School Accommodations
Not sure what to ask for at school? Browse accommodations available under 504 plans and IEPs, check the ones that fit your child, and copy your list to bring to your next meeting.
The Golden Rule for IEP/504 Language
If the accommodation relies on your child remembering to do something, it is not an accommodation. True accommodations change the environment or the instruction, not the child's willpower.
Browse Accommodations and Create Your Personalized List
Provides accommodations in the regular classroom. Your child doesn't need a special education label.
Focus on Categories 1–8 below: changes to the environment and access.
Provides accommodations AND specialized services (OT, speech, resource room, modified curriculum).
Includes everything in a 504 plus Category 9: direct instruction and skill building.
Designing a workspace that minimizes friction and maximizes focus.
Seating away from high-traffic distractions (doors, pencil sharpeners, sinks) and near the instructional focal point. Location must be specific.
Permission to move to a designated low-stimulation area (e.g., a quiet corner, study carrel, or the library) for independent work or emotional regulation.
Permission to use noise-canceling headphones or ear defenders during independent work phases to block auditory distractions.
Allowance for discreet fidget tools (e.g., putty, stress balls) or flexible seating (wobble stools, standing at desk) with clear usage rules.
Scheduled opportunities to move (e.g., "take this note to the office," stretch breaks) that are never taken away as punishment.
Access to a privacy shield or trifold board during tests or focus tasks to block peripheral visual movement (must be optional, not forced).
Permission to leave class 2 minutes early (or late) to navigate hallways when they are empty.
Clarifying for Consistency
Vague language can be hard for busy teachers to implement consistently. Use these specific phrases to help the school team support your child effectively.
Specificity Helps Everyone
Teachers juggle many students. Accommodations work best when they are specific actions rather than general goals.
- Be Objective: Instead of “Preferential seating” (subjective), ask for “Low-distraction seating.”
- Be Proactive: Instead of “Student will ask for help” (relies on the student), ask for “Teacher checks for understanding.”
- Be Action-Oriented: Instead of “Encouraged to,” use “Have access to.”
“Student will ask for help when needed.”
The Insight: ADHD often causes low self-monitoring. Your child likely doesn't realize they are lost until they fail the quiz.
The Clearer Alternative: “Teacher will check for understanding at the start of independent work.”
“Preferential Seating.”
The Insight: Vague. This often means sitting right in front of the teacher's desk — the busiest, most distracting spot in the room.
The Clearer Alternative: “Seating away from high-traffic distractions (doors/windows) and near instruction.”
“Extended time on assignments.”
The Insight: Without a plan, this just creates a snowball of missing work that explodes at the end of the quarter.
The Clearer Alternative: “Assignments broken into smaller chunks with mini-deadlines.”
“Student is encouraged to…”
The Insight: 'Encouraged' is not a legal requirement. It means nothing.
The Clearer Alternative: “'Student will have access to…' or 'Teacher will provide…'”
“Reduced distractions.”
The Insight: Too subjective. What distracts a teacher (talking) might not distract an ADHD child (doodling), and vice versa.
The Clearer Alternative: “Be specific: 'Access to noise-canceling headphones' or 'Use of a study carrel.'”
“Student will use a planner.”
The Insight: A planner is a tool, not a skill. Executive function deficits often make using the tool harder than the work itself.
The Clearer Alternative: “Teacher/Aide will verify that assignments are written in planner and initial daily.”
“Student will be given reminders.”
The Insight: Reminders without a mechanism are just nagging. Doesn't specify who, how often, or what kind.
The Clearer Alternative: “Teacher will use a pre-agreed private signal to redirect attention.”
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