Recommended Accommodations for College Students with ADHD
College students with ADHD face many challenges as they transition to college. They face more distraction, less external structure, more responsibilities, and new friends and teachers.
Students in college must rely upon their own skills, support, and resources to succeed. Deliberate and proactive steps prepare the student and family as they transition to a college education.
The transition from high school to college is a critical and sensitive stage in life for adults with ADHD.
It’s the Executive Functions
Young adults with ADHD struggle with the transition from high school to college. This is not due to lower intelligence or a lack of knowledge, but rather to differences in the ADHD brain that affect executive functions and their ability to act on what they know.
Executive functions are responsible for organizing, prioritizing, activating, focusing, sustaining effort and alertness, managing frustrations and controlling emotions, using working memory (short-term memory and recall), controlling impulsivity and hyperactivity, and monitoring context.
New or returning college student with ADHD? Get practical strategies to help you thrive and connect with people who understand you and ADHD!
School Success Comes from a Strong Scaffolding
Children with ADHD succeed in grade school because a strong “scaffolding” supports their ability to do what they know. The education system plans their course of studies. The teacher works with the child to help them discover how they learn best. The teacher also works with the family to ensure support extends beyond the school.
Family members remind the child with ADHD about their homework. Parents help their children organize their time. This scaffolding is successful, and so these children follow the traditional path to success.
They head off to college, but in college, the scaffolding that helped ensure success in high school disappears. When the scaffolding disappears, success turns to failure.
College students with ADHD face many challenges in the new college community. They face more distraction, less external structure, more responsibilities, and new friends and teachers.
While pre-college educational systems allocate resources, both formal and informal, to provide well-tailored educational services, students in college have to rely upon their own skills, support, and resources to a much greater degree.
Deliberate and proactive steps must be taken to prepare the student and family as they transition to a college education.
What Kind of ADHD Accommodations Can You Ask For at College?
Asking for some of these ADHD accommodations from your college can help you succeed as a student:
- Extended time on tests and assignments, testing over several sessions
- Testing in a separate and quiet place
- Permission to record lectures
- Audio textbooks
- Assistance taking class notes or reading (note-taking service, reading group)
- Written instructions from professors
- Priority registration with a professional in the disability services office
- The possibility of class substitution within the curriculum or reduced course load
What Students with ADHD Can Provide for Themselves
Students with ADHD can set themselves up for a great college experience when they advocate for themselves and get the support they need. Here are a few important ways they can do so:
Make Good Choices
- Choose a college with reasonable accommodations and support groups for students with ADHD
- Ensure the college you decide on has a large number of ADHD-LD specialists
- Choose a college with many registered ADHD students
- Disclose your ADHD diagnosis at the earliest possible opportunity to trusted student services staff and advisors
- Request appropriate accommodations, including those that the school may not readily offer
Contact Your Support Team
- School’s office of disability: Get familiar with its resources
- Health officials: Get documentation that proves your ADHD status and proof that ADHD affects your academic performance
- Writing center: Fully utilize your school’s writing center for help with written assignments
- Professors: Make use of office hours to meet your professors and set up appointments to clarify assignments.
Find Resources
- ADDA has a plenty of resources about studying with ADHD
- Access support from tutors, whether on campus or online
- Find a healthy study environment early on, free of distractions
- Time management resources, including a schedule that includes time for studying, socializing, and exercising
- Find a study buddy or study group. Sign up for classes with friends, or make friends in the classes you have, to support each other in and out of class
- Consider an academic coach (through the college counseling office or privately) that will check in with you throughout the week to ensure success
Improve Your Skills and Habits to Manage ADHD in College
- Self-advocacy skills to build self-esteem and avoid frustrations
- Socializing time and social skills
- Perspective on your future goals and carrier
- Perseverance and procrastination
- Sleep habits to be able to get up early in the morning to catch your classes
- Self-expectations: ADHD is with you for life, so you will continue to need support and treatment through college and beyond.
