Academic and Testing Accommodation ABCs
Students and early-career professionals frequently pursue evaluations for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities (LD) to obtain documentation supporting academic and standardized testing accommodations. These accommodations—which fall under the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—are meant to level the playing field by making sure that students with learning differences have equal access to education and testing opportunities.
However, getting accommodations is no simple task. Every testing body, school, and/or licensing authority has its own review process and documentation requirements—and those requirements can be strict. Even if you already have a diagnosed condition, your documentation may not meet the necessary criteria. In this case, you may need to receive updated testing or request a follow-up letter from your diagnostician. Whether you are receiving an ADHD/LD assessment for the first time, getting reevaluated, or simply requesting supporting documentation, it is important to know exactly what information is needed to acquire accommodations and to share that information with your mental healthcare professional.
Below, we’ll walk you through how the ADA impacts education, what accommodations can look like at different stages of school and testing, and how to make sure you get the support you need.
Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It guarantees these individuals equal opportunity to employment, goods and services, and state and local government programs. Specific sections of the ADA outline protections that must be provided by different entities, including federally funded schools (public or private) and educational testing agencies, and pre-professional licensing groups.
What Disabilities Qualify for ADA Protection?
The ADA defines a person with a disability as someone who:
has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,
has a history or record of such impairment, or
is perceived by others as having such an impairment.
‘Major life activities’ refer to the kind of activities that you do every day, including your body’s own internal processes. For educational and testing purposes, these can include cognitive functions like thinking and concentrating, sensory functions like seeing and hearing, and tasks like working, reading, learning, and communicating. Individuals with ADHD, learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other neurodevelopmental disorders are all covered by the ADA, and therefore eligible to receive accommodations from their educational, testing, or licensing institution.
Documenting Your Disability
Before receiving accommodations, individuals with disabilities must first provide proof of their diagnosis to the educational or testing establishment. The establishment then reviews these documents and decides what—if any—accommodations are warranted in order to provide the individual with an equal opportunity. In order to receive these accommodations, there must be official documentation of the disability in question and evidence of its impact on major life activities. Every educational and testing body has its own rules and regulations about how specific this documentation needs to be. Below, we’ll outline some common environments in which accommodations are requested, what accommodations they typically offer, and what documentation is traditionally required to receive these accommodations.
College Academic Accommodations
Disability Support Services
Most colleges and universities have a specific disability services office that coordinates accommodations for students with disabilities. The postsecondary-level service providers in this office are responsible for reviewing disability documentation, working with students to determine appropriate accommodations, and providing students with an official letter outlining these accommodations.
Students then provide this letter to professors to ensure that the accommodations they are granted are then upheld in the classroom.
What accommodations do colleges provide?
Commonly requested/recommended academic accommodations include:
Extended time on tests and assignments
Testing over several sessions
Testing in a separate and quiet place
Permission to record lectures
Audio textbooks
Assistance taking class notes or reading (note-taking service, reading group, speech-to-text technology)
Written instructions from professors
Priority registration with a professional in the disability services office
The possibility of class substitution within the curriculum or a reduced course load
Sitting near the front of the room
Permission to use a computer in all classes
Obtaining copies of visual aids or PowerPoint presentations to review before class
Documentation Requirements
Typically, diagnosis alone is usually not sufficient to guarantee academic accommodations.
Documentation of a disability presented to a disability services office must:
Address all aspects of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) criteria for diagnosis of ADHD
Include specific recommendations for academic accommodations
Describe how those accommodations were objectively determined (i.e. specific tests of cognition, attention, working memory, etc.)
Different educational institutions will have different documentation requirements. So, it is crucial to understand the stipulations provided by your college or university. Additional supporting documents may also be requested. This could include a letter from your primary care physician and evidence of previous accommodations or IEPs. Suppose the current documentation of your disability does not meet the institution’s requirements. In that case, you will likely either need to get re-evaluated or request a letter of support from the clinician who made your diagnosis. In this scenario, it is crucial that you provide your mental health care professional with the specific rules and regulations of your institution so they can tailor your report/letter to include all necessary elements.
Thinking Ahead
Directly contacting your school’s disability services office is the best way to figure out what documentation is needed to receive academic accommodations. This can even be done before you commit to a college/university! When touring a school, ask your tour guide or an admissions representative about the school's disability support services. They can likely give you a broad overview of the program.
Then, ask if you can visit the disability services offices while you’re there, and speak to somebody on their team. If you can’t meet with the disability support team in-person, try to set up a virtual meeting or phone call, or correspond with them via email. Academic support and equal opportunity are crucial to a successful college experience and should be seriously considered as part of the college search process.
Standardized Testing
Testing Accommodations
Much like with colleges and universities, the ADA also applies to standardized testing. It ensures that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to fairly compete for and pursue educational opportunities by requiring testing entities to offer exams in a manner accessible to individuals with disabilities. When needed testing accommodations are provided, test-takers can demonstrate their true aptitude.
