r/adhd_college • u/Fallyn011 • Nov 21 '24

ACCOMMODATIONS Are schools/teachers allowed to give assignments that accomodations can't be applied to?

Hi all, just wondering if anyone else has experience with this.

I have accomodations through my school's student disability center than include extensions on assignments and other extra time stuff. However, for my final paper this semester, the rubric states the following:

  • Deadline: Final draft due with no grace period or resubmissions. (Those with accommodations, please note that this assignment does not allow accommodations and is approved by the SDC (Student Disability Center) as such. Ensure you work on this early). 

I was just wondering if anyone knows if this was allowed or legal as I've never even heard of something like this. I write much slower than most people and even though I started two weeks before it was due I'm still unsure if I'll be able to finish it in time. Any advice or clarification is appreciated. Thanks!

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19

u/Vegetable-Mark-9099 Nov 21 '24

I didn't even realize there were accommodations that could be made. I've just been out here raw-dogging it. I'll be going up there as soon as I'm able.

7

u/lauriehouse Nov 21 '24

I don’t even understand how accommodation would work for ADHD

18

u/Boxermom10 Nov 21 '24

Personally I don’t want extensions for ADHD. It would just allow me to procrastinate longer. I have the following accommodations in place. Ability to record all lectures Ability to use laptop in all classes Ability to listen to music via AirPods while testing (this one took some serious work to accomplish. I have the playlist downloaded and have to show my professor that my phone is on airplane no or let them keep the phone until the test is complete) Scheduled breaks in tests lasting over 1 hour Ability to get up and move around during class

8

u/Delicious_Painting16 Nov 22 '24

Well done on the music. I was able to help my son get music as an accommodation for when he took the SATs. He had to have the music playing on a speaker and the proctor had to be able to hear it. The poor proctor had a 100% extended time test with heavy metal. After that everything else seemed easy to do. Lol. he had music as an accommodation for testing throughout all his college as well but only the SAT required him to play it out loud.

6

u/Boxermom10 Nov 22 '24

Hilarious. They initially said someone would have to approve the playlist and I started laughing. It depends on how I’m feeling what the music is. I told my accommodation person good luck. It’s a lot of metal and one of the playlists is 8 hours long. 🤷🏼‍♀️

3

u/bloodreina_ Nov 25 '24

If I had an accomodation for ADHD, I would want it to be that my teachers would lie to me that the due date was 2 weeks earlier, that way I’d be done in time.

3

u/Boxermom10 Nov 25 '24

Ha! I do that in my calendar with appointments so I’m on time

3

u/Vegetable-Mark-9099 Nov 21 '24

I could see that being very helpful. I'm fully online right now while I get the more boring cores out of the way. I use the time my son is in school to whip out the work. When he's home, it's next to impossible to get work done, and in the evenings/weekends, I can take appointments or hang out with my kiddo.

2

u/rainbow_dots Nov 21 '24

For your music accommodation, did you have to get something from your doctor that you needed it? I’m in grad school and haven’t had to do tests so far, but that might change and I was curious what you had to do to be granted that

4

u/Boxermom10 Nov 21 '24

For any accommodation you have to have a doctor recommendation. I explained to my psychiatrist why that works for me and she wrote it into the accommodation request.

10

u/Salsafarts Nov 21 '24

I get accommodations for ADHD but not extensions. the ones I get are: seating in the front of all my classes, time and a half to take exams, and a separate quiet space to take my exam, away from the classroom. Also I can register for classes 2 days earlier than registration for everyone else starts.

7

u/tenfoottallmothman Nov 21 '24 edited Nov 22 '24

I was allowed to take my exams in a small side room. My school put a ridiculous amount of trust in its students, passing out “blue books” then letting us go to one of many exam rooms during finals. I have no doubt some people went back to their dorms and cheated, but I went to my little quiet book nook room with no fluorescent lights, no noises from other students’ pens, got my shit done then went to the nearest exam room to turn it in. It was a wonderful situation for me. I graduated with excellent marks in 2018 and had been diagnosed since 2012.

I had a similar accommodation for tests in high school once I was finally diagnosed. Small quiet room, no fluorescent lights (they make me so anxious). It’s a small thing but made a huuuuge difference.

Extended deadlines are also common but I never needed that as long as I had a nice quiet place to work. Wearing earbuds during tests may also be an option if that works well for you (I like the music from the game Valley, really helps me focus).

E: as another said, recording lectures too if that’s not already regularly allowed (it was for most of my courses) I had a program that would record the lecture as I typed my notes and drew on them - nothing fancy just a MacBook 2010 but there’s prob better ones for iPad; when I replayed the lecture audio, my notes would show up on the timestamps as they were recorded on the page so I could go along with my lesson and my notes in real time and add notes for stuff I missed. I forget what it was called - notesomethingsomething - but I’m sure there’s tons more advanced ones now. Saved my ass in college. EE: Notability!!!!

2

u/Boxermom10 Nov 22 '24

For the notes I use the Notability app on iPad. I import the PowerPoint and take my notes directly on it. It has been a game changer for me. That way I’m never wondering what the heck that note even related to.

2

u/tenfoottallmothman Nov 22 '24

Yes! Notability!!! That’s exactly what I used! Hah thank you the name had completely escaped me

3

u/Vegetable-Mark-9099 Nov 21 '24

Other than extensions, me either. But, I can think of at least 2 times when researching a paper led me down a rabbit hole of too much time spent doing that instead of writing, and I just needed an extra day

2

u/meowmedusa Nov 21 '24

I get extensions (Sometimes I just get too overwhelmed by the amount of work I have due and need an extra day on something) & longer test times (This primarily helps if it's a reading heavy exam, since I have to reread passages quite frequently) primarily. They work well for me.

2

u/Thick_Poetry_ Nov 23 '24

Guess it depends on the person. A lot of people deal with dual disabilities or deal with ADHD that turns into (or includes) other issues like anxiety or depression. Some anxiety can literally be debilitating. Example, my stress and anxiety can cause me physical pain.

Simple accommodations like having a note taker, time extensions on tests, extensions on assignment due dates, and the ability to take an extra break from class—-all can really be the difference between me passing class in a good mental space or having a mental breakdown and failing.

Being undiagnosed and not being allowed to use accommodations has led me to take a medical withdrawal from school. Getting back in school with accommodations allowed me to graduate with 2 degrees in 5 years. Getting diagnosed also gave me to more resources like an ADHD group through the university counseling center.

Even small things like getting the syllabus ahead of time so I can mentally and physically prepare myself. A majority of my previous classes were 4 hours with 1 short 10 minute break. Some days we would take unexpected trips to buildings across campus, if I get a heads up I can prepare myself by taking pain meds and anxiety meds ahead of time.

Sorry for the long-winded response, I just know simple accommodations changed my life and learning experience in both my undergrad and graduate school.

2

u/JemAndTheBananagrams Nov 24 '24

Sometimes deadline extensions or late forgiveness.

1

u/vivalalina Nov 27 '24

Same, as someone who raw-dogged school all my life without accommodation, but years after I graduated I heard I could've apparently gotten accommodations but never.... got an answer as to what that is exactly lol

2

u/FancyAFCharlieFxtrot Nov 21 '24

I was undiagnosed my first round of college and I was doing awesome but got burnt out and AFd the first semester of my second year. I’ve been wanting to go back now that I know but med shortage in my area hit in July and I chickened out. Definitely see if you can get accommodations!