Learners with special learning differences and reasonable adjustment

When assessing a range of students you will need to be aware of their individual learning needs. This may be the way they each like to learn, sometimes referred to as their learning preference and it may be that some students have additional learning needs. Students who have special learning differences will attend placement with a Clinical Learning Needs Agreement to use with their Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor to negotiate the reasonable adjustments needed whilst on placement:

Clinical Learning Needs Agreement [PDF]

Now access these two case studies below:

Case study 1 Dyslexia [PDF]

Case study 2 Depression and Anxiety [PDF]

Read each case study and use the following questions to reflect on your role as a Practice Assessor:

• Please think about yourself as a learner, what are you feeling or thinking when asked whether you have a disability? If you do, would you be happy to disclose this?
• Now think about the role you will have as a practice assessor, what you may be feeling or thinking when asking a student, you are supporting, whether they may have a disability?
• As a practice assessor, what would be your role and responsibility to a student (who has declared a disability) in terms of patient care delivery, patient safety, working within your organisation and to the standards of the Code (NMC, 2018)?
• Would you know when to seek assistance in supporting a student with a disability and whom to refer to?