This article addresses the educational accommodations provided to college students.   If you are interested in reading about educational accommodations and modifications for the P-12 student, see my article “The IEP or 504 is in place. Now what?”

The long arduous process of acquiring college accommodations is complete.  College has started and you are ready with an arsenal of support.  Right???  Perhaps not.  In my practice, I often find that college students don’t use the accommodations that the school has provided.  What is going on? When I ask my clients about this, they often tell me  “I don’t really know how to use them” or “My professor has not said anything to me.”

Accommodations at the college level are provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1980. Each college has its own specific set of requirements for securing these accommodations, but the process is similar at most schools.  In general, colleges require an application for accommodations accompanied by a psycho-educational evaluation.  The special services office then determines the needs of the student and provides a set of accommodations that may be used in each class.  The major difference between the accommodations provided in college versus those provided in high school is that the student is expected to self-advocate once the services are determined. This means that they must make it their responsibility to seek out the assistance.  For a student with ADD/ADHD, this can be a challenging process.

How can a student make use of the accommodations that are offered? The first step is to make an appointment to meet with the special services office.  Even if you have already had a meeting, don’t be shy about going back again if you don’t have a complete understanding of the process, or if you just can’t remember.  The office is there to assist the student.  They want to see you succeed.  So, use them as a resource.  When you attend the meeting, a representative from the office will go over each accommodation.  It is very important to ask how the accommodations will be communicated to the professors.  Often times, the student assumes that the special services office will relay the information to the professors.  That, in fact, is rarely the case.   Because of the large population of students on campus, the special services office may not be equipped with the ability to send information to each individual professor.  It is usually the responsibility of the student to let the professor know about the accommodations.  Even if the professor did receive the accommodations list from the special services office, a student cannot expect that the professor will manage the process.  It is your responsibility to manage this process.

I have seen situations where students have extra testing time as an accommodation, but because they haven’t specifically made arrangements with the professor for the extra time, it doesn’t happen. Here is how to avoid such situations.

Once you have a list of your accommodations, you need to visit your professors during their office hours.  This is not something that should be done on the way into or out of class. When meeting with the professor, you should:

  • Provide a copy of the accommodations
  • Discuss which accommodations are applicable to that class.  Not all accommodations are meant to be used in every class!
  • MOST IMPORTANTLY: ask your professor to explain to you how you use the accommodations in that specific class.

Sometimes an accommodation is given that is not directly applicable to the professor or the class.  For example, you may be given the opportunity to have audio versions of the textbook.  At some schools, this is accessed through the library.  If this is the situation, go see the librarian to find out how to access the books.

College is a test of a student’s organization and time management skills.  A student with ADD/ADHD might be reluctant to contact the professor, especially to talk about learning or organization challenges.  But, an unused accommodation may be the difference between passing and failing!  It is very important to have these conversations

Do you need assistance with understanding your accommodations, or a plan for accessing your accommodations? I work with both parents and students to help manage this process.  If you are already away at school, it is not too late to have a conversation.  Contact me at 908 868 5355 or email at coach_diane [at] comcast.net.