Has your child been diagnosed with dyslexia, dyscalculia or ADHD, and are you wondering what the school can do? In the French-speaking education system of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the law provides for reasonable accommodations: practical adjustments that let your child learn and be assessed with the same chances as classmates.
What is a reasonable accommodation?
A reasonable accommodation is a material, organisational or teaching measure put in place at school to meet a pupil’s specific needs. Its purpose: to give the pupil access to learning, and the means to take part and make progress.
It is “reasonable” when it does not place a disproportionate burden on the school. To judge this, the school considers factors such as its cost, its impact on organisation, its duration and its effects on other pupils.
The accommodation does not change the goals to be reached. It changes the way to get there: more time, a clearer worksheet, a rephrased instruction, a permitted tool.
What does the law say in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation?
Two texts govern reasonable accommodations:
- the decree of 7 December 2017, in force since 1 September 2018, for mainstream primary and secondary education. It is now part of the Code of primary and secondary education;
- the decree of 30 January 2014 on inclusive higher education, for university colleges, arts colleges and universities.
Since the start of the 2018 school year, mainstream schools have therefore been required to put the necessary reasonable accommodations in place for a pupil whose specific needs have been diagnosed. Since the start of the 2022 school year, territorial hubs (“pôles territoriaux”), attached to special education schools, have helped mainstream schools organise them.
Which pupils are concerned?
Reasonable accommodations apply to any pupil in mainstream education with specific needs, meaning a characteristic, disorder or lasting situation that holds back their learning. Learning disorders are among them:
- dyslexia and dysorthographia;
- dyscalculia;
- dyspraxia and dysgraphia;
- attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity (ADHD).
The need must be confirmed by a diagnosis from a professional (speech therapist, psychologist, paediatric neurologist, occupational therapist…), a multidisciplinary team or the PMS centre (the school’s psycho-medical-social guidance centre).
What are the steps in primary and secondary school?
The procedure follows four steps:
- The request. It is sent to the head teacher, together with the diagnosis, by the parents, the pupil if over 18, the PMS centre or the teaching team itself.
- The consultation. The school holds a meeting bringing together the head teacher, teachers, the PMS centre and the parents. You can ask for a specialist who follows your child, such as their speech therapist, to attend.
- The reasonable accommodations protocol. The measures agreed are written into a protocol setting out their nature, arrangements and duration. It follows the pupil and is passed on to the new school if they change schools.
- The follow-up. The accommodations are reviewed and adjusted during the year, according to your child’s progress.
If you disagree with the school, a conciliation procedure is available. If it fails, you can appeal to the Commission for inclusive compulsory education (“Commission de l’enseignement obligatoire inclusif”).
A concrete example of reasonable accommodations
Here is a typical example, based on a request written by a speech therapist for a pupil in the final year of primary school. The assessment showed a profile of dyslexia, dysorthographia and dyscalculia, with ongoing difficulties despite help from parents and teachers.
The accommodations requested were as follows.
In class
- sitting at the front of the classroom;
- attention prompts: a discreet “code” agreed with the teacher to help the pupil refocus on the task;
- short breaks when tiredness shows (no longer listening, seeming lost);
- instructions rephrased or explained orally when not understood;
- homework and lessons announced in advance and, where possible, texts handed out before they are studied in class.
For documents
- a clear layout: Arial font, size 14, 1.5 line spacing;
- sheets printed on one side only, with fewer exercises per page and more space to answer;
- colour codes shared between teachers, parents and speech therapist;
- the right to highlight key words and to use drawings or mind maps.
During tests and exams
- extra time, or fewer exercises focused on the essentials;
- spelling penalised only when spelling is what is being assessed;
- tolerance for crossings-out and untidy handwriting;
- in maths: counting on fingers, a calculator or help sheets allowed, and a mark that takes the steps of reasoning into account as much as the final answer.
At home
- fewer exercises and lessons, with quality first, for example fewer words to learn for a dictation;
- effort and progress recognised.
This list is not a template to copy. Each protocol is built from the child’s assessment and from what really helps them in class. An accommodation that is useful for one dyslexic pupil may be unnecessary for another.
What about the CEB, CE1D or CESS?
The CEB (end of primary school), the CE1D (end of the first stage of secondary school) and the CESS (end of secondary school) are the external certificate exams of French-speaking Belgian education. A pupil who has accommodations in class can also sit these exams under adapted conditions: enlarged layout, stronger contrast, extra time, specific equipment or software.
Two points to remember:
- the request goes through the school’s head teacher, whom you must contact before the end of April of the exam year;
- only accommodations already used regularly in class, during learning and assessments, can be granted.
So it is best to put the protocol in place early, well before the year of the CEB or the CE1D.
In higher education
At university or university college, you, the student, make the request to your institution’s support service for students with specific needs. The accommodations are set out in an individual support plan (“plan d’accompagnement individualisé”, PAI).
Each institution sets its own deadlines: ask as soon as you enrol. If your request is refused, you can appeal to the Commission for inclusive higher education.
Supporting your child beyond school
Reasonable accommodations provide a framework, but your child often still needs to learn how to use them and regain confidence. One-to-one support can help them organise their work, use their tools and move forward at their own pace.
At My Sherpa, an educational adviser listens to your situation and chooses the right coach for your child. Private lessons take place at home anywhere in Belgium, or online, and can focus on a subject or on study skills. You will find more answers in our frequently asked questions.
