Accommodation Decisions at Colleges

Most colleges have disability services offices (DSOs) that review disability documentation and make decisions about which students have properly documented disabilities and what accommodations, if any, these students require. However, DSOs vary in their procedures, and DSO staff vary tremendously in their training and expertise, ranging from individuals with professional expertise in disability diagnosis and management (e.g., psychologists, special educators) to administrative workers with no specialized background.

Unfortunately, a recent study casts doubt on the ability of DSOs to make careful decisions about disability accommodations. In this study, Drs. Allyson Harrison and Irene Armstrong of Queen’s University in Canada sent a fake diagnostic evaluation report to DSOs, under the guise of being parents of a prospective college student. The evaluation report made a diagnosis of ADHD but the data in the evaluation actually showed only average levels of ADHD symptoms and no other key pieces of evidence of ADHD or accommodation needs. 23 DSOs responded with a decision, and all 23 decisions were in the same direction—the prospective student would be approved for accommodations! As the researchers conclude, the study suggests that the current decision making process is “flawed and inequitable.” Although the study was performed in Canada, there is no reason to expect results to be different in the United States. Even so, replications of research are always valuable!