My views on 504 Accomodations

I have been using 504 Accomodations ever since I started taking meds for my ADD; which was in 7th grade. I've been using them long enough to understand what goes on with them, behind them, and how they're typically used - and I have a few things to say about them.

Overview

504 Accomodations, as I mentioned in my post "Why be diagnosed with ADD/HD?" require by law that schools and colleges do everything in their power to assist you to succeed...a lawsuit at Boston College between '97-'98 cemented that into place. This is in place to protect people with mental disabilities, of which ADD is included, from discrimination. It allows affected students to request accomodations with their studies (of which, I intended this blog to guide you) - including, but not limited to, extra time on tests, papers and projects.

The way the school system is set up works ENTIRELY against ADD/HD - such students are constantly tested on their worst weaknesses (assignments demanding hours of focus with little reinforcement or 'checkpoints' to gauge progress from), and it is an incredible nightmare to survive at times. When attempting physics homework, I would get physically tired if I tried to focus on a single problem for more than 15-30 minutes in one sitting (meds lenghtened this limit immensely). Likewise, if I was in a boring lecture, I would get extremely sleepy after 30-40 minutes. Heat or afternoon classes (2:30-4 pm was the worst) intensified this effect.

This is in addition to the assumed problems of scheduling time for writing papers, difficulties in writing papers, procrastinating the writing of said papers...

Purpose/Use of 504

Enter the 504 Accomodations. In my experience, the main use of 504 accomodations is to shield you from the worst consequences of 'screwing up' while in the system. As I said in my post about why you'd want a ADD/HD diagnosis, this alone is worth the price tag of an official diagnosis.

504 Accomodations allow you to ask for extensions on papers, get additional time to take tests, and so forth. This has also included reduced or eliminated penalties for late work, in the past. As I said, 504 is more of a shield than anything else...but a VERY necessary one! I doubt I would have graduated without using 504. Also - there were times when I tried to go without it, feeling like I relied on it too much. Don't make that mistake. Those accomodations are there for a reason - to protect you! I feel like, as a student, you need to do what you can to protect yourself from harm and loss. 504 is a solid way of doing that.

Limitations of the School System

I am grateful to an ex for helping me let go of the bitterness and anger I constantly felt toward the system, and that allowed me to see more of what was really going on. The system wasn't consciously trying to bring me down...what's happening is that - because 504 is still a relatively new thing for them to deal with - they're short on ideas.

One of my biggest frustrations was in going consistently to counseling centers and hearing the exact same limited ideas over and over - of which none changed anything. Extra test time, extensions on paper, seat in the front, ability to leave once during long classes to stretch; year in, and year out.

One of the main problems I have with 504 is that I feel like it's sometimes used as a copout by the system. Instead of truly changing to help the students, the system can offer