Effectiveness of reasonable accommodations in students with ADHD: an experimental and intervention study

Samenvatting

Students with ADHD are more likely to underperform and drop out of higher education. Reasonable accommodations are used to help them deal with this challenge. However, the evidence base for the
effectiveness of reasonable accommodations is limited, even for the popular extended examination duration. Therefore, we examined the effect of a test-taking strategy training during extended examination duration. Compared to the standard time condition, the trained group (n=23) improved
its time-using strategies more than the untrained group (n=23) and consequently performed slightly better on a simulation exam. Next, effectiveness of separate room test-taking was investigated. Performance on a simulation exam did not differ in a whole group versus a separate room test-taking
condition for students with and without ADHD (twice n=15). Combined, these results tentatively indicate that the effectiveness of frequently used accommodations is limited but potentially can be increased if they are part of a more comprehensive support plan.