Accommodations for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Students who are seeking accommodations for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are required to provide documentation to the Dean of Students Office. The documentation must include information that can be used in establishing the need for appropriate accommodations.  A student with a disability is one who: a) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of major life activities; b) has a record of such impairment; or c) is regarded as having such impairment.

Acceptable Documentation

Students with ADHD must present documentation from licensed mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists and physicians.  The documentation must include the following:

• Developmental history
• Assessment tools used in the evaluation
• Learning areas impacted by ADHD
• A medical or clinical diagnosis
• A clear statement of ADHD including the reason for diagnosis
• Qualitative and quantitative information supporting the diagnosis
• The relevance of recommended accommodations in relation to the student’s disabilities
• Medical prescription, if any, including its effects and side effects

Age of Documentation

Accommodations are primarily based upon assessment of the current impact of the student’s disability(ies) on his/her academic performance. Therefore, ADHD documentation should have been completed within three years. In certain cases, updated information may be required.

Implementing Recommended Accommodations

Upon receiving the disability evaluations, the Dean of Students Office (the College and Sawyer Business School) will review the recommendation(s) for accommodations and support services and will consult with the Director of the University Counseling Center for further review of the recommendations. Appropriate accommodations will be offered only after meeting with the student and may require further interviews with selected members of the University’s administration and/or faculty.

Duration of Accommodations

Accommodations are made only during the semester(s) when a student is actively participating in course work. A student will not be granted accommodations if his/her accommodation request pertains to academic performances prior to the diagnosis of ADHD.

Release Forms

If a student needs accommodations that require the Dean of Students Office to contact faculty, administrators or outside agencies, the student will be asked to sign a release form. The signed release form allows the Dean of Students Office or the Dean of Students to share information on the student’s disability(ies) with  appropriate professionals.Responsibilities of Students Seeking Accommodations: Students requesting accommodations for disabilities must arrange for testing and must incur the cost of such evaluations. It is strongly recommended that students with diagnosed disability(ies) submit such documentation to the Dean of Students Office at the time of admission to the University. Any students with a disability(ies) must keep a copy of his/her disability documentation for his/her own records.

Students in the College or Sawyer Business School should submit documentation to:

Suffolk University, Dean of Students Office, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, Phone 617-573-8239, TDD 617-557-4875,
fax, 617-742-2582