Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHelpful ADHD AccommodationsWhat Accommodations Do You Need?BenefitsOvercoming ReluctanceHow to Get AccommodationsWhat Happens Next?If Your Request Is DeniedFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Helpful ADHD Accommodations

What Accommodations Do You Need?

Benefits

Overcoming Reluctance

How to Get Accommodations

What Happens Next?

If Your Request Is Denied

Frequently Asked Questions

Close

Student accommodations are designed to support students with learning challenges so they can achieve their academic potential. Accommodations helpADHD studentsboth in how they acquire information, for example, in class, and how they demonstrate their knowledge in exam situations. Accommodations are intended to act as an equalizer between students, so that if you have ADHD you’re not at a disadvantage academically.

There’s no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed about receiving accommodations. Providing these accommodations were shown to be helpful for ADHD students.

Helpful Accommodations for ADHD Students

While you specific needs may vary, there are several accommodations that can be particularly helpful for students with ADHD. Here are examples of accommodations you might request:

How Information Is Presented

Some accommodations focus on how information is presented to students. Because students with ADHD process information differently, presenting information in different ways or formats can be helpful. Examples include:

Setting

Timing

Other accommodations focus on helping ADHD students with the time-management challenges they often face. Some examples include:

Advanced Course Selection

Picking your courses before other students means you can select classes at the time of day where it is easiest for you to learn. You can also pick your preferred teachers. Both of these options can help your grades.

Typical accommodations include:

There are several ways to determine which ADHD accommodations you might need in college. If you have had accommodations in high school, you will know what accommodations are helpful.

However, it is important to remember that college is often a different experience from high school. You may find that your needs differ, so be sure to note areas where you seem to be struggling, and don’t be afraid to request additional accommodations if you find that you need them.

If accommodations are new to you, it might be harder to know which ones will help you. Accept all the accommodations offered to you, even if you do not use them. This is because it can take a long time to add accommodations.

Who Should Get Accommodations?

Students who have had accommodations in high school tend to be more inclined to seek out accommodations as soon as they reach college. They have already experienced the benefits of accommodations firsthand and know how helpful accommodations are to success.

Some ADHD students get good grades in high school without accommodations. However, they might find that college presents new challenges and that accommodations might be needed.

When they reach university, where the volume of material to study increases and the academic standard is higher, ADHD students often realize they would benefit from additional support. This might not happen until the second semester or even the second year.

Benefits of Accommodations for ADHD

Asking for accommodations can be helpful for a number of reasons. Some potential benefits include:

Overcoming Reluctance to Request Accommodations

Many students with ADHD are reluctant to ask for accommodations. Here are some common reasons why you might not pursue this option:

Remember, accommodations were created to help students like you. Rather than putting you at an unfair advantage, accommodations ‘even the playing field’ so you are on equal footing with your peers. This is not cheating! Colleges and universities have a vetting process to make sure only students with studying challenges are given accommodations.

If organizing accommodations feels overwhelming, ask for help. A parent, tutor, organized friend, or even a member of the staff at the Office for Student Disabilities Service could help guide you through this process.

How to Apply for ADHD Accommodations

When you first get accepted to a college or university, visit their website. Find the webpage for ‘Office for Student Disabilities Service’ and start to initiate the accommodation process. Tell them about yourADHD diagnosisand request student accommodations.

The Office for Student Disabilities will then explain what information they need from you. The requirements of each school are slightly different. Typically these offices ask for a letter from a licensed clinic on letterhead paper, stating your diagnosis, how they arrived at the diagnosis, and the date they saw you and made the determination.

There has been an important development regarding the information you need to provide. Previously, your test needed to have been carried out in the last 5 years. Now, if your documentation is more than 5 years old, you can submit a documentation update, which is a summary of your original disability documentation findings.

If you had a504in high school, you could include a copy of that plan too.

At some colleges, the Office for Student Disabilities will contact your professors to inform them about your accommodations. Other colleges will give you a letter detailing your accommodations. Then you can show the letter to each of your professors at the start of the semester, either after class or during office hours.

Most professors are familiar with how accommodations work. However, if they have any questions, you or the Office for Student Disabilities can answer them.

If your request is denied for any reason, you can appeal. Often a rejection is because the Office for Student Disabilities requires additional information. Once you have provided the information, the accommodations can be approved.

If you need to take the further action, contact theAssociation on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). They are the organization responsible for overseeing the accommodation process. However, it is always simpler if you can talk to the school first.

