Navigating College with ADHD: Understanding and Accessing Accommodations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents unique challenges for college students, impacting executive functions such as time management, organization, and concentration. With an estimated 2 to 8% of college students in America living with ADHD, understanding available resources and support systems is crucial for academic success. Fortunately, many colleges offer accommodations designed to ease ADHD symptoms, allowing students to perform at their best.

Understanding ADHD Accommodations in College

ADHD accommodations in college are adjustments to policies or environments tailored to support students in managing attention, impulsiveness, and organization. These accommodations ensure equal access to education, as mandated by federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which require colleges receiving federal funding to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students.

Types of College ADHD Accommodations

There are many accommodations students can receive in college. Accommodations modify something about the way you complete the course requirements, the tools you use, the resources available to you, or the environment you complete those requirements in. Accommodations are individualized and based on a student’s current functional limitations. Here are some examples of common and useful accommodations for college students with ADHD:

• Extended Time on Exams and Assignments: Providing additional time helps students with ADHD manage tasks without the pressure of stringent deadlines.
• Note-Taking Assistance: Access to note-taking services or permission to record lectures ensures students can review material at their own pace.
• Alternative Testing Environments: Quiet, distraction-free spaces for exams can improve concentration and performance.
• Priority Registration: Early class registration allows students to choose schedules that align with their peak focus times.
• Assistive Technology: Tools like speech-to-text software and organizational apps support learning and task management. The right assistive technology is essential. It can make life easier for you at college. For example, with the help of technology, you can track your future assignments and access information about deadlines.
• Reduced Course Load: Taking fewer courses per semester can help manage academic demands more effectively.

University accommodations cover four basic areas: testing, classroom and communication, format/devices, and housing/dining. Testing accommodations are among the most commonly requested supports for college students.

Other possible accommodations include:

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• Get permission to tape-record answers to questions on an exam.

Steps to Accessing ADHD Accommodations

The process for obtaining accommodations differs from school to school, but the basics are the same. Here are general steps to take:

1. Obtain Current Documentation: Secure a recent evaluation from a qualified professional detailing the ADHD diagnosis and its impact on academic performance. A letter of diagnosis is not enough to receive academic accommodations at BC. It may establish your diagnosis, but we need information to assist in determining your eligibility for accommodations. BC requires a comprehensive evaluation that measures the current functional impact of ADHD on learning. Get an official ADHD diagnosis from a doctor-one that’s supported by recent evaluations.
2. Contact the Disability Services Office: Contact your college’s disability or accessibility services office, submit your documentation, and complete their accommodation application. Any college or university that receives federal funding-including students receiving financial aid-must accommodate students with disabilities. The campus should have a coordinator or office dedicated to ensuring equitable access. There will be some sort of registration or application process to collect information from students on how their disability impacts them.
3. Submit Documentation: As for what documents you need to provide, it will vary from college to college. However, you will be required to provide a diagnosis from a medical professional. If you had an IEP or 504 Plan in high school, you should also provide that to the college. Regardless, it is important to situate your diagnosis in the context of your education. Rather than simply stating, “This student has ADHD,” your documentation should explain how your ADHD affects you in an educational environment. *Please send the official evaluation as one file. We do not accept individual JPEG images of medical documents.
4. Meet with a Coordinator: Expect to meet with a coordinator to discuss how to make the educational environment equitable for you. Have a candid conversation about your needs, and ask what options are realistically available to you. Unless you grant permission and make the proper arrangements, this conversation will be between you the student and the disability accommodations coordinator-not your parent or guardian.
5. Receive Accommodation Letters: The office will provide accommodation letters and, typically, it will be your responsibility to share these with your professors each semester. Students need support rather than control from parents and caregivers. It is imperative that the student be the one initiating and interacting with the Connors Family Learning Center. No, the Connors Family Learning Center does not communicate with parents directly in regard to accommodations. Boston College encourages students to develop self-advocacy and communication skills by doing so.
6. Communicate with Professors: You will likely need to discuss your accommodations with your professors to some extent, but your professors do not need to know your diagnosis or details of your disability. It is up to you as the student to initiate this process each semester. Your professors are not at liberty to refuse your approved accommodations. It is very rare that a professor will resist, and it is not your responsibility as the student to convince them. Professor Notification Letters (PNL) serve as official notification to professors of student’s approved accommodation(s), and professors’ need to provide such accommodations. Students are best served when they self-advocate and use the letters to facilitate an ongoing communication with their professors.

Self-Advocacy and Ongoing Support

College students with ADHD face many challenges as they transition to college. Students in college must rely upon their own skills, support, and resources to succeed. Students with ADHD can set themselves up for a great college experience when they advocate for themselves and get the support they need.

