What Are School Accommodations?
School accommodations are designed to help students with different learning needs succeed in the classroom. It is important that both parents and teachers do their best to help support and advocate for students with Turner syndrome.
This can look like making sure all proper paperwork is in place, going to all necessary doctors appointments, creating positive social environments, and, specifically for teachers, double checking student lists to make sure you know which students have an individualized learning plan.
While parents and teachers can play a big role in helping students with TS, it can also be important for the student to gain skills in advocating for themselves in the classroom and to know why and how their learning plan helps them. Finally, it is important to note that when receiving accommodations, you DO NOT have to disclose the diagnosis that led to accommodations. Learn more about Section 504 protections.
Learning Strengths and Weaknesses in Women with TS
Students with Turner syndrome often excel with verbal skills in the classroom. This may include, but is not limited to, communication, verbal comprehension, and verbal reasoning.
On the other hand, students with TS can struggle with math, processing time, and executive function skills. Another factor that can impact a student’s experience in the classroom is their social skills, which can also be impacted by hearing loss. This cognitive profile is best known as nonverbal learning disorder and these factors are why it is important to set students with TS up with the accommodations they need to succeed.
Types of Accommodations and How They Work
Below are a few of the types of accommodations that students with TS may benefit from, as shared by members of the TS community.
Speech therapy
Girls with TS that have speech impairments will often be recommended for speech therapy. This involves working with a speech therapist to work through a treatment plan. Working through speech therapy can help with girls with TS in school by improving their understanding of language, how to articulate and use language, as well as understanding language in social situations.
Sitting at the front of the class
Sitting at the front of the class allows for TS students with nonverbal learning disorder to focus better by not being as distracted by their surroundings, improve spatial processing, as well as feel more involved socially. This is especially important for students with hearing loss, because hearing loss can compound existing struggles.
Resource time/one-on-one time for math
Students with TS will often need extra support with math. One way this can be achieved is by allowing the student to use assistive devices such as a calculator to help solve problems. This can also look like allowing for extra 1:1 time with students to make sure they are grasping the material in math class. Finally, providing models students can use to understand new math concepts spatially can also prove very helpful.
Flexible seating
Flexible seating allows students to have multiple options for how they want to sit in the classroom. This could look like having a stool for feet to rest on or a special seat insert to help with squirmyness. The idea behind flexible seating is that it helps students meet their needs physically in order to put all of their focus on learning. This can also make a big difference for students with low muscle tone in helping them be more comfortable throughout the day! Students with TS will often need extra support with math. One way this can be achieved is by allowing the student to use assistive devices such as a calculator to help solve problems. This can also look like allowing for extra 1:1 time with students to make sure they are grasping the material in math class. Finally, providing models students can use to understand new math concepts spatially can also prove very helpful.
Alternative assessment formats
Students that struggle with test taking may benefit from using alternative formats for their exam. Some examples of this could look like using traditional paper instead of scantrons for exams, having a separate room, verbal exams, and extra time on tests. This allows for more comfortability during the exam and can reduce testing anxiety.
My Personal Journey
When I was younger, I had tutoring for math and reading comprehension. As I got further along in my academic career, I began to struggle on exams and not finish them in the time I was given. In seventh grade, I had an experience in which I knew the answers on an exam, but I didn’t finish in time. Despite explaining the situation to the teacher, I wasn’t given extra time to finish and received a D grade.
After that experience, I knew something had to change. I got tested at a children’s hospital and with my test results, I was able to get extended time on exams. This helped me tremendously to succeed in school. And now, today, I am starting my masters program in the fall and still using my testing accommodations. I am sharing my story so people like me do not feel ashamed for doing what they need to in order to succeed in their education.
Written By Calla Norton, TSF Volunteer Blog Writer and designed by Adrianna Verzolini
© Turner Syndrome Foundation, 2026
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