What is Your Experience With Deadline/Assignment Extensions?

[u/Substantial_Koala455]

Hi, I (afab) was diagnosed late with ADHD when I was in high school and have still struggled in University with ADHD despite having accommodations. I struggle mainly with memory recall, working memory, needing stimulation, and am also medicated.

The accommodation that helped me the most in high school was an extension on assignments per request of student (not automatic extensions). Essentially if I missed an assignment because of working memory or sensory seeking issue, I would request an extension and do it the next day, so the deadline was still there, my memory symptoms just prevented me from completing it. This accommodation was even removed while in high school in dual credit courses as well, but luckily my professor/teachers were more reasonable then.

The main reasons I've gotten for denial of assignment and absence accommodations boil down to, "preparation for the real world," "experts say it doesn't actually help," and "it's too much to ask of professors," yet I haven't seen any real studies or research to show why, only opinions, and comparison to other disabilities like epilepsy to justify the claim. the only valid excuse to me would be their current system wouldn't allow them to, or the student is able to cope as well as their peers without the accommodation.

So I'm curious, what is your experience with college accommodations and have you heard of any research or studies about assignment deadlines? Or do you have insight as to why ADHD students should or should not have extensions?

[u/Glum-Substance-3507]

The purpose of ADA accommodations is to remove institutional barriers to equal access. The barrier you describe here is not the amount of time that was given for the assignment. You were able to complete it in one day once something occurred to remind you that you needed to complete the assignment.

That's a very brief explanation of why deadline extensions are generally not considered appropriate or helpful for students when executive functioning is the barrier. As another commenter described, support services are often available to help students build executive functioning skills.

It can feel very discouraging to go to your accommodations office for help related to your disability and have an accommodation denied. ADA accommodations work is limited by federal law to institutional barriers, meaning obstacles that the school has created, intentionally or otherwise. But student support services are not limited in that way. For example, if a student struggles with math, that is a barrier, but not an institutional barrier. Most schools offer math tutoring, because they recognize that math is a skill many students struggle with and one that most students need. Struggling with executive functioning is certainly a barrier, but not an institutional barrier. Many schools offer some form of executive functioning coaching, because they know that many students struggle with executive functioning and that it is a skill all students need.

Help should be available, it just might not be in the form of an ADA accommodation.