Your child’s school can decide on and approve any adjustments for school-based assessment tasks that will allow your child to demonstrate what they know and what they can do in relation to syllabus outcomes.

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 require schools to provide reasonable adjustments for students with disability to allow them to access assessment tasks on the same basis as all other students.

Adjustments to assessment tasks can be applied to:

• assessment processes, e.g. scaffolds, additional, time, use of a reader and or writer, rest breaks
• assessment tasks, e.g. rephrasing questions, using simplified language
• the content being assessed, e.g. fewer or alternative syllabus outcomes
• the format of a task, e.g. written point form instead of reports or essays, oral or PowerPoint presentation instead of essay.

NAPLAN

Adjustments are provided in NAPLAN tests to assist a student with disability to participate on the same basis as other students. Adjustments for these tests must be discussed with your child’s teacher.

More information is available on the National Assessment Program website.

Higher School Certificate

Adjustments in the HSC are practical arrangements designed to help students who couldn't otherwise make a fair attempt to show what they know in an exam room.

The adjustments granted are solely determined by how the student’s exam performance is affected. Provisions may include braille papers, large-print papers, use of a reader and/or writer, extra time or rest breaks.

Your school will liaise with NESA to organise provisions that are suitable for them for the Higher School Certificate (HSC). They will need to apply for these provisions via an online application, which may include evidence such as medical reports, writing samples and teacher comments.

You can find out more about HSC disability provisions on the NESA website.