Q: What High School Accommodations Make the Biggest Impact?
ADHD symptoms shift throughout adolescence, which means the school accommodations that helped your child in elementary or middle school probably need adjustment in the teen years. Here are 6 accommodations effective for addressing executive function deficits in high school.
Q: “I’m working on getting an IEP for my junior in high school. Do you recommend any specific accommodations for helping a student with ADHD and poor executive functioning skills? He already sits in the front of class, gets extra time on tests, and gets guided notes (through a 504 plan). These aren’t helping.” – ADHDMomma
Hi ADHDMomma:
This is a great question and one I get very often — because it’s hard to know what accommodations to ask for without some initial trial and error. That said, here are a few of my “must-haves.”
1. Check for understanding. In my estimation, this should be our primary focus. I see it all day long in my coaching practice. Does your student REALLY understand what is being asked of him? In most cases, the answer is no.
The information or instructions are too big or too vague. Or your student did understand at the time they were given, but when it was time to actually sit down to read or work on the assignment, he realized that what he needed to know wasn’t super glued to his brain! So your son’s teachers need to check in to ensure he understands directions and new material as needed.
2. Homework clarified. Your son should have ONE way to write down and keep track of homework assignments. And, in my opinion, online doesn’t cut it. There is seldom consistency in how and when teachers post assignments. So please have your son’s teachers check to ensure that he has the correct homework recorded — ideally in a planner book — AND understands (see above) the directions and expectations of the assignments given.
[Self-Test: Could Your Child Have an Executive Function Deficit?]
3. Breaking down large assignments into steps. For long-term or multi-step assignments, your son will benefit from having the project broken down into tasks with benchmarks. Gathering resources for his paper on Mesopotamia is a lot easier for his brain to manage than “continue writing your paper.” And a tip within a tip: Ask for “Are you on track days?” My students love this. We add days to the calendar where there is no specific work to do. These days are to assess if the student is caught up and on track. Huge stress reliever!
4. Pairing oral instructions with written instructions. Yes, please! Hands down THE most helpful accommodation for my son for when he was in high school — and even now in college. His IEP stipulates that ANY instructions, even if just a date change for a test or assignment, MUST be given orally and in written form. We know that our ADHD students with executive dysfunction have a hard time sustaining effort all through class time. This accommodation truly helps my son have a backup plan in place in case he doesn’t “hear” everything.
5. Double desks. If your son needs to fidget to focus, this accommodation might really help. Instead of asking active students sit still in their chairs — or, worse, leave the classroom and miss important lecture time — ask the school to designate another spot in the classroom where your son can go when he feels the urge to move. It can be an empty table in the back of the class, a stool at a counter, or even an empty desk. Many of my students have this accommodation. Not only does it allow them to move around and work in a comfortable position, but it also keeps them focused by moving them away from possible distractions.
6. Listening to music while test taking. This is another must for my son and my students. I have students who are confident and prepared going into exams but then let their test anxiety get the better of them during the actual exam. Listening to music while test taking has helped to activate and soothe their brains while keeping the anxiety at bay. If you son suffers from this, ask the school if it will allow him to listen to music. Tip within a tip: Some of my students create different playlists for different subjects!
Good luck!
[Free Checklist: Common Executive Function Challenges — and Solutions]
Organization guru Leslie Josel, of Order Out of Chaos, answers questions from ADDitude readers about everything from paper clutter to disaster-zone bedrooms and from mastering to-do lists to arriving on time every time.
