what do autism accommodations in school look like? i have issues with directions on labs, essays, and tests because of stuff being too vague for me (also iiaat?) — would that be helped/accommodated by an autism diagnosis/ IEP or 504 plan?
Finding directions too vague can be an autism thing. If it’s difficulty with reading between the lines on what’s being asked it may be literal thinking, or if it’s difficulty breaking an open-ended task into smaller and more manageable chunks so you can plan how to approach it then it may be executive dysfunction.
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program, so in theory it should be tailored to your needs. Some common things an IEP might have for test accommodations can include:
Extra time on tests - often to accommodate difficulties with processing speed, writing speed, or test anxiety.
Having test questions read aloud to you - often to accommodate reading comprehension issues for students who find it easier to process when they hear the questions rather than reading them.
Bulleted directions in place of paragraph directions - again, often for reading comprehension issues. Also useful for students who have difficulty understanding the components of a complex task.
Being able to work on a computer - often to accommodate students with dysgraphia or similar writing issues.
Testing in a quiet location - to accommodate students who find it hard to focus in a room with a lot of people.
Graphic organizers for planning open-ended tasks - often to accommodate executive dysfunction by providing a scaffold for getting started.
How helpful any of these might be for you depends on where specifically you’re having difficulty. Also keep in mind that this list is just a sampling of the most common accommodations I’ve encountered. It is by no means exhaustive, and if you want to send a follow-up ask about an accommodation you think would be helpful to see whether it’s a thing a school might consider, don’t be shy.
Followers, what have your experiences been with autism accommodations?
-Liz
