Reasonable Adjustments at School: What England Schools Must Provide for Autism and ADHD

The Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014 often operate in parallel in English schools, and most parents know little about either of them. One of the most practically useful things a parent can know is that schools in England are not just doing your child a favour when they provide adjustments — they have a legal duty to do so, and that duty applies whether or not your child has an EHCP.

This post focuses on what reasonable adjustments actually look like in practice for children with autism and ADHD, two of the most common SEN profiles in English schools.

The Legal Basis for Reasonable Adjustments

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability broadly. A person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Both autism and ADHD typically meet this definition, regardless of whether a formal diagnosis has been completed.

Schools are required by the Equality Act to make "reasonable adjustments" to prevent disabled pupils from being placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled pupils. This duty is anticipatory — it does not wait for a specific child to struggle. Schools must think ahead about what adjustments are likely to be needed and put them in place proactively.

This sits alongside (not instead of) SEN duties. A child can be entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act and to SEN support under the SEND Code of Practice simultaneously.

What Makes an Adjustment "Reasonable"

"Reasonable" is not defined precisely in the Act — it is assessed case by case, taking into account:

• The cost of the adjustment
• The school's resources
• The effectiveness of the adjustment in reducing the disadvantage
• Whether it would fundamentally change the nature of the service

In practice, for schools, many adjustments cost very little or nothing. Reasonable does not mean impossible or expensive — it means proportionate.

Reasonable Adjustments for Autism

Children with autism often experience significant difficulties with sensory processing, predictability, social communication, and executive function. Schools should consider the following adjustments — many of which cost nothing:

Predictability and structure:

• Providing the child with a visual daily timetable at the start of each day
• Giving advance notice of changes to routine (supply teachers, room changes, cancelled lessons) as early as possible
• Using a visual or written warning before transitions between activities
• Providing a written or visual schedule for homework, classwork expectations, and assessment tasks

Sensory environment:

• Allowing the child to sit in a specific seat that reduces sensory overload (e.g., near the door, away from windows, away from the class projector)
• Permitting the use of noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders during noisy activities
• Providing scheduled movement breaks — a short structured break every hour, for example — to regulate sensory load
• Reducing fluorescent lighting where possible, or allowing the child to wear a cap or use a visual screen

Communication:

• Giving instructions in written form as well as verbally, especially for multi-step tasks
• Checking for understanding by asking the child to repeat back or write down instructions, rather than assuming comprehension
• Providing processing time — pausing after asking a question rather than immediately seeking an answer
• Avoiding sarcasm, idiom, and ambiguous language in classroom instructions

Social situations:

• Offering a structured lunchtime activity or club as an alternative to unstructured break time
• Providing a named safe adult the child can go to when overwhelmed
• Not penalising the child for social difficulties that are a direct manifestation of their autism (e.g., difficulty making eye contact, preferring to eat alone)

Reasonable Adjustments for ADHD

Children with ADHD typically experience difficulties with attention regulation, impulse control, working memory, and executive function. Reasonable adjustments should target these specific areas:

Managing attention and focus:

• Seating the child near the front of the class and near the teacher, away from distracting windows or high-traffic areas
• Breaking tasks into smaller, explicitly sequenced steps with checkpoints
• Using visual timers to signal the duration of tasks
• Chunking instructions — giving one step at a time rather than multi-part verbal instructions

Working memory supports:

• Providing written copies of instructions and homework tasks rather than relying on the child to copy from the board
• Allowing the child to use a notebook or digital device to record reminders and to-do lists
• Placing key information on a prompt card on the child's desk (e.g., the steps for a writing task)
• Using visual checklists rather than relying on verbal reminders

Managing impulse and behaviour:

• Providing structured movement breaks — these reduce restlessness and improve subsequent attention
• Not penalising the child for behaviour that is a direct manifestation of ADHD (fidgeting, calling out, difficulty waiting) without first ensuring that the appropriate adjustments are in place
• Allowing the use of fidget tools during listening tasks

Assessment and homework:

• Allowing extra time for written tasks in the classroom, not just in formal examinations
• Breaking homework tasks into smaller segments with interim deadlines
• Providing a homework planner template or agenda book, completed with the child before they leave school

When Schools Push Back

Schools sometimes resist reasonable adjustments on grounds that they are "too difficult to implement" or that they would be "unfair to other children." Both objections are legally weak.

The legal test is whether the adjustment is reasonable — not whether it is convenient. Many of the adjustments listed above require no additional staffing, no specialist equipment, and no additional cost. They require thought and consistency.

If a school refuses to make an adjustment that is clearly reasonable (providing written instructions, for example, or allowing a movement break), you can raise this as a potential breach of the Equality Act. Schools found to have discriminated against disabled pupils can be required to remedy the discrimination and the case can be referred to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Linking Reasonable Adjustments to an EHCP

If your child has an EHCP, reasonable adjustments that are particularly important for their individual needs should be included in Section F. Including them in the EHCP makes them legally binding rather than discretionary, which matters if the school's day-to-day practice is inconsistent.

For example, if a child with autism needs a visual timetable daily and this is not always being provided, including it explicitly in Section F removes any ambiguity about whether the school is required to provide it.

The England EHCP & SEN Blueprint at /uk/england/iep-guide includes an adjustments checklist for autism, ADHD, and dyslexia profiles — organised by the areas of difficulty — so you can systematically identify what your child should be receiving and bring it to your next SENCO meeting.

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