If It’s Working, Why Take It Away? The Case for Keeping Accommodations in Place

By Millie Carr | Unmasking Education

“Your child is doing so well now, we’re going to remove their supports.”

That’s the equivalent of saying, “You’re seeing clearly with your glasses...time to take them off and build some resilience.”

Ridiculous? Absolutely. But this is the conversation many parents and students hear every term. And it’s not inclusion.

Accommodations Are Access, Not a Crutch

Accommodations are not band aids, rewards, or something to ‘earn.’ They’re not training wheels. They’re glasses. Wheelchairs. Ramps. Noise-cancelling headphones. Visual schedules. Break cards. Predictable routines. They are the tools that make learning possible, not shortcuts or special treatment. When schools remove them because they’re working, they miss the point entirely.

Let’s Look at the Research

• The Social Model of Disability teaches us that disability isn’t the problem — barriers are. Remove the barrier, and the student can participate.

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) encourages proactive supports for all learners, not reactive ones removed after a child begins to succeed.

• Neurodivergent brain research (e.g. Dr. Devon Price, Dr. Mona Delahooke, Dr. Ross Greene) highlights that these brains function differently, not wrongly and will always benefit from consistent, safe, predictable supports.

• Executive function research (like Peg Dawson & Richard Guare) tells us some kids will always need scaffolds. We don’t build working memory with willpower — we support it with systems.

The “Fading Supports” Narrative Is Harmful

Here’s what happens when we remove what’s working:

• The child struggles again.

• Adults blame the child instead of the system.

• Trust is broken.

• We reinforce the message that they only deserve help when they’re failing.

What kind of message is that?

The Goal is Not Independence...It’s Interdependence

Humans are wired for connection, scaffolds, and collaboration. We don’t remove ramps from public buildings when a wheelchair user navigates them well. We don’t take away a deaf student’s interpreter when they’re thriving socially. Why would we take away sensory, communication, or executive function supports for neurodivergent learners?

What Can We Do Instead?

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or allied health professional, you can:

• Normalise supports as part of learning

• Reframe success...it doesn’t mean doing it “like everyone else”

• Embed universal supports so fewer students even need individual plans

• Partner with students and families when reviewing accommodations

• Push back on outdated, ableist policies that tie support to struggle

Final Thoughts

If a student is doing well with support, that’s not a sign to remove it. It’s a sign that the environment is finally meeting their needs. We don’t “fix” a child by making them cope without help. We empower them by building a world where they don’t have to hide their needs to succeed.