Frequently Asked QuestionsThere are laws preventing schools from disclosing information about you to others. If you do not inform your future employers that you had accommodations in college, they will not have access to that information.All private universities need to follow Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),which is a civil rights law that stops discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of life, including schools.Even if you did not apply for accommodations when you first enrolled in school, it is not a problem. You can apply at any time. The only downside is that the review process takes time to be processed and during this time, you will still be studying and getting grades.Join a support group and meet other students in similar positions. This helps you realize that you are not alone and can share experiences with people who really understand. The Office for Student Disabilities Service might run a support group or will have the details of one held on campus.

There are laws preventing schools from disclosing information about you to others. If you do not inform your future employers that you had accommodations in college, they will not have access to that information.

All private universities need to follow Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),which is a civil rights law that stops discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of life, including schools.

Even if you did not apply for accommodations when you first enrolled in school, it is not a problem. You can apply at any time. The only downside is that the review process takes time to be processed and during this time, you will still be studying and getting grades.

Join a support group and meet other students in similar positions. This helps you realize that you are not alone and can share experiences with people who really understand. The Office for Student Disabilities Service might run a support group or will have the details of one held on campus.

A Word From Verywell

While you might be reluctant to ask for accommodations, it is essential to remember that these adjustments are there to help you succeed and do your best. It is best to ask for all the accommodations your school offers, even if you are not sure you will need them.

ADHD Scholarships for College Students

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alao A.Educational accommodations for college students with ADHD.Brown Univ Child Adolesc Behav Lett. 2015;31:1-7. doi:10.1002/cbl.30023Sollman MJ, Ranseen JD, Berry DT.Detection of feigned ADHD in college students.Psychol Assess. 2010;22(2):325-335. doi:10.1037/a0018857Harrison AG, Rosenblum Y.ADHD documentation for students requesting accommodations at the postsecondary level: Update on standards and diagnostic concerns.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(8):761-765.Educational Testing Service.Documenting ADHD. Guidelines for Documentation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adolescents and Adults, Third Edition. Updated 2020.ADA National Network.What are a public or private college-university’s responsibilities to students with disabilities? Updated October 2020.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alao A.Educational accommodations for college students with ADHD.Brown Univ Child Adolesc Behav Lett. 2015;31:1-7. doi:10.1002/cbl.30023Sollman MJ, Ranseen JD, Berry DT.Detection of feigned ADHD in college students.Psychol Assess. 2010;22(2):325-335. doi:10.1037/a0018857Harrison AG, Rosenblum Y.ADHD documentation for students requesting accommodations at the postsecondary level: Update on standards and diagnostic concerns.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(8):761-765.Educational Testing Service.Documenting ADHD. Guidelines for Documentation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adolescents and Adults, Third Edition. Updated 2020.ADA National Network.What are a public or private college-university’s responsibilities to students with disabilities? Updated October 2020.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Alao A.Educational accommodations for college students with ADHD.Brown Univ Child Adolesc Behav Lett. 2015;31:1-7. doi:10.1002/cbl.30023Sollman MJ, Ranseen JD, Berry DT.Detection of feigned ADHD in college students.Psychol Assess. 2010;22(2):325-335. doi:10.1037/a0018857Harrison AG, Rosenblum Y.ADHD documentation for students requesting accommodations at the postsecondary level: Update on standards and diagnostic concerns.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(8):761-765.Educational Testing Service.Documenting ADHD. Guidelines for Documentation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adolescents and Adults, Third Edition. Updated 2020.ADA National Network.What are a public or private college-university’s responsibilities to students with disabilities? Updated October 2020.

Alao A.Educational accommodations for college students with ADHD.Brown Univ Child Adolesc Behav Lett. 2015;31:1-7. doi:10.1002/cbl.30023

Sollman MJ, Ranseen JD, Berry DT.Detection of feigned ADHD in college students.Psychol Assess. 2010;22(2):325-335. doi:10.1037/a0018857

Harrison AG, Rosenblum Y.ADHD documentation for students requesting accommodations at the postsecondary level: Update on standards and diagnostic concerns.Can Fam Physician. 2010;56(8):761-765.

Educational Testing Service.Documenting ADHD. Guidelines for Documentation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adolescents and Adults, Third Edition. Updated 2020.

ADA National Network.What are a public or private college-university’s responsibilities to students with disabilities? Updated October 2020.

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