The Need for Better Accommodations for ADHD in Higher Ed

"In his book, Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, Dr. Russell Barkley (2022) cited research that found only 9% of individuals who were diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as children and 30% of individuals who were diagnosed as adults will graduate from college with a 4-year degree. This is compared to about 40% of the general population according to the United States Census Bureau."

"While laws such as The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) have ensured that colleges are required to give reasonable accommodations, low graduation rates in the ADHD population reflect that the accommodations are insufficient. In my observations, both as a professional who specializes in supporting individuals with ADHD and as a family member of many ADHD-ers, I believe that this lack of success in higher education stems from a few main issues:"

"Colleges putting the burden of obtaining help on the person with ADHD Insufficient supports and accommodations available for students Harsh grading penalties for aspects of assignments that require attention to details, but are not related to the content of the class, and later not used in the workplace In order to support further discussion, a review of ADHD as a diagnosis and how this impacts school functioning, is important."

Only 9% of individuals diagnosed with ADHD as children and 30% diagnosed as adults graduate with a 4‑year degree, compared with about 40% in the general population. IDEA and ADA require reasonable accommodations, but low graduation rates indicate those accommodations are often insufficient. Major barriers include colleges placing the burden of obtaining help on students, lack of sufficient evidence-based supports, and harsh grading penalties for attention-to-detail deficits unrelated to course content or workplace tasks. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disability that affects brain regions tied to executive functioning. Improving higher-education accommodations will benefit individuals with ADHD and society.

Read at Psychology Today