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

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be entitled to academic accommodations in postsecondary education. Disability Services Offices (DSOs) in Canada say that objective evidence of functional impairment is required prior to providing academic accommodations. This study set out to determine if postsecondary disability service providers use objective, third-party data when making accommodation decisions. Providers were asked if they would grant extra time accommodations to a fictitious prospective student. The student self-reported attention and academic problems that emerged during COVID restrictions, and that extra time helped her earn better grades and reduced her anxiety. While her neuropsychological report suggested superficial similarity to ADHD and contained accommodation recommendations, it lacked any objective evidence supporting either an ADHD diagnosis or functional impairments that would support extra time accommodation. Despite the lack of current or historical functional impairment, 100% of all DSO decision makers confirmed that they would grant extra time accommodations to this student. Results suggest that DSOs’ accommodation decisions are not based on evidence of functional impairment but rely mainly on student self-report and the recommendations of a professional. As such, the current system of determining reasonable accommodations is flawed and inequitable, offering non-impaired individuals access to supports and services that may privilege them over their similarly abled peers. Postsecondary institutions must either develop more defensible methods of disability determination or provide all students with access to accommodations to create a more equitable learning environment.