School accommodations PAP and PPS : complete guide to support learning disabilities

1. Understanding the different school support systems

The French education system offers several systems to support students in difficulty or with disabilities. Each system addresses specific needs and targets a particular audience. It is essential to distinguish them well to correctly guide families and students.

The PPRE (Personalized Educational Success Program) is aimed at students who encounter temporary academic difficulties, without an identified disorder. It involves enhanced pedagogical support decided by the teaching team. The PAI (Individualized Welcome Project) concerns students with chronic illnesses requiring adaptations to school life.

The PAP and PPS systems, at the heart of this guide, specifically concern learning disorders and situations of disability. Their implementation involves a medical recognition of difficulties and grants the right to specific accommodations. These systems follow the student throughout their schooling and can evolve according to their needs.

2. The PAP (Personalized Accompaniment Plan): an essential device

The Personalized Accompaniment Plan is a device created in 2015 to meet the needs of students with learning disorders. It provides a solid legal framework that guarantees the implementation of appropriate educational adjustments, without requiring recognition of disability by the MDPH.

The PAP is primarily aimed at students with dyslexia, dysorthographia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysphasia, or presenting with ADHD. These disorders, often referred to as "DYS disorders," significantly impact school learning but do not necessarily fall under the definition of disability according to the 2005 law.

The advantage of the PAP lies in its flexibility and speed of implementation. Unlike the PPS, which requires a sometimes lengthy MDPH procedure, the PAP can be activated more quickly by the school doctor, allowing for early intervention in difficulties. It supports the student from kindergarten through higher education.

Procedure for obtaining the PAP

The request for a PAP can be initiated by the family or by the educational team observing persistent difficulties in the student. This request must be accompanied by documents attesting to the disorders: speech therapy assessments, neuropsychological evaluations, or recent medical certificates.

The school doctor examines the file and may request additional information or propose further evaluations. They are the only ones authorized to validate the implementation of a PAP, ensuring that the proposed accommodations correspond well to the identified needs.

Once the PAP is validated, the educational team meets to draft the document in consultation with the family. This collaborative step is essential to define realistic and effective accommodations tailored to the specific school context of the student.

3. The PPS (Personalized Schooling Project): for situations of disability

The Personalized Schooling Project is the reference system for students with disabilities recognized by the MDPH (Departmental House for Disabled Persons). It goes beyond simple educational accommodations by opening specific rights: human support, adapted materials, specialized orientations.

The PPS concerns students whose disorders are severe enough to constitute a disability in the sense of the law of February 11, 2005. This may involve severe learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders, sensory, motor, or intellectual disabilities, or significant psychological disorders.

The development of the PPS follows a more complex process than the PAP, involving a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation. This procedure, although longer, allows for obtaining more significant compensation means and enhanced personalized support.

The MDPH procedure

The request for PPS requires the preparation of a complete MDPH file including the application form, a recent medical certificate, specialized assessments, a detailed life project, and all useful documents (school reports, teacher observations, therapeutic follow-up reports).

The multidisciplinary team of the MDPH evaluates the file based on the GEVA-Sco (Guide for Evaluating Compensation Needs in Education), a document completed by the educational team. This evaluation allows for the precise identification of compensation needs and the most suitable schooling arrangements.

The CDAPH (Commission for the Rights and Autonomy of Disabled Persons) then makes the allocation decisions: recognition of disability, allocation of AESH, equipment, educational orientation. These decisions are notified to the family and form the basis of the PPS that will be implemented by the Schooling Follow-Up Team (ESS).

4. Specific educational adjustments by type of disorder

Each learning disorder has particular characteristics that require targeted adjustments. A good understanding of these specificities allows for effective adaptations that truly compensate for the difficulties faced by the student.

The adjustments must be considered holistically, taking into account not only the main difficulties but also the secondary repercussions on fatigue, self-esteem, and motivation. The goal is to create an optimal learning environment that allows the student to express their true potential.

It is important to note that these adjustments do not constitute a "privilege" but rather a necessary compensation to restore equity. They should be explained to other students to promote understanding and inclusion, while preserving confidentiality regarding specific disorders.

Written language disorders (dyslexia, dysorthographia)

Dyslexia and dysorthographia directly impact access to written language, an essential transversal skill in all school learning. The adjustments aim to circumvent these difficulties by proposing alternatives and adapted supports.

Additional time is often necessary as these students must make significant cognitive efforts to decode and encode words. The adjustment of extra time for assessments allows them to compensate for their slowness without penalizing their understanding and actual knowledge.

Oral language disorders (dysphasia, TDL)

Developmental oral language disorders affect understanding and/or verbal expression. These difficulties impact all school learning since oral communication remains the main vehicle for transmitting knowledge, even when writing is mastered.

Accommodations must take into account the significant fatigue of these students who make constant efforts to understand and express themselves. Simplifying language and adding visual supports greatly facilitate their access to learning.