ADHD is one of the most under-recognized and underserved neurodevelopmental disorders in adults. Untreated, its impact on adults is severe.
Success Comes with Support and Accommodations
To succeed, students with ADHD need a comprehensive system of support that fosters academic engagement, clear academic goals, student success, and career preparation. Training in time management, planning, organization, and knowledge management promotes persistence among students with weaknesses in these areas.
College students must seek out the support they need and construct their own scaffolding in this new environment. It is exceedingly important that college students learn to advocate for themselves and seek out support to ensure success in the classroom and beyond.
Guide for Online Colleges & Disabilities by AccreditedOnlineColleges.org
What College Students with ADHD Need to Know About Advocacy and Accommodations
If you’d like to understand more about ADHD accommodations, ADDA+ offers a Virtual Support Group for College Students with ADHD!
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15 Comments
I have read and re-read all there is to know about the ADA and accommodations for college students with ADHD, and what they are entitled to by law. However, this student has refused to admit he has a problem of to subject himself to a comprehensive evaluation. His professors are aware that he has a problem but do not feel they can help him due to HIPAA regulations. He is flunking out at the moment. He was evaluated when he was younger; however, does not want to admit it now. At the present time he will not graduate. I am not his parent; they are divorced, and I know more than either of them will ever know about his needs. Can his college intervene without breaking the law? What can I do? Can they request a comprehensive evaluation without going into detail. I went through this with both my son and daughter, both of whom were able to graduate. My daughter became a teacher after graduation by addressing her struggles and how she wanted to prevent other students from going through the agonizing time she had in college. I need your advice as to what, if any, I can do on this young man’s behalf. He is my grandson. Please let me know your thoughts. Time is running out for him…… Thank you.
I am an adult with ADHD and I am sorry that your grandson is not doing well. You never mentioned his age but I am guessing that since he is in College he must be at least 18 and because of this it must be up to him. It is wonderful that you care about what happens and it must feel horrible not being able to intervene but at this point he has to discover what he needs and wants to do. Admitting that you are struggling, or different from others, is extremely difficult but having to disclose this to people at school or work can pose even more challenges such as stigma and discrimination. I know that for my family it was extremely helpful to read about how to support someone living with disabilities. There are many amazing websites and organizations that can help you through the tough times. He may not be ready for help right now but the best thing you can do for him, and yourself, is to accept his decision and support him. Educate yourself so that you have the tools necessary to guide him and yourself. Good luck.
Hello, where can i find a list of official recommended accommodations? I am having trouble completing my college ” Homework Assignments” in the allotted time; I emailed the SOD and they stated that they do not offer “extended time on Assignments”. I have talked to my professor but he keeps saying “ALl StuDEnTs ArE GraDed WitH tHE SaME YaRd STicK” even refused to change my timed QUIZ because my Letter of Accommodations said EXAMS.
Discrimination laws are extremely complex and vary from place to place. We highly recommend you contact resources in your area who have expertise in academic accommodations.
Robert Tudisco, a disability attorney and noted ADHD activist (roberttudisco.com) recommended several resources that may be able to help you, or at least find someone local who can help.
He suggested a great resource named COPAA. COPAA is the Council of Parents Attorneys and Advocates. The Web site is http://www.copaa.org. Their site has a directory of disability and education attorneys in most jurisdictions as well as a lot of advocacy information.
AHEAD is the Association for Higher Education and Disabilities (ahead.org), and they have a testing accommodation committee. In addition, the American Bar Association has a disability committee that actually led the fight in stopping the flagging of accommodated scores for the LSAT (unfortunately, we don’t know if the committee has a specific website). (I know testing isn’t your main problem now, but these groups may be able to help with assignments as well.)
There is also an attorney in New York named Joanne Simon. She does a lot of work in accommodations, especially for post-secondary students. Her website is http://www.joannesimon.com.
Good luck!
