School and exam accommodations: it all starts with the assessment report
Extra time, a computer, a reader, a separate room: for students with ADHD, dyslexia, dysorthographia, developmental language disorder (DLD) or developmental coordination disorder (DCD), access arrangements let exams measure knowledge rather than the disorder.
These arrangements rely on a precise, recent assessment report. Happy Brain Clinic provides speech-language, neuropsychological, psychomotor, occupational therapy and psychiatric assessments, in Tyre or partly online, for the IB, British, American, French and Lebanese systems.
- Detailed assessment reports
- IB · GCSE · SAT · French Bac
- Arabic · English · French
Up-to-date terminology
We use current terminology (DSM-5-TR, ICD-11, CATALISE consensus) so that reports are understood everywhere.
ADHD
Inattention, impulsivity, difficulty organising work and managing time.
Specific learning disorder
With impairment in reading (dyslexia), written expression (dysorthographia) or mathematics (dyscalculia).
Developmental language disorder (DLD)
Persistent difficulties understanding and/or using spoken language.
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
Also called dyspraxia: slow, effortful handwriting and motor difficulties.
What a good assessment report includes
Exam boards and coordinators expect objective evidence, not just a diagnosis.
Scores
Standard scores on normed tests (reading, spelling, speed, attention, handwriting) with interpretation.
Strengths and needs
Cognitive and language profile and its concrete impact on learning and exams.
Current criteria
A diagnostic conclusion when criteria are met, or hypotheses to confirm.
Justified arrangements
Each recommended arrangement is linked to a measured difficulty, which makes the request coherent.
Updates
A follow-up assessment updates arrangements from one year or cycle to the next.
Normal way of working
Exam arrangements are stronger when they are already used in class throughout the year.
Bilingual care, adapted to your needs and your culture
We work every day with children and adults who live between two or three languages. We adapt to your language, culture and needs, in person in Tyre or online from anywhere in the world.
Commonly recommended arrangements
| Arrangement | Typical profiles (examples) |
|---|---|
| Extra time (often 25%) | ADHD, dyslexia, dysorthographia, DCD, DLD |
| Reader or read-aloud of instructions | Dyslexia, DLD |
| Word processor / laptop | DCD, dysorthographia, dysgraphia |
| Scribe | Severe DCD |
| Separate room, rest breaks | ADHD, associated anxiety |
| Enlarged or modified papers | Dyslexia, DCD |
| Adaptations in language exams | Dyslexia, dysorthographia, DLD |
Need an assessment for accommodations?
Send us the grade, the school system (IB, British, American, French, Lebanese) and the exam dates: we will tell you which assessments are useful.
IB, British, American, French: who decides?
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Access arrangements (additional time, rest breaks, word processor, reader, scribe…) are requested by the school’s IB coordinator, with psychological, medical or educational evidence and proof that the student already uses them in class. Deadlines are strict: plan months ahead.
British and American systems
GCSE and A-levels: requests handled by the school under JCQ rules. SAT, ACT and American curricula: 504 plans or IEPs and requests to the testing organisations.
French system (Brevet, Bac)
In class: PAP or PPS. For exams: request through the school, opinion of a doctor appointed by the CDAPH (simplified procedure when a PAP or PPS already exists), decision by the education authority. Also applies to French schools abroad.
Lebanese system
For Lebanese schools and official exams, requests follow the ministry and school procedures. The assessment report is the reference clinical document.
Important: the report recommends; the exam authority decides. No professional can guarantee an arrangement. Procedures and deadlines change: check them every year with the school.
When should the assessment be done?
Early
As soon as difficulties appear: classroom support prepares exam arrangements.
Before the deadline
The report must be recent when the request is filed, often at the start of the exam year or earlier.
GCSE / Brevet
Assessment or update one year before the exams.
IB / A-levels / Bac
Assessment at the start of the two-year programme.
Explore
Scientific and professional sources
- Éduscol: Organisation des examens pour les candidats en situation de handicap
- Bulletin officiel n°47 du 10 décembre 2020: Aménagements des examens et concours de l’enseignement scolaire
- International Baccalaureate: Inclusive education in the IB
- Bishop et al. (2017), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry: CATALISE-2, terminology for developmental language disorder
- Blank et al. (2019), Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology: International recommendations on developmental coordination disorder
What families say about us
Real Google reviews from families who worked with our team.
This organization enjoys high-level therapists, and they even develop every day to much higher levels as this field progresses.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides on exam accommodations?
The exam authority: for the IB, the IB organisation following the coordinator’s request; in the UK, the school under JCQ rules; in France, the education authority after a CDAPH-appointed doctor’s opinion. The report informs the decision but does not replace it.
Is a speech-language assessment enough?
For dyslexia, dysorthographia or DLD it is central. Depending on the profile, neuropsychological (ADHD, processing speed), psychomotor or occupational therapy (DCD, handwriting) assessments strengthen the request.
What arrangements do students with dyslexia usually get?
Most often extra time, a reader, a word processor and adapted papers, depending on the difficulties measured in the report.
Can the assessment be done online?
Interviews, history and some tasks can be done online. Standardised reading, writing and motor tests are more reliable in person.
In which language is the report written?
English, French or Arabic, depending on who will read it. We assess in the student’s language(s) of schooling.
Need an assessment for accommodations?
Send us the grade, the school system (IB, British, American, French, Lebanese) and the exam dates: we will tell you which assessments are useful.
