WADHD Accommodations Checklist for College Students
College moves fast, and ADHD can make it feel like you’re working twice as hard just to stay afloat. Academic accommodations give you a fair shot at demonstrating your strengths by easing the symptoms that interfere with focus, planning, and performance. To prepare for academic challenges in college, it’s important to understand which ADHD accommodations you need and how to request them.
ADHD Accommodations that College Students Can Request
College demands sustained focus, organization, and follow-through, which can feel overwhelming when you’re managing untreated or newly recognized ADHD. The right accommodations remove barriers that make it harder for you to show what you’re truly capable of.
Testing Accommodations
Many adults with ADHD perform far better when testing environments remove unnecessary pressure and distraction. These accommodations help you show what you actually know, not how quickly you can work under stress.
Testing Accommodations
| Accommodation | How It Helps |
| Extended time on exams | Gives you space to work through questions without racing the clock or fighting ADHD-related time pressure. |
| Reduced-distraction testing environment | Allows you to take exams in a quiet room without the noise and movement of a large lecture hall. |
| Permission to use scratch paper | Helps you externalize your thinking, organize steps, and break down complex problems. |
| Breaks during long exams | Lets you reset your focus during extended test sessions. |
Classroom Accommodations
These supports reduce the load of trying to track everything at once, allowing you to stay engaged and absorb information more effectively during lectures.
Classroom Accommodations
| Accommodation | How It Helps |
| Audio recordings of lectures | Provides a reliable backup when attention drifts so you can review material later. |
| Note-taking assistance | Gives you organized, accurate notes so you can focus on understanding rather than writing. |
| Preferential seating | Reduces distraction by placing you in a location where attention is most stable. |
| Permission to use a laptop | Helps you keep pace with fast lectures if typing is easier than handwriting. |
Assignment Accommodations
When executive function challenges make planning, starting, or completing work harder, assignment-related accommodations can provide structure and reduce overwhelm.
Assignment Accommodations
| Accommodation | How It Helps |
| Extended deadlines | Offers flexibility when initiation or organizational barriers slow your work. |
| Assignment reminders | Helps you stay on track when managing multiple deadlines is difficult. |
| Breaking large projects into smaller milestones | Makes complex tasks more manageable and reduces procrastination. |
Other Helpful Accommodations
Some accommodations don’t fall neatly into classroom or testing categories but still make a significant difference in organization and well-being.
Other Accommodations
| Accommodation | How It Helps |
| Priority registration | Lets you choose a schedule that works with your ADHD, avoiding early mornings or high-load days. |
| Reduced course load | Allows you to take fewer classes while maintaining full-time status for financial aid. |
| Excused absences for medical appointments | Supports ongoing ADHD treatment without academic penalties. |
Guided Checklist for Requesting ADHD Accommodations in College
Colleges have dedicated systems to ensure you receive the support you need, and each step helps translate your diagnosis into practical academic tools. Here’s an overview of how to move through the process with clarity and confidence.
Step 1: Contact Your Disability Services Office
Every college has an office that coordinates accommodations for students with disabilities. It might be called Disability Services, Student Accessibility Services, or something similar.
| Recommended Practice |
| Reach out as early as possible, ideally before the semester begins. Early contact ensures there’s enough time for documentation review and allows accommodations to be activated before assignments and exams start. |
Step 2: Submit Documentation
You’ll need documentation of your ADHD diagnosis. This typically includes:
- A formal diagnostic report from a qualified healthcare provider
- Evidence of how ADHD impacts your academic functioning
- Recent documentation (usually within the past 3 to 5 years)
| Recommended Practice |
| Provide the most recent and comprehensive diagnostic materials available. Colleges are more likely to approve appropriate accommodations when documentation clearly outlines functional impairment and current academic impact. If the documentation is older, consider clarifying your current symptoms with your clinician. |
Step 3: Meet With a Coordinator
Once your documentation is reviewed, you’ll meet with a disability services coordinator to discuss which accommodations make sense for your needs. This is your chance to explain exactly how ADHD affects your academics.
| Recommended Practice |
| Prepare specific examples of how ADHD affects your coursework, exams, and daily academic functioning. Coordinators make decisions based on functional impairment, so concrete descriptions help ensure you receive accommodations that meaningfully address your needs. |
Step 4: Communicate With Your Professors
After your accommodations are approved, you’ll receive an accommodation letter to share with each professor. You’re responsible for giving this to your instructors at the start of each semester and discussing how accommodations will work in their specific class.
| Recommended Practice |
| Discuss implementation details before challenges arise. Clear, proactive communication supports smooth integration of accommodations and reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings later in the semester. |
Tips for Making Accommodations Work for You
Getting accommodations approved is just the first step. Here’s how to make sure they actually help:
- Be proactive. Don’t wait until you’re struggling to use your accommodations. Share your letter with professors right away, even if you’re not sure you’ll need every accommodation.
- Communicate clearly. If an accommodation isn’t working as expected, talk to your professor or disability services coordinator. Adjustments can often be made.
- Use them consistently. Accommodations work best when you use them regularly, not just during crisis moments. If you have extended time, use it. If you can record lectures, do it.
- Combine accommodations with other strategies. Accommodations help, but they work best alongside treatment, study strategies, and support systems.
About Dr. Aaron Winkler
Dr. Aaron Winkler is a board-certified psychiatrist and nationally recognized expert in adult ADHD. As the founder of the Stanford Adult ADHD Clinic and a member of the APSARD National Guidelines Taskforce, he brings deep clinical insight into how ADHD affects college students.
His approach goes beyond symptom management, offering individualized care that supports real growth, emotional clarity, and long-term resilience. Dr. Winkler’s work is grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens when treatment honors both your strengths and the challenges you’ve carried for years.