When you advocate for yourself by sharing information about what you need as a student with ADHD, it will make a world of difference. Also, when problems crop up, being able to share your issues with authority figures will make it easier to find solutions.

Here are some tips for self-advocacy and seeking support:

• Start Early: Begin early, at the start of a semester, and make sure you and college staff agree on your accommodations. At the beginning of each semester, students must again request their PNLs at the CFLC.
• Keep Records: As you go along, keep records of your interactions. For example, if your accommodations are approved, make sure you keep any documentation related to that. Make sure there’s a record of everything pertaining to your ADHD and college education.
• Seek Feedback: Additionally, you should ask for feedback regularly. Review your accommodations regularly to make sure they’re still working and adjust them as needed. If a student would like to request additional accommodations or make changes to the currently approved accommodations, the student needs to make an appointment with their specialist at the CFLC.
• Speak Up Respectfully: If you find that you’re having a hard time getting your accommodations approved, it’s important to speak out, but this should be done respectfully. Talk to a representative at the disability services office or chat with an academic advisor. The office or coordinator in charge of disability student services and accommodations is there to be your go-between should a need arise.
• Build Connections: It’s important to reach out to college staff and professors, as building these connections can help you to do better in school. I am committed to supporting the learning of all students in my class. Students with learning disabilities or ADHD, please register with the Connors Family Learning Center (learning disabilities and/or ADHD) or with Disability Services (all other disabilities). (adapted from St. I am committed to supporting the learning of all students in my class. If you have already registered with Connors Family Learning Center (learning disabilities and ADHD) or Disability Services (all other disabilities) and have your letter of accommodations, please meet with me early in the course to discuss, plan, and implement your accommodations in the course. (adapted from St.
• Find a Study Buddy or Group: If you learn well by studying with others, join or start a study group to discuss and review material for your courses.
• Utilize Academic Support Services: Academic Coaching is available to students through CFLC Peer tutoring and Pathways to Success program. Academic Coaching provides students with a 50-minute one-on-one meeting, which entails working with a mentor to self-assess, reflect, and set goals to achieve academic success. Tutoring and academic coaching are available for all students at the Connors Family Learning Center. If students are not sure of where to turn, they should contact the Connors Family Learning Center to set up a meeting. Attend all review sessions offered by your professors.

Understanding the Differences Between High School and College Accommodations

College is very different from high school. Students no longer receive services through an IEP. Instead, they are protected under federal civil rights laws (ADA and Section 504) and they, as the individual seeking accommodations, must actively request accommodations. The responsibility for accessing support shifts from the school and parents to the student. Boston College requires that students initiate, participate in, and complete all accommodation related communication with the Connors Family Learning Center. Your experience in this class is important to me. This is an exciting time for both you and your student. It is also a big transition for all families when a student leaves to go to college. While students with disabilities are no different, your role has now evolved as the parent of an adult. While it can be challenging to step back, the most appropriate support fits within the boundaries of offering encouragement, advice, and suggestions.

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• IEPs and 504 Plans: No. IEPs and 504 Plans do not transfer to college. The Connors Family Learning Center provides reasonable accommodations based on a confirmed diagnosis and evidence of a functional limitation. An IEP or 504 Plan from high school might be helpful to your university’s disability accommodation coordinator.
• Equality vs. Equal Opportunity: High schools aim to facilitate your educational success. That means colleges and universities will not change the course objectives or requirements for you. The fundamental premise at the core of college and university disability accommodations differs from that of high school accommodations. It comes down to a difference between equality in high school, but equal opportunity after graduation.
• Curriculum and Standards: Colleges and universities are not obligated to change the curriculum and standards to accommodate your disability. You may be given more time to complete the tests, but the test questions will not be interpreted or changed for you. There is no modification to the curriculum objectives or lowering of standards.

Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions

• Applying for Accommodations Without Prior History: I have been recently diagnosed with ADHD and/or a specific learning disability and have a comprehensive evaluation, but I do not have prior history of accommodation(s). Yes, you can still apply for accommodations without history, particularly if this is a new diagnosis.
• Reapplying for Accommodations: I have been approved to receive academic accommodations by the CFLC. If you were officially approved for accommodation(s), then you do not have to reapply each year. However, you do need to disclose to your professors each semester with an official Professor Notification Letter.
• Testing on Campus: No, BC does not provide any testing on campus. All students with approved testing accommodations may take their tests at the CFLC. Students who are registered with a disability with approved testing accommodations can take their exams at the CFLC.
• Confidentiality: No, you do not need to disclose the specifics of your diagnosis to your professors. The office handling accommodations will verify your disability and approve your accommodations. You do not need to justify yourself to your instructors, staff, or peers. Faculty are required to provide approved accommodations but are not informed of a student’s diagnosis.

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tags: #college #ADHD #accommodations

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