The symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) have carried a variety of labels over the last 50 years including: hyperkinetic syndrome, minimal brain dysfunction, minimal brain injury, and attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity.

In general, individuals with AD/HD exhibit difficulty sustaining selective attention.

Many individuals with the disorder also exhibit problems with impulse control and/or hyperactivity.It used to be assumed that the symptoms disappeared after puberty but now it is recognized that for most individuals, AD/HD continues into adulthood and contributes to lifelong difficulties.For an adult to be diagnosed with AD/HD, it must be documented that the symptoms have existed since childhood and cause impairment in two or more settings.

There are a number of other disorders that may present very similar symptoms and must be ruled out before a diagnosis of AD/HD may be made. Disorders presenting similar symptoms include: learning disabilities, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), neurological disorders (i.e., petit mal seizures), allergies, and various psychological disorders like depression (especially bipolar type), or anxiety disorders (i.e., obsessive-compulsive disorder).

Students with AD/HD may demonstrate problems with:

• Concentrating
• Listening
• Starting, organizing, and completing tasks
• Following directions, especially if more than one direction is given at a time
• Making transitions
• Interacting with others
• Producing work at a consistent level
• Organizing multi-step tasks
• Remaining seated in the classroom

A student with AD/HD may:

• Perform better in morning classes or not perform well at all before noonNeed to sit at the front of the class
• Need assignment organizers
• Need assignments in writing
• Benefit from structure (i.e., having a set classroom schedule)

Many of the same accommodations may be used for students with AD/HD that are used for learning disabled students. They include:

• Extended time to complete assignments
• Use of a tape recorder to facilitate note taking
• Providing the student with a copy of the professor’s and/or a classmate’s notes
• Providing the student with a copy of overhead transparencies
• Employment of a scribe
• Taped texts
• Reduced course load
• Priority registration
• Extended time for tests
• Proctored testing in a quiet, separate area
• Alternative type of exam
• Blank card or paper (marker) to assist in reading
• Word processor with spell and grammar check

OSD determines specific accommodations
Students may not need all of these accommodations. Specific accommodations are based on the diagnostic information that is on file in the Office for Students with Disabilities.