The ADA defines testing accommodations as “changes to the regular testing environment and auxiliary aids and services that allow individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their true aptitude or achievement level on standardized exams or other high-stakes tests.” Examples of these accommodations include:
Braille or large-print exam booklets
Screen reading technology
Scribes to transfer answers to Scantron bubble sheets or record dictated notes and essays
Extended time
Wheelchair-accessible testing stations
Distraction-free rooms
Physical prompts (such as for individuals with hearing impairments)
Permission to bring and take medications during the exam
Testing administrators are very strict about what can and cannot be brought into the testing environment, so it is important to research the rules of a given test up front so you know what accommodations to ask for.
What kinds of tests are covered?
The ADA guarantees disability accommodations for exams administered by any private, state, or local government entity related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes. These include:
High school equivalency exams (e.g. the GED)
High school entrance exams (e.g. the SSAT or ISEE)
College entrance exams (e.g. the SAT or ACT)
Exams for admission to professional schools (e.g. the LSAT or MCAT)
Admissions exams for graduate schools (e.g. the GRE or GMAT)
Licensing exams for trade purposes (such as cosmetology) or professional purposes (such as bar exams or medical licensing exams, including clinical assessments)
Applying for Accommodations
Anyone who meets the ADA’s definition of a disabled individual is eligible to receive appropriate accommodations. However, the application process to do so is often extensive and can take weeks or even months. This application process can usually be started on the testing entity’s website, and will require the submission of appropriate documentation, including (but not limited to):
Recommendations of qualified professionals
Proof of past testing accommodations
Observations by educators
Results of psycho-educational or other professional evaluations
An applicant’s history of diagnosis
An applicant’s statement of his or her history regarding testing accommodations
Once you know the required timeline for applying and submitting appropriate documentation, it is important to work backwards from your desired testing date to figure out how early you need to apply for testing accommodations. Even if multiple testing opportunities are offered per year, usually only some of those are available to individuals with accommodations, so planning ahead is critical. Below, Manas Cor Psych lists some common standardized testing entities and helpful resources for applying for disability accommodations:
College Entrance Exams
SAT requirements
ACT requirements
Admissions Exams for Graduate Schools
GRE
General accommodation information
Admissions Exams for Professional Schools
MCAT
Items taken into account when evaluating accommodation eligibility
https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/8491/download
Application guidelines & requirements
https://students-residents.aamc.org/mcat-exam-accommodations/application-guidelines-and-requirements
Types of accommodations and what you need in order to qualify for them
LSAT
Possible accommodations
https://www.lsac.org/lsat/register-lsat/accommodations/accommodations-may-be-available-lsat
Documentation requirements
https://www.lsac.org/lsat/register-lsat/accommodations/documentation-requirements
Common reasons why documentation is deemed insufficient
Pre-Professional Licensing Exams
Much like other standardized testing entities, professional licensing groups are required to provide disability accommodations to eligible examinees. However, the application process for the accommodation varies both from test to test and from state to state. It is important to research the specific rules and regulations for your exam in your state.
Final Thoughts
For someone with ADHD, an LD, or other neurodevelopmental condition, academic and testing accommodations can be the best way to accurately assess academic and intellectual capabilities.
Although these accommodations are guaranteed (for qualifying disabilities) through the ADA, applying for them can be a lengthy and arduous process. It also usually involves submitting very specific diagnostic documentation. The best way to receive the support you need is the think ahead, do the research, and compile all of your documentation and application materials long before the date which you need to receive accommodations. We leave you below with some brief reminders of what to remember when seeking out academic or testing accommodations. Remember, these accommodations exist to make sure that everyone has equal opportunity to education and employment – that includes you.
Things to Remember
College Academic Accommodations
Speak with a school’s disability support office before committing
Understand the application process and what documentation is needed to receive accommodations. This documentation may be hyper-specific and usually differs from school to school.
If your current documentation does not meet school requirements, you will need to either be reevaluated for your disability or request a follow-up letter from your diagnosing clinician. Make sure you know which one you need and then communicate your school’s specific requirements to your mental health provider.
This will allow them to tailor your reassessment or follow-up letter to your current needs.
Testing Accommodations
Accommodation applications can take weeks or months to process. Take this into account when figuring out when to apply for accommodations.
Specific applications and documentation requirements will differ between testing entities. Know what your specific requirements are and, if needed, relay them to your mental health professional.
Even if your accommodation application is approved, sometimes only certain testing locations/appointments will facilitate these accommodations. Be sure to take this into account when thinking through your application timeline.
Professional Licensing Accommodations
These applications and documentation processes differ both between testing entities and between states. Visit your testing entity’s website to learn more about what requirements apply to you.
Get Support Navigating Accommodations and Testing Requirements
Applying for academic or professional testing accommodations can feel overwhelming — from figuring out what documentation is required to making sure deadlines are met. At Manas Cor Psychological Services, we provide comprehensive psychological testing in Washington, DC, to help you gather the diagnostic clarity and documentation needed to support your application. Ready to get started?
Contact us today with your questions about psychological testing and accommodations.
Explore our blog posts for more resources on testing, therapy, and support.
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