Can you write a book in a week?

Can you build intricate miniature replicas of planes and trains faster than anyone you know?

Do you become an expert in things that light you up — almost overnight?

And yet…maybe you still have trouble turning in schoolwork on time, zone out during lectures, or find assessments impossibly hard to finish.

If this sounds like you, ADHD accommodations might help you in your education journey.

Your school, social support system, and personal experience come together to help you figure out which strategies work best for you. Understanding the strategies that work for you will help you know which accommodations to ask for.

These strategies generally fall into six categories:

Study Skills 📖

Choose times, methods, and environments that set you up for success.

Organizational Skills 📚

Keep a clean space, write to-do lists, and organize with regularity.

Time Management Skills ⌚

Prioritize goals, use a planner, and battle procrastination!

Course/Assignment Strategies 🏫

Develop relationships with professors, take and schedule breaks.

Test Preparation 🧪

Understand information deeply rather than rote memorization.

Structure 👷🏽‍♂️

Color code information, use a calendar and adaptive technologies, create routines, and set reminders.

Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

Some schools even maintain databases of these strategies for students with ADHD. For example, The University of Illinois Champagne has an entire page on its website dedicated to helping students with ADHD develop a "toolkit" of strategies.

For more on this topic, check out this this Byte: 4 ways to manage adult ADHD

Many countries have laws around accommodations and accessibility for students with disabilities.

Examples:

1. Individuals with Disabilities Act (USA): Says that students are entitled to the "least restrictive educational environment" and a written plan to legally bind districts to uphold meaningful accommodations.

2. Americans with Disabilities Act (USA): Ensures adults' right to request and receive accommodations in education and work settings.

3. Accessible Canada Act (Canada): Provides protections for disabled Canadians in various areas such as school and work.

4. Federal Participation Act (Germany): Provides rights and framework for supporting students with learning disabilities and differences.

While most countries have some form of legislation guaranteeing educational assistance for students with disabilities, you may have to do some research on what you will find in your country:

• Find your country's specific legislation.

• Make a list of the guaranteed services you're entitled to.

• Use these to make a list of reasonable ADHD accommodations to ask for.

Your team is anyonewho can support you along your journey to receiving the accommodations you need.

For some, this could mean leaning on the support of a trusted professor. For others, it could mean relying on their parents to speak to an institution on their behalf. For others still, it could mean meeting with an educational counselor at their institution.

Beyond these social supports, your team should include credentialed professionals and administrators at your school. Most laws that guarantee your rights require documentation. Whether you have a diagnosis or may be starting to explore this possibility, you should begin to consult:

Medical Professionals

Doctors can provide written letters with diagnoses and recommendations for accommodations. Such documents are often necessary to ensure appropriate accommodations.

Disabilities Services Administrators

These administrators can coordinate accommodations with professors and district officials. Generally, you must register with this office to secure accommodations.

Advocates

Advocates are professionals who you might hire to help you secure accommodations. They can sit in meetings with and for you. Advocates know a great deal about existing laws and common accommodations that may help you in your education journey.

Professors and other academic professionals are usually willing to make ADHD accommodations.

They especially respect when students are proactive and forthcoming. You can work with individual professors and your administrators to discuss ways they might help you succeed.

Ways you might work with your professors include:

1. Ask for extended deadlines when appropriate.

2. Prioritize attendance at office hours.

3. Negotiate alternative forms of assessment such as projects and essays.

4. Find TAs or classmates who can hold you accountable.

You show up for your first day of class. You're excited to begin your educational journey, but anxious because you know you might need help. You were successful in past school settings because you had the help of parents and friends.

Now it's up to you to speak up to find support. As you begin to listen to the first lecture, many scenarios run through you mind. Maybe you should:

See if you can do everything on your own. You're older now and may not need the support you once had. If you need help, you'll figure it out when problems arise.

Make a plan to speak with the professor after class. Together, you can come up with a plan to ensure adherence to deadlines and structures to help you build understanding.

Go to the Disabilities Services Office to explore ADHD accommodations. Having a meeting with campus officials may give you confidence and understanding of appropriate accommodations.

Make sure to use strategies you learned in the past. You'll keep your calendar up to date, take copious notes, and use goal-prioritization techniques.

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Proactivity can be difficult for students with ADHD, but it's crucial to your success. You're already doing an amazing job! You are reading this Byte, after all.

For students with ADHD, there's nothing like the present. To prevent procrastination, get started now! Use the steps below as a guide to get you started: