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The review synthesises findings on access arrangements—like supervised rest breaks, extra time, readers and modified language papers—and explores how question and paper formatting changes may improve accessibility with minimal impact for typically developing students.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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Terminology used in this document: abbreviations and definitions |\n| --- |\n| Abbreviations\u003Cbr>• Specific learning difficulty (SpLD)\u003Cbr>• Typically developing (TD)\u003Cbr>• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) |\n| Definitions\u003Cbr>There is much debate around terminology and language use in relation to learning difficulties. In this document, the term ‘students with SpLDs’ has been selected to refer to students who have been diagnosed with a named condition that impacts particular aspects of learning, and‘students with learning difficulties’ is used to refer to those who have not been given a named condition, or those who have a range of conditions. Students without learning difficulties will be referred to as ‘TD students’. Any deviation from this terminology reflects the language used in the source material. Many SpLDs can occur alone but often they co-occur alongside another learning difficulty or other condition. For example, dyslexia often co-occurs with dyscalculia ( Peters et al. , 2020) .\u003Cbr>SpLDs is an umbrella term, which most commonly encompasses the following conditions:\u003Cbr>• dyslexia – this is the most prevalent SpLD and impacts the skills involved in accuracy and fluency of spelling and reading (Rose, 2009)\u003Cbr>• developmental language disorder, which impacts communication skills (McGregor et al. , 2020)\u003Cbr>• dyscalculia, which impacts mathematical processing and calculations ( Haberstroh & SchulteKörne, 2019)\u003Cbr>• dyspraxia, sometimes also referred to as developmental coordination disorder, which impacts motor skills (O’Dea et al. , 2021)\u003Cbr>• other SpLD diagnostic labels, such as dysgraphia. However, there is much debate about these as they co-occur at a high rate with other SpLDs , which may suggest that they need tobe recategorised (Government Office for Science, 2020) . In this document, we have referred to these conditions individually.\u003Cbr>Most definitions of SpLDs exclude medically diagnosed conditions such as ADHD or other conditions that can lead to difficulties with executive functioning that impact learning (Government Office for Science, 2020) . In this document, we have similarly excluded such conditions and referred to them individually where appropriate. |\n\nExecutive summary  \nStudents with learning difficulties can experience a wide range of named and unnamed conditions. Dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties can be hard to definitively identify, and students’requirements can vary extensively. This review summarises the key findings around exam accessibility for students with learning difficulties and identifies areas for future exploration. It is part of a series of rapid evidence reviews shaped by Ofqual’s consultation on designing and developing accessible assessments. Other reviews focus on D/deaf students, students with visual impairment, students on the autism spectrum, students with different cultural backgrounds , and students with English as an additional language.  \nIntroduction  \nAround 15.5% of students have special educational needs (Department for Education [DfE], 2020) . Various access arrangements , set out by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ, 2021), are available for students with learning difficulties or specific learning disabilities (SpLDs) to improve the accessibility of exams. These include:  \n• supervised rest breaks  \n•  extra time  \n•  a reader, computer reader/reading pen, word processor or scribe  \n•  a prompter  \n•  a practical assistant  \n•  coloured overlays or coloured/enlarged papers  \n• modified language papers.  \nAs well as access arrangements, other small or subtle alterations can be made to the structure and format of the questions and papers, which could improve accessibility for those with learning difficulties , with minimal impact to typically developing (TD) students. The impact of both access arrangements and alterations to pa","cbCaieq1ybKZHgHj","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieq1ybKZHgHj","pdf",270110,"English","# Executive summary\n# Introduction\n# Current access arrangements\n## Supervised rest breaks\n## Extra time","[{\"question\":\"How does the document define students with SpLDs versus students with learning difficulties?\",\"answer\":\"It uses “students with SpLDs” for learners diagnosed with named conditions affecting learning, while “students with learning difficulties” refers to those without a named condition or with a range of conditions.\"},{\"question\":\"What access arrangements are listed to improve exam accessibility for students with SpLDs?\",\"answer\":\"The review highlights supervised rest breaks, extra time, readers and support tools (e.g., computer reader/reading pen/word processor/scribe), prompters, practical assistants, coloured overlays/enlarged papers, and modified language papers.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is identifying the impact of access arrangements on SpLD students challenging?\",\"answer\":\"Dyslexia and other SpLDs are not easy to identify definitively because students’ difficulties and individual requirements vary widely, and students may have co-occurring conditions.\"}]","Accessibility in exams for students with learning difficulties - Research and Analysis | PDF",1792464887,23]