I saw my school ofice today regarding accomodations and they declined to offer me this on the letter of accomodations: “Written instructions from professors,”
instead they offered me tons of things that I did not ask for and don’t intend to use. The lady didn’t seem to believe me when I told her that some of my professors do not provide clear written instructions in one place. She responded by saying that “all professors should do this anyway” and left it at that. I have since contacted her with more concrete proof of instances where they have not and they have stated that my less than perfect grade would be the result of this missed verbal instruction.
How do I document the problem correctly in order to ensure I can get this accomodation that I actually need more than the others? I feel like I went in there and I begged for what the accomodation of having written instructions, and I was given all other things. As if I went to the doctors dehydrated and I’m given an apple.
Haha missed verbal instructions. AKA ADHD. Can’t stand how ignorant people are. (I’m talking about the stuff you have to deal with, with administrators. 1.) A lot don’t really know that people have a completely different experience from them. Concentration comes naturally and they like to think that you can just will ADHD away by paying attention. Its like telling a depressed person “hey man stop being depressed. 2.) Its always someone else’s problem when dealing with beauracracies and systems. They mostly just send you to a different person or department. It’ll take Doctors appointments. Many Documents, multiple meetings with several people before you get accommodations like “directions”. Like thats somehow cheating to have instructions, thats called being a good student and preparing. 3.) the professors that don’t show grace are basically saying you aren’t worth the time. And they are lazy.
I had a Voc Rehab Counselor/person tell me in 2016 when I had my temporary internship at disABILITY LINK (an independent living center who helps people with disabilities for free) that written instructions is a reasonable accommodation. I don’t have ADHD, but instead I am currently diagnosed with autism, generalized anxiety disorder and dyspraxia. The autism causes me sensory issues that affect my learning and make it very difficult, almost sometimes impossible to learn in an auditory lecture college class, especially when the professor is talking so fast and/or saying so much at one time, my brain cannot process the auditory information presented that way fast enough to take my own notes. I have tried note takers as a reasonable accommodation and I have had different problems with each volunteer note taker I had each time I took an art history class, that note taker never worked for me at all. I also was given the reasonable accommodation of recording the lecture, but I never had any luck with that at all. I am more of a visual learner, because of the autism (visual learning is common among people diagnosed with autism and I am not saying everyone with autism learns best in a visual way either) and what I need is written instructions that would augment, meaning go along, with the auditory/orally represented information in these art history classes. I failed out of Georgia State University Atlanta Campus at the end of Spring 2013 semester partly because professors didn’t know how to teach me and I wasn’t being allowed to have written instructions in the classroom for all of the art history classes I had to take as an art student. I also took a film history class my first semester, Fall 2009 at Georgia State University Atlanta Campus and the professor teaching that class said she had to provide written instruction in the classroom and if she didn’t, she said she could be sued otherwise. In that semester, she ended up providing me with a copy, sometimes before class, of her PowerPoint Presentations for me via my student email address. I don’t think anybody else in taking that class at the time got that. Now I am at a 2 year public Technical College this time working on getting another Associates (A.A.S.) in Design and Media Production Technology, mostly focusing on taking the graphic design and web interface design (beginning web design) classes the college currently offers and is currently teaching.
You need to join a local support group for adults diagnosed with ADHD and one that includes college students diagnosed with ADHD, taking classes and getting accommodations through disability services. If that doesn’t work, maybe you can find an Occupational Therapist to work with instead, to come with you and/or be on the phone when you are meeting with people at the disability center at your college about the accommodation of written instructions from professors. If they don’t provide you that at all, then the person on the other end can pull out the Americans with Disabilities Act on them and if that still doesn’t work then you can file a grievance against Disability Services for not providing you the reasonable accommodation of Written Instructions from Professors. The college you are taking classes from should have a grievance procedure you can easily find on their website that you can follow, which usually involves filling out some kind of paperwork and turning that paperwork into the ada coordinator which every college, public and private getting federal funds is required to have. If you get a response afterwards not to your liking or it still doesn’t solve your problem, you have every right to fight that. If that doesn’t work I would find out who is the dean/president of the whole college you are currently a student at and tell them about your problems with getting the one accommodation, written instructions from professors and that disability services is not giving you that as a reasonable accommodation and if they don’t you will take your services to another college and/or sue them.
