn't mean a child is less capable. It provides access to the support or environment they need to demonstrate what they know.

Helping children understand why they have an accommodation can change the way they think about using it.

Teach Your Child to Self-Advocate

Something I believe is just as important as having the accommodation itself is teaching your child to self-advocate.

Your child should know what their accommodations are, why they have them, and how to respectfully speak up when they need to use them.

Even when accommodations are documented and teachers are informed, they may still be overlooked. As children get older, we want them to feel comfortable saying:

“I have an accommodation for this. May I use it?”

For others, that may begin simply with telling you when something isn't happening so you can help them navigate it.

The goal isn't only to advocate for our children. It's to gradually teach them how to advocate for themselves.

Revisit, Reevaluate, and Build Independence

The goal isn't to give children every possible accommodation or to remove support too quickly.

It's to find the right support for what they need right now.

Continue talking with your child. Talk with their teachers and school team. Revisit accommodations as your child grows, and give your child an increasing role in those conversations.

Ultimately, we want our children to understand themselves as learners and be able to say:

“This is what I need in order to be successful.”

That independence will serve them far beyond this school year.