UDL Accommodation Calculator
How many accommodations does your student need?
This tool estimates the number of accommodations required based on Universal Design for Learning principles. Input the student's learning profile to see how well the system is designed to support them.
Results will appear here
For students with learning disabilities, the biggest problem isn’t that they can’t learn-it’s that the system keeps treating them like they’re broken. Schools expect everyone to learn the same way, at the same speed, using the same tools. When a student struggles with reading, writing, or focusing, the first response isn’t to change how they’re taught. It’s to label them as lazy, unmotivated, or not trying hard enough. That’s the real barrier: not the disability itself, but the rigid structure that refuses to adapt.
They’re Not Slow-They’re Misunderstood
A child with dyslexia doesn’t see letters backward. They process language differently. A student with ADHD isn’t just distracted-they’re overwhelmed by sensory noise that neurotypical peers don’t even notice. These aren’t behavior problems. They’re neurological differences. Yet, in most classrooms, the only accommodation offered is extra time on tests. That’s like giving someone with a broken leg a heavier backpack and saying, ‘Just try harder to walk faster.’The real issue? Teachers aren’t trained to recognize or respond to these differences. A 2023 study by the National Center for Learning Disabilities found that 72% of general education teachers in the U.S. and U.K. felt unprepared to support students with learning disabilities. In Ireland, where special needs funding is stretched thin, many teachers are managing 30+ students with only one teaching assistant for the whole class. No one has the time, resources, or training to tailor lessons.
The Curriculum Doesn’t Fit
Most school curricula are built for one kind of learner: the one who reads quickly, writes neatly, remembers facts on demand, and sits still for hours. That’s not the norm-it’s the exception. Students with learning disabilities often have strong verbal reasoning, creative problem-solving, or hands-on skills. But the system only rewards the narrow set of abilities that fit the standard mold.Imagine being asked to write a 1,500-word essay on Shakespeare, but you can’t decode more than two sentences without losing track. Or being told to memorize multiplication tables when your brain processes numbers visually, not abstractly. The curriculum doesn’t fail these students because they’re incapable. It fails them because it’s designed without them in mind.
Stigma Is the Silent Barrier
Even when accommodations exist, students avoid using them because they’re afraid of being labeled. One 14-year-old in Cork told me, ‘I’d rather fail than have everyone know I need help.’ That’s not weakness-it’s survival. In schools where special education is seen as a separate track, kids are pulled out for pull-out sessions, singled out during group work, or mocked for using speech-to-text software. The stigma doesn’t come from the disability. It comes from the culture that treats difference as deficiency.Peer bullying is common. Teachers sometimes unintentionally reinforce it by saying things like, ‘Why can’t you be more like Sarah?’ or ‘If you just tried harder, you’d get it.’ These comments don’t motivate-they isolate. A 2024 report from the Irish Council for Special Education showed that 61% of students with learning disabilities reported being teased regularly in class, and 43% said they avoided speaking up because they feared being laughed at.
Technology Is Available-but Not Used
There are tools that can change everything. Text-to-speech software. Digital note-takers. Visual organizers. Speech recognition. Apps that break tasks into small steps. These aren’t luxuries-they’re lifelines. But most schools don’t provide them, or they do, but only after months of paperwork, appeals, and parent battles.In Dublin schools, only 38% of students with diagnosed learning disabilities have consistent access to assistive technology. Why? Budget cuts. Outdated policies. Teachers who don’t know how to use the tools. One parent in Limerick spent 11 months fighting for her son to get a simple voice recorder. By the time he got it, he was already falling behind in three subjects. The delay wasn’t due to lack of need. It was due to bureaucracy.
Parents Are Left to Fight the System
Families end up becoming legal advocates, researchers, and case managers. They spend nights reading IEPs (Individualized Education Programs), writing emails to principals, and calling education officers. Many don’t know their rights. Others do, but they’re exhausted. One mother in Galway told me she missed three workdays last month just to attend school meetings. She didn’t get paid for those days. Her son didn’t get better instruction.The burden falls hardest on low-income families. They can’t afford private assessments, tutors, or advocates. They’re told, ‘Wait until the school can help.’ But schools are already overwhelmed. The system doesn’t fix itself-it waits for someone to scream loud enough to be heard.
What Actually Helps?
Change doesn’t come from more tests or stricter discipline. It comes from three things:- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)-teaching the same lesson in multiple ways so every student can access it. A history lesson could be taught through video, audio, role-play, and diagrams-not just a textbook.
- Teacher training that’s mandatory, not optional-every teacher should learn how to spot signs of learning disabilities and how to adjust instruction, not just what to do after a diagnosis.
- Student voice-ask the kids what helps them. They know. One 16-year-old with dyscalculia said, ‘I need to see numbers on a grid, not just hear them.’ That’s not complicated. It’s just ignored.
Some schools are already doing this. In a small primary school in Wexford, teachers use colored overlays for reading, let students record answers instead of writing, and break assignments into 10-minute chunks. The result? Absenteeism dropped by 50%. Confidence rose. Grades improved-not because the kids changed, but because the classroom did.
The Real Problem Is a System That Doesn’t Care Enough to Change
The biggest problem for students with learning disabilities isn’t their brain. It’s a system that treats their difference as a problem to be fixed, not a perspective to be valued. It’s a system that spends millions on standardized tests but won’t fund a single speech-to-text license. It’s a system that expects kids to adapt to rigid structures instead of adapting structures to real human diversity.Fixing this doesn’t require more money. It requires a shift in mindset. Learning disabilities aren’t a crisis to be solved. They’re a signal-telling us the way we teach is outdated. The students aren’t the problem. The system is.
What are the most common learning disabilities in students?
The most common are dyslexia (difficulty with reading), dyscalculia (difficulty with math), dysgraphia (difficulty with writing), and ADHD (attention and focus challenges). These aren’t about intelligence-they’re about how the brain processes information. A student with dyslexia might be brilliant at storytelling or problem-solving but struggle to sound out words. A student with dyscalculia might understand real-world math perfectly but freeze when faced with equations on paper.
Can students with learning disabilities succeed in school?
Absolutely. But they need the right support-not extra punishment or pressure. When schools use Universal Design for Learning, provide assistive tech, and train teachers properly, students with learning disabilities perform as well as-or better than-their peers. The key isn’t changing the student. It’s changing the environment.
Why don’t schools provide better accommodations?
Three main reasons: lack of funding, lack of training, and lack of urgency. Many schools say they can’t afford assistive technology or specialists. But even small changes-like letting students use headphones during tests or allowing oral responses-cost almost nothing. The bigger issue is that most educators aren’t taught how to spot or support learning differences. Without that knowledge, they don’t know what to ask for.
What can parents do if their child is struggling?
Start by documenting everything: grades, teacher comments, behavior changes, and any requests for help. Ask for a formal assessment through the school. In Ireland, parents have the right to request an educational psychologist evaluation. If the school delays, contact the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). You don’t need to be an expert-you just need to be persistent. And you’re not alone. Parent advocacy groups exist in every county.
Is it too late to help if my child is in secondary school?
Never. It’s never too late to make changes that help. Older students may have internalized shame or learned to hide their struggles, but the right tools can still rebuild their confidence and skills. Even in sixth year, simple accommodations like extended time, digital note-taking, or breaking essays into steps can make a huge difference. The goal isn’t to ‘catch up’-it’s to give them the tools to move forward.