Accommodation Decision-Making for Postsecondary Students with ADHD: Treating the Able as Disabled.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Disability Studies
• Neuropsychology

Background:

• Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may receive academic accommodations in postsecondary education.
• Canadian Disability Services Offices (DSOs) typically require objective evidence of functional impairment for accommodations.
• The COVID-19 pandemic impacted student self-perceptions and academic performance, potentially influencing accommodation requests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether Canadian postsecondary disability service providers utilize objective, third-party data in accommodation decision-making.
• To assess the reliance on student self-report versus empirical evidence when determining eligibility for academic accommodations.

Main Methods:

• A fictitious student profile with self-reported attention and academic issues during COVID-19 was presented to DSO decision-makers.
• The profile included a neuropsychological report with accommodation recommendations but lacked objective evidence of ADHD or functional impairment.
• DSO providers were surveyed on whether they would grant extra time accommodations based on this profile.

Main Results:

• 100% of surveyed DSO decision-makers indicated they would grant extra time accommodations.
• Decisions were made despite the absence of objective evidence supporting ADHD diagnosis or functional impairment.
• Results suggest accommodation decisions heavily rely on student self-report and professional recommendations, not functional impairment data.

Conclusions:

• The current system for determining reasonable academic accommodations in Canadian postsecondary institutions appears flawed and inequitable.
• The reliance on self-report and recommendations over objective data may lead to unwarranted accommodations, potentially disadvantaging peers.
• Institutions need to develop more rigorous methods for disability determination or consider universal accommodation approaches for equity.