Reasonable Adjustments

Support With Focus

Children with attention challenges may need help staying on task. This support should feel kind—not like punishment. Agree with the child how they want help refocusing. It could be: 

• A subtle gesture 

• A hand on the shoulder 

• A key word 

Transitions and Timing

• Give countdowns and warnings before changing activities. 

• If a child feels upset about not finishing something, agree on a time to return to it. 

• Use visual timers like time timers or egg timers. 

• Apps like Choiceworks can help with personalised visual timetables. 

• Start with short, achievable tasks and build up gradually. 

Task Adjustments

• Adapt tasks so the child can finish them in the same time as others. 

• This includes homework. 

• Before teaching, outline the topic and let the child know you’ll ask questions. 

• Use prompt cards and allow note-taking. 

• Give the child something specific to listen for, like key words or quiz ideas. 

• Build attention slowly with small goals and lots of praise. 

• Break tasks into chunks and allow breaks. 

• Let the child tick off completed tasks. 

Classroom Placement

Talk to the child about what affects their focus. Adjust seating based on their needs: 

• Away from bright lights 

• At a separate table to avoid touch 

• In a quieter area 

Use visual timers with clear goals, like: 
“Complete these five sentences in ten minutes.”

Start with easy goals to build confidence. 

Listening Strategies

• Let the child move, doodle, or fiddle during listening tasks. 

• Avoid “whole body listening” expectations—these can use up all their focus. 

• Remember: eye contact is not the same as attention. Many neurodivergent children focus better when looking away. 

Breaks Matter

Never keep a child in at break time to finish work. Breaks help them reset and focus better afterward. 

If a child struggles to finish tasks: 

• Offer extra support 

• Change instructions 

• Use sentence starters or examples 

• Remove time limits 

• Give more time on another day 

• Modify the task or reduce the amount 

Working Memory

Visual Support

• Use visuals with spoken instructions—written notes, pictures, graphs, or diagrams. 

• Help children use tools like storyboards, writing frames, and task planners. 

• Model and scaffold these tools with adult support. 

• Use devices like Talking Tins to record instructions or ideas. 

Reduce Memory Load

• Change tasks to lower memory demands. 

• Repeat tasks. 

• Give short, clear instructions. 

• List steps in the order they should be done. 

• Use familiar and meaningful material. 

• Review past lessons. 

• Simplify sentence structure. 

• Break complex tasks into small steps. 

• Use classroom displays like working walls. 

• Provide lesson notes instead of expecting note-taking. 

• Avoid copying tasks when possible. 

lassroom Modifications

• Praise the child for asking for repetition. 

• Pair them with a peer who has strong memory skills. 

• Use a clear signal to check for attention—don’t rely on eye contact. 

• Ask the child to repeat instructions to confirm understanding. 

• Minimise distractions. 

• Write key points on the board when giving verbal instructions. 

Memory Aids

• Use physical tools like cubes, beads, counters, abaci, and Unifix blocks. 

• Use number lines and fingers for maths. 

• For older children, use multiplication grids, calculators, and reference tools. 

• Teach visual tools like mind maps and word maps. 

• Use notebooks, calendars, and home-school books. 

• Use alarms, visual cues, and reminders. 

• Teach songs and rhymes to remember sequences. 

• Use memory cards with key information. 

Build Personal Strategies

Support the child to develop their own memory strategies. Help them set up systems to use these strategies regularly. 

Executive Functioning

Executive functioning includes skills like: 

• Planning ahead 

• Solving problems 

• Making decisions 

• Sequencing information 

• Switching attention between tasks 

Support Strategies

• Break learning tasks into single steps. Give clear instructions both verbally and in writing. 

• Use visual task planners or apps that show steps one at a time. 

• Teach and model how to use tools and strategies. Support children to use them with growing confidence and independence. 

• Teach executive function skills directly. Help children learn to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning. 

Helpful resources include: 

• Education Endowment Foundation – Metacognition and Self-Regulation 

• Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare 

Extra Support for Transitions

Children may need help even if they can do the task itself. They might need support to: 

• Start tasks 

• Switch between tasks 

• Remember all the steps 

Transitions—especially to secondary school—can be challenging. Children may need help with: 

• Following a timetable 

• Finding their way around 

• Organising their belongings 

Colour coding can help. For example: 

• English = red books, folders, stickers 

• Maths = blue 

• Science = yellow 

This works best if the school uses the same colour system. 

Specific Learning Differences (Reading, Writing, Maths)

Alternative Recording Methods

Let children show what they know in different ways: 

• Annotated photos of practical work 

• Using a scribe 

• Word processing software 

• Clicker (a literacy support tool) 

Technology Skills

Give children time to learn and practice computer skills for schoolwork. Support them to use word processors and other tools. 

Encourage touch-typing. A fun and structured programme like BBC Dance Mat Typing can help.