One thing that the professor can do, in many cases this is what I was offered is that the professor find a student in the class that takes impeccable notes, and provide a copy of those to me. I found it really helpful. You can also get permission to record the instruction, and when you realize you weren’t paying attention, or forgot to write something down, just write down the timestamp from the recording. then you can fill in the gaps when replaying the recording from right before that timestamp. it was a HUGE help for me.
One thing that the professor can do, in many cases this is what I was offered is that the professor find a student in the class that takes impeccable notes, and provide a copy of those to me. I found it really helpful. You can also get permission to record the instruction, and when you realize you weren’t paying attention, or forgot to write something down, just write down the timestamp from the recording. then you can fill in the gaps when replaying the recording from right before that timestamp. it was a HUGE help for me.
I would listen and then when I had free time, I would go back and listen and take notes. I found that I enjoyed his class better because I was just able to listen. then I could fast forward, rewind or pause when I needed a break.
Excellent site .
Need to know about some university for my son having ADHD support ( Psychotherapy normal /cognitive ) to boast his morale and overcome ADHD symptoms. He has done 12 grade; and he wants to do Bachelor program in business ( any good field).
Currently we are in Qatar but plan to relocate to USA.
Thank you for a great article! This is very helpful. I am an adult with ADD. I have a vision disability too and was never diagnosed because all the accommodations and focus was on my vision. I am going back to college and have been trying to learn what accommodations are available for ADD. I would apppreciate anyone’s feedback about the first accommodation listed under tests – extended time on tests and assignments. In my experience Disability Support Services and college administratives have not allowed extended time on assignments only on tests. Also, I have not been allowed to break the tests into smaller session times. I am very curious what strategies others have used to request, gain , and receive extra time for assignments? For assignments I am referring to homework not in -class assignments. This is important to me not only from an ADD accommodation but for a vision disability accommodation too.
I am college adult studrnt with ADHD, i just recently completed a unit test 4 in maternal nursing on May 1, then the final in the same class was scheduled on May 2nd, and on May 3rd, i had to take the final in Med surgical on May 4th! My accommodations stated that extra extended time be given for tests and homework. I was unaware that tests was back to back due to a busy semester with Clinicals in both classes, HESI tests in both classes weekly, cincept maps, clinical packets, simulations, one 2 hr week class in maternal nursing that instructor could never complete lecture, therefore i had to come home and watch 4 to 5 videos to complete lecture for that week, then fill out 6 to 10 pages of homework. In additon to havivg to drive 20 to 30 miles to class and clinical because students from other cities wanted to come to the campuses in the city where lived. I sat up all night for 3 nights to cram and study for the tests, which i passed the Med surg, exams, but was unsuccessful in maternal nursing because there was somuch to study in just a few hours, and the instructor did not give a study guide like the med surg instructor. I missed maternal nursing by less than a point. Pointe were given back on questions the majority of the class missed, but like usual, i got the question right which i did not receive the point. Now i have to sit out for a year because the nursing classes goes from fall to spring and the maternal nursing is not offered in the summer! I got HBP from the stress of all the work and effort trying to pass. I never knew that i had to request accommodations to get time to study for finals if they were back to back.
My daughter is a rising college freshman and who has had adhd, auditory processing disorder and anxiety. She has had accommodations since she was 7 years old. The university she is attending denied all her requests for accommodations for note taking and priority registration. Our psychiatrist documented her needing priority registration due to her medications working for a limited amount of time and having insomnia so early morning classes won’t be ok as well. What can I do about this? My daughter is panicked and in tears wanting drop out and go to another university that were “nicer” to kids with disabilities. Can anyone advise how to handle this with the university? I