Are We Over-Accommodating? The Absurdity of Some School Supports for Students with Disabilities
Let’s be honest: the list of accommodations we’re asked to provide for students with disabilities can sometimes border on the absurd. Recently, I came across professional recommendations for a single student that included:
Allowing headphones or earplugs whenever the child has difficulty paying attention
Playing soft music (60 bpm) for “calming and focus”
Seating the child away from windows, doors, air conditioners, pencil sharpeners, and anywhere else there might be a sound or movement
Eliminating possible auditory and visual distractions-including the sight and sound of classmates moving around or shuffling through bags
Providing “heavy work” activities throughout the day: erasing the board, wiping tables, chair push-ups, rearranging desks, stomping in place, carrying books, heavy lap pads, wall push-ups etc.
Trying flexible seating options: wobble cushions, chair bands, dynamic chairs, and more
On paper, these suggestions may sound supportive. In reality, they can be not only impractical, but dangerously counterproductive and impossible expectations to fulfill.
When Accommodations Cross the Line
Let’s call it what it is: absolutely absurd and, frankly, ridiculous. If we follow every one of these accommodation recommendations, can the child even be in school? What classroom, or any real-world environment, could possibly deliver on all of these demands? Are we supposed to put all the windows, doors, pencil sharpeners, air conditioners, and other children on one side of the room, and this child on the other? How isolating and stigmatizing is that?
Where is the teaching? Where is the tolerance? Where is the preparation for real life?
This approach is not only unrealistic-it’s unhealthy for any child. Not to mention, through continued research --since the days of sensory diets, the TEACCH® model, and 1:1 ABA in a separate space absent of all distraction-- we have learned that children can learn to co-exist and thrive in typical environments when intervention targets these areas and done so systematically using evidence based practices.
Accommodations are meant to level the playing field, not to create an alternate world. Here’s what we risk when we over-accommodate:
1. Unrealistic Expectations for the Real World
No classroom, workplace, or community setting can eliminate every distraction. If we teach children that they need perfect conditions to function, we set them up for frustration and learned helplessness.
2. Social Isolation
3. Dependency Over Independence
If a child learns that headphones, lap pads, or wobble cushions are the only way to cope, we may be fostering dependence on external supports instead of building internal coping skills.
4. Teacher Burnout and Classroom Disruption
Let’s face it: teachers are already stretched thin. Accommodations that require constant monitoring, rearranging, or special materials can be overwhelming and unsustainable. Allow staff to work hard to provide the accommodations that are truly required.
A Personal Perspective: When Common Sense Prevails
Let me share a personal story: My niece, at one point, had a service provider recommend she carry around a backpack full of rice to keep her calmer and sitting still. I told my sister, NO! My niece did just fine without the rice. She learned to sit, be calm, and self-regulate. We used to practice and also had a code word and gesture for when she was getting dysregulated in a large group. I would just calmly say, "chill" and gesture. Because we practiced and defined chill she was able to reflect and "chill" I worked to fade these prompts. Today, she’s in high school, doing well academically, playing sports, and holding down a job. If she’d been given all sorts of unnecessary accommodations, she might never have learned the socially significant behaviors or self-management skills she needed to thrive.
This is what frustrates me the most: Why do we continue to take these kinds of recommendations seriously in schools when there’s no solid evidence they help kids in the short term-or, more importantly, in the long term? Instead of empowering children, we risk teaching them dependence and avoidance, rather than resilience and adaptation.
The Purpose of Support: Building Skills, Not Shelters
The goal of accommodations should be to support meaningful participation and learning-not to shield students from every possible challenge. Thoughtful supports can absolutely make a difference, but they must be:
Individualized: Not every child with autism or other disability needs the same supports.
Fad-Free: Just because a tool exists doesn’t mean it’s necessary for every student or even effective
Fading-Friendly: The best accommodations are those we can gradually reduce as skills increase.
Socially Valid: Supports should help students engage with their peers and environment, not withdraw from it.
Long term supports like wheelchairs for people who have paralysis and AAC for individuals who are nonverbal may not be faded, but supports that can be- ought to be! The message is not to avoid supports but utilize them as necessary and fade whenever possible.
A Call for Common Sense and Collaboration
Let’s move away from a checklist mentality and toward a collaborative, skill-building approach. Instead of asking, “What can we do to eliminate every discomfort?” let’s ask, “How can we help this student develop the tools to succeed in a real-world environment?” Move away from "just in case" supports. Educate parents who believe "the more the better" and offer what is required.
If you’re an educator, therapist, or parent, I encourage you to reflect on the accommodations you’re using. Are they truly helping the child grow, or just making things easier in the short term? Are they merely part of a checklist of things we believe to be standard? Are they preparing the student for life beyond the classroom? When done individually, compassionately, systematically, and practically each child will benefit.
Let’s stop the nonsense.
Accommodations should be about supporting real growth, not creating artificial bubbles. Let’s focus on teaching children the skills they need to navigate the world-not shielding them from it. Let’s aim for supports that empower-not isolate. Let’s teach resilience, flexibility, and self-advocacy. And let’s remember: the goal is not to create a bubble, but to build bridges to the world.
If you have questions or are ready to rethink accommodations and focus on meaningful, progressive support, reach out. Together, we can create environments that challenge, nurture, and truly prepare our students for life.
Phone: (949) 287-3683
Email: practicalsolutions.jw@gmail.com
Website: pracsol4u.com
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