5. Arrangements for ADHD and attention disorders

Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD) presents varied manifestations that require specific arrangements. The three main profiles (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, mixed) require differentiated adaptations to optimize learning conditions.

Arranging the physical and pedagogical environment is crucial for these students. Reducing distractors, structured organization of activities, and the possibility to move are key elements of their academic success. It is important to understand that their agitation or inattention does not stem from a lack of will.

The arrangements must also take into account variations in attention throughout the day. Moments of high concentration should be prioritized for fundamental learning, while less demanding activities can be scheduled during times of lower attentional availability.

Organization and planning strategies

Students with ADHD often have difficulties in executive functions: planning, organization, inhibition, mental flexibility. These skills are essential for academic success and require specific support.

The use of visual organization tools (schedule, visual agenda, to-do list) helps these students structure their work and learning. These tools should be explicitly taught and their use should be supported until it becomes automatic.

6. Autism spectrum disorders and specialized accommodations

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have specific needs related to their sensory, communicative, and behavioral characteristics. Accommodations must be designed holistically to create a predictable and secure environment that promotes their learning.

The particular sensory sensitivity of these students requires significant environmental adaptations. Sound, visual, and tactile stimuli can be sources of stress and greatly disrupt their concentration. The arrangement of the classroom space and the management of transitions are key elements of their school well-being.

Communication is often impacted, making visual supports essential for facilitating understanding and expression. Pictograms, visual schedules, and other alternative communication tools can greatly facilitate their integration and participation in school activities.

7. Accommodations for exams and assessments

Exam accommodations are a fundamental right for students with learning disabilities or disabilities. These adaptations allow for the assessment of the student's actual skills by neutralizing the impact of their specific difficulties on their performance.

The request procedure for accommodations must be anticipated as the timelines are significant, particularly for national exams (certificate, baccalaureate). Requests are made to the doctor designated by the CDAPH for students with PPS, or to the school doctor for students with PAP.

The accommodations granted must be consistent with those already implemented in the student's regular schooling. It is therefore crucial to accurately document the adaptations used in class and their effectiveness to justify requests for exam accommodations.

Justification and Documentation of Requests

The quality of the accommodation request file is crucial for obtaining the necessary adaptations. The file must include recent medical elements (less than 2 years) and precise educational observations documenting the difficulties and the effectiveness of the accommodations already in place.

Speech therapy, neuropsychological, or medical assessments must be detailed and explicitly mention the impact of the disorders on academic learning. Health professionals who write these assessments must be aware of the importance of their recommendations for school accommodations.

8. Role of Health Professionals and Partners

The implementation and monitoring of school accommodations involve close collaboration between different professionals. This multidisciplinary approach ensures the coherence and effectiveness of the proposed adaptations, taking into account the evolving needs of the student.

The speech therapist plays a central role in supporting learning disorders. Their expertise allows for precise identification of difficulties, proposing targeted accommodations, and evaluating their effectiveness. Collaboration with the educational team is essential to ensure coherence between rehabilitation and school adaptations.

The neuropsychologist provides a fine understanding of the student's cognitive functioning and can propose specific compensatory strategies. Their evaluation helps identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses, thus guiding pedagogical and therapeutic choices.

Coordination between stakeholders

The coordination among all stakeholders (family, school, health professionals) is essential for the success of the adjustments. Regular meetings allow for adjustments to be made based on the evolution of needs and observed progress.

The educational follow-up team (ESS) for students with PPS, or informal meetings for students with PAP, provide privileged times for exchange and adjustment. These moments allow for an assessment of the adjustments in place and to evolve them if necessary.

9. Digital tools and assistive technologies

Digital tools represent a revolution in supporting learning disorders. They offer unprecedented compensation and adaptation possibilities, allowing students to bypass their difficulties while developing their skills.

The computer equipped with specialized software can compensate for many difficulties: voice recognition for dyspraxic students, advanced spell checkers for dyslexics, word prediction to speed up typing. These tools must be mastered by the student to be truly effective.

Specialized educational applications, such as those developed by DYNSEO, perfectly complement traditional adjustments. They allow for targeted training of fundamental cognitive skills in a playful and motivating context for the student.

10. Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of adjustments

Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of adjustments is crucial to ensure they meet the evolving needs of the student. This evaluation should be multidimensional: academic results, student well-being, facilitation of learning, development of autonomy.

Success indicators are not limited to grades obtained. It is important to observe the evolution of motivation, self-confidence, class participation, and the quality of relationships with peers. These elements are essential for assessing the overall relevance of the adjustments made.

The adaptation of adjustments should be considered regularly. Some may become less necessary with the student's progress, while others may need to be reinforced or modified based on the evolution of academic requirements and the student's skills.

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation of the effectiveness of adjustments should rely on objective and measurable criteria. Progress in fundamental learning, reduction of fatigue, improvement in the quality of outputs, and increased participation are indicators to observe.

It is important to distinguish between progress related to adjustments and that related to re-education or the natural maturation of the student. This fine analysis allows for better adjustment of adaptations and maintaining their relevance over time.