A student hasn't disclosed anything, but I'm concerned about their wellbeing — should I ask directly about a diagnosis?
No — ask how they are doing and whether anything would help, without asking for a label or diagnosis. Signpost available support (Part 1, Section 9 wording) rather than pressing for details.
Is it appropriate to give extensions without a doctor's note?
Many institutions allow a lighter-touch, self-certified process for short extensions specifically to reduce the burden of justification described in this chapter. Check your institution's specific policy, but avoid requiring extensive justification as a default.
What if flexibility seems to be making a student more anxious, not less, because they don't know what's expected?
Flexibility should not come at the cost of clarity — pair any flexible arrangement with clear, explicit expectations about what the flexibility actually covers and how to use it, so it reduces uncertainty rather than adding to it.
A Second Illustrative Scenario
In Practice — A silent, disengaged-looking student
A student (drawing on the 'Jo' persona used elsewhere in this project) stopped submitting work on time partway through a term, after several strong early submissions, and became difficult to reach by email.
What helped: the personal tutor sent a brief, low-pressure message noting the change and offering a short, no-obligation conversation, rather than an email focused on the missed deadlines themselves — and followed institutional wellbeing referral procedures once contact was made.
The lesson: a change in pattern is often a more useful signal than any single missed deadline, and how the first follow-up message is framed can determine whether a student engages with support or withdraws further.
