Definition of 'reasonable adjustments' in school

[FlubberRubber]

Hi

We're having trouble with our ASD son's secondary school and I hope someone can tell me if what we want constitutes 'reasonable adjustments'.

He is 12 (year 7) and very bright but frustrated and disengaged because the work is too easy. That's not really the big problem but it's wider background (and they focus a lot on his behaviour, tell me he is rude and 'checked out' and that this isn't ok).

The issue is we asked them to provide PDFs of the worksheets for his maths lessons because he has hypermobility in his hands and finds handwriting very painful, which adds to his disengagement.

We have an OT report and Ed Psych report that both say he needs to avoid handwriting and try to type.

School knows this, but is telling me it is probably too much to expect teachers to send the worksheets to us ahead of the lessons so that we can put them on his laptop and make them so he can type into them.

They don't seem to think this consitutes 'reasonable adjustments'.

Any experience / thoughts / views on whether what we want does fall into reasonable adjustments or generally very welcome.

He has an EHCP.

It could easily be a significant additional time /change of way of working for teachers, in which case it wouldn't be a reasonable adjustment. Very much depends on how the school plans lessons though. Also, sometimes it's not appropriate for students to have the worksheet before the start of the lesson, as it might alter the flow of the lesson and the children's engagement.

An alternative reasonable adjustment could be to allow him to take a pdf photo of worksheets and then use pdf editing software to write on it. Or to work with a partner when completing worksheets that require writing that can't be done on the computer. Or they could number boxes and he could type using the numbers as reference.

Sending worksheets/notes ahead of the lesson is a valid reasonable adjustment and one many schools provide even when the pupil doesn’t have an EHCP. Emailing or scanning and emailing doesn’t take a significant amount of time and the time taken wouldn’t be classed as unreasonable.

If it is necessary it should be included in DS’s EHCP and therefore it must be provided.

DS3 uses a laptop or iPad and receives any paper worksheets and notes in an electronic format prior to the lesson and if necessary his 1:1 changes the format.

If the teachers don’t want DS to have access to the worksheet before the lesson they need to email it during the lesson in a format that can be edited so DS can still participate fully in the lesson.

thank you that is really helpful.

Am being told n school would ever be expected to provide anything like this...

If you need evidence to send to the school I’ve linked to 2 resources below. Ultimately though having the provision in section F of the EHCP will guarantee it is provided as you can enforce it if it isn’t.

Here is an article from special needs jungle which includes sending PowerPoints ahead of lessons as a reasonable adjustment. Worksheets would be the same.

It is about a different SEN but here is the BDA confirming providing handouts is a reasonable adjustment. They say handouts instead of copying from board, but providing handouts so the pupil doesn’t have to hand write on worksheets is the same principle.

Thank you so so much! I feel much less like what I am asking for is unreasonable.
actually a bit teary about the kind help. Thanks.