Five sentence summary:
The process varies depending on the school but it can take a long time and it can be a serious headache. You will have to essentially prove that you're disabled, and this can mean finding a lot of documentation from specific doctors and/or making new appointments. You should contact the disability office to find out specifically what is needed, how recent documentation needs to be, and what to do after. If they want additional documentation, it is your responsibility. I recommend starting this early because you may have to jump through some hoops.
Regardless of whether or not you expect accommodations, I recommend every student register with the disability office. Yes, this includes graduate students! If you don't register and you have a professor who acts particularly ableist, you won't be able to do much until you're registered with the disability office. Reminder: Yes, ADHD can be considered a disability. Read more: Is ADHD a disability?
Every school is different, but this process can take a really long time, so you should reach out and contact them sooner rather than later. Keep in mind, they're likely to be busy at the start of the semester, so you may want to reach out over summer. Another thing to remember is that you can register AT ANY TIME. If you are diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the middle of the semester and you need accommodations, you have every right to contact this office and start the process. Now, accommodations aren't retroactive, so you can't apply in October and expect to receive extended testing for the tests you've already taken. Your professors and the office also have to be given a reasonable amount of time to provide the accommodations, which is why it's better to apply before the semester starts, but it's not a requirement. Proving you have a disability
Proving you have a disability and need accommodations may be a real mess. They may need a lot of documentation, it may need to be from specific types of doctors and they may need information on the credentials of those doctors. They also may need documentation to be recent (only accepting documentation from the past five years). A note from your primary physician may be enough for some schools but it won't satisfy others. They may want to see your IEP plan or they may want to start from scratch and meet with you one-on-one.
There is a range in what you will need to do in order to register with the disability office. In some cases, folks from the disability office will start helping you while you are compiling all of your documentation but in other cases they won't offer any services until you are registered. This leads to the next important point. It can take a long time to get registered and get all of the help you need. Depending on how long it takes for your doctors' notes to be sent, how busy the disability office is, how clear the disability office is on what types of documentation they need, and how many follow-up meetings or phone calls you need to have with disability office staff, it can take weeks or even months for everything to fall into place. In some colleges, it is a really straight forward process and you will be fine if you talk to them the first week of school. For other colleges, it takes more time than you might think, so it's good to start planning in advance. Requests for additional information
If your office contacts you and tells you that they need more information, for example a more recent diagnosis or a diagnosis from a different type of doctor, unfortunately it will be your responsibility (financially and in terms of organization) to do this. It is not the responsibility of your previous school or of your new school to cover this. The disability office may be able to recommend some low-cost doctors or ones local to the area that they have worked with before (this can make the approval process go faster).
In my experience, even if your university has its own health clinic staffed with general practitioners, psychiatrists, and other specialists, they may or may not offer actual ADHD diagnoses. It really depends, so don't count on being able to handle everything at the university health center just because you attend a university with 50,000 students. That said, if they do, this may be one of the more affordable ways to obtain the documentation you need, but it could take time. It's not you, it's the system
Like I said earlier, I had a range of experiences getting accommodations as a student. In some cases, it was a really easy process and my contacts in the disability office were great. Meetings were always productive and they were kind and understanding in addition to being informative and helpful. I hope this is the experience every student has, but I also know it isn't. I have experienced doctor's offices taking forever to send paperwork, disability offices not specifying what they need exactly and asking for more information, and I have had conversations with contacts in the disability office that didn't go well and where I didn't feel supported or helped. It ranges, so I really recommend preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
You should know that it can be a headache and that the process is often confusing, especially the first time you go through it. It's not you! Graduate students get accommodations too
Graduate students, you are entitled to accommodations. Being a graduate student does not change anything about accommodations or disability. No matter what your supervisor says, what your lab manager says, or what your major advisor says, disabled graduate students belong, and your accessibility needs don't disappear or change because you're a graduate student.
Don't be afraid to ask questions before starting the process
Contact the disability office and ask them about documentation requirements or see if it is posted online somewhere. Here are some questions you should not be afraid to ask about the process:
1. What specific documentation do you need? 2. Can my diagnosis have been made by any doctor or are only certain doctors acceptable? (I was once told a diagnosis by my primary physician was not enough). 3. Do you have any requirements about how old the documentation is? Does it have to be from the last five years or anything like that? 4. What is the best way to get my documentation to you (online portal, mailed from the doctor's office on letterhead, etc.)? 5. What happens once you have received all of my documentation? Should I call you to confirm that you have received everything? Do you contact me?
Key points:
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AuthorThere's a reason theADHDAcademic is an anonymous account and there's a reason why this website will remain anonymous. That said, there are some basics it might be helpful to know about me: DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional or a lawyer of any kind. All text, graphics, and content on this website are for educational purposes only. Any and all content should not be substituted for medical or legal advice. Although I strive to provide the most accurate, current, and scientifically sound information, content should never be substituted for professional advice. Always consult a medical and/or legal professional before making any decisions. Links are provided only for reference and do not necessarily imply endorsement.
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