Adapting AssessmenT

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have core difficulties with communication.  Increases in stress can increase difficulty with communicating effectively and self-regulation of behaviour. As a result, it can be challenging for students with ASD to demonstrate what they know and can do through traditional assessment tasks. Schools are required by law to make reasonable adjustments to the ways that they organise for teaching and assessment of students with disabilities, where appropriate.

Teachers may adapt an assessment to make it more appropriate, or arrange an alternative method of assessment. In this section of the site there are some suggestions for ways to adapt exams or assignments. These adaptations may be used in various combinations as appropriate. In addition to adjusting the assessments which the other students are undertaking, it may be appropriate for teachers to consider using alternative methods of assessment.

Teachers may:

For a list of ways to adapt exams, click here.

For a list of ways to adapt assignments, click here.

About Group Assessments

 Students with ASD have impairments in the area of social communication. If the student is required to use social communication in order to complete an assessment task, it is possible that the outcome will not be a fair reflection of the student’s knowledge and skills. Group-work skills are important and should certainly be taught to students with ASD. However, the teaching and assessment of these skills should occur separately from the assessment of the academic curriculum.