’Reasonable accomodations’ in college | ADHD Information

I take online classes and I'm going to request extra time.  In my psychology class, I have a test each week, its 20 questions in 15 minutes and I nearly have a panic attack every time I have to take it. 

I don't know what else you can get . . . Front row seating?  Tutor? 

What I really want is to get the syllabus and complete all the assignments in a few 'cram' sessions, turn it in and be done with it. I CANNOT sit in a classroom for 3-4 hours, it's torturous! No matter what class it is, there's always ONE person who has to ask every stupid question imaginable and is usually so slow that the class has to move at a snail's pace. No amount of adderall could help with the boredom!

(But I don't know how to put that message in a letter to the school - lol!)

Background: I'm a 33-year-old female, dx'ed with inattentive type ADD about a year and a half ago. I'm on Adderall and the difference is amazing. I've been going to college part-time for going on 13 years and I'm still considered a "sophomore". I've dropped/failed/withdrawn so many classes over the years that I'm now on academic probation - meaning I have to meet with an advisor, appeal my probation and give them an explanation of my bad behavior and promise to 'shape up'.

I met with the Student Disabilities office and explained I have ADD and now I have to get my dr. to send the school a letter, confirming my diagnosis and his recommendations for how to accomodate me. So far, so good - my dr. is willing to do that, but he wants me to give him a list of the accomodations I want and he will write the recommendation based on that. I don't even know where to begin!

I don't need longer test-taking time in a quiet room. That's all anyone seems to suggest.

Has anyone else had to do this and what accomodations did you ask for?

Have you thought about going to school online?  It's perfect for me, except the timed tests that cause me to freak out.  You know everything you need to do pretty much the whole semester ahead. That's exactly why I dropped out the first time. . . After 12 years of grade school I couldn't handle it anymore . . So I quit and joined the Navy.  Now I'm taking courses online and I couldn't be happier.  Study when I want . . My professor for my astronomy class is VERY boring and I cannot STAND to listen to his lectures so I just read the chapter myself without even bothering with the lectures.  It's pretty neat. urgh college - boooooring!

i don't know parrithead - do you find the classes difficult at all (as opposed to boring).  as in can you pass?  are you an A student, B student, just scraping by?

i think one of the things about ADDers is that they often get to the 'heart' of a problem very quickly so given an essay question their response can tend to be a 'one line answer' as opposed to a two thousand word thesis... we just think differently on occasion. 

we also DO find things more difficult sometimes.  my sister-in-law is fantastically apt and organised and not only went through college with straight As the whole way but also ran a national 'award-winning' student newspaper - plus ran to be head of the student union (which AMAZINGLY she didn't win!  --- the first time she has failed at anything i am quite sure... and the last.  she has since been nominated and won Baftas for her documentary productions and has a career that is stratospheric, plus a husband from the aristocracy who is incredibly wealthy and owns half of an Irish county on top of it, knows all sorts of famous people who all think she is wonderful --- and what is more, she is.  clever, funny, beautiful and just finds life SOOOO easy but is hard-working and decent and functioning member of her community).  you know, i mean for her college was just such a BREEZE - she had to do all these extra things because otherwise she was bored.  whereas i could barely make to a single lecture.... (we were at the same university and are exactly the same age too!)

but getting back to you --- i would ask for more one on one/tutorial time.  i thrive in tutorial-type teaching but i doubt whether your school will be able to accommodate that???

i would also ask for 'false deadlines' --- not this has to be in two weeks leaving  you to worry for 13 days and do everything in the last twelve hours but 'you' have to complete the assignment in 3 days...  then after having handed it in, you can take it back with corrections and a tutorial and re-work it a little for the next ten days and hand it in again.  that might work better for me aswell (but again it is twice the work for the teacher and they might not be prepared to do that).

and then if you are bored - train yourself to study in a more non-ADDer way.  not always looking for the simple truth and solution but learning how to draw out essays and theses... learn the art of blarney!  ask for more tips with that if that is a problem. 

what i always did at my highschool was just play games with the lesson if i were bored... for example, imagine what next stupid question your classmate might come up with.  consider some fantastically amusing replies.


not that that is something that your doctor is likely to put down....

oh well, it will all be over soon!

Perhaps you are more than bored.  Maybe you are uncomfortable sitting in one of those awful wooden chairs.  I know I hate them.  

The book called Stopping ADHD suggested that what really is bothering some of us with ADHD is that we have a reflex that makes us want to straighten our arms when our legs are bent and visa versa.  This makes total sense to me when I read it.  I have inattentive ADD, but I still am very uncomfortable in a chair with arms and legs bent.  I would much rather be in a large comfy chair, or sprawled out.  I hate restrictive clothing also. 

Since I've been doing these exercises in the book ( I am maturing the reflex)  I have been able to sit still through an entire play!!  without crossing my legs or squirming around.  I think it is amazing.  My memory has improved and my organizational ability also.  It is like I am on meds when I am not!

Anyway, hope it helps someone else out there too.

paritthead,

I am also a college student.  I'm 5th year and I will be graduating in the spring .   I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until winter of last year.  I couldn't concentrate on reading and my 2 1/2 hour classes killed me - it seemed like they dragged on forever.  My medication has helped me a lot, but in addition to medicine I figured out some ways to help me get through the long classes.  Hopefully you will find them helpful. 

(1) participate in class...I used to hate speaking up in class, but I've found that it makes time go by much faster.  Also, the more you participate, the more the professor will like you AND there is less time for the stupid people to ask questions. 

(2) take notes...I find that time also goes by faster if I concentrate on writing down what the professor is saying, even if its not important.  

As for accomadations, the only thing other than longer test taking is having access to a copy of the class notes, like if a professor uses powerpoint slides, you can have a printed copy before class so you don't have to worry about copying information during class. 

I don't know what kind of classes you are taking, but if you need any advice I'll help you with whatever I can.  Be careful with the online courses, although they are great for some people, they can be disasterous for others.  I took a human nutrition class online and I forgot to complete half the assignments...oops!   

I always ask for assignments to be written down -- either on the board or on some sort of syllabus..

I'm having trouble this semester because I have a teacher who only tells us about assignments ( so I forget or miss them), and seems to not have any kind of structure.. good grief his syllabus ended sept 29th!!

I'm thinking about going ahead and declaring my ADD so that I can officially ask for more structure if it is needed in the classroom from now on.. I cant take another class like this!!

The thing that I noticed is that, when you have a good teacher, you really don't need any accomodation other than your own personal ones that you use.

For example, I ALWAYS sit front and center, take notes, bring a coffee or soda with me to class, and participate as much as possible. I always try to find a "study buddy" that I can ask questions to if I think I've zoned out a bit and am able to be brought up to speed.

Good luck with whatever you decide to list as your accomodations!!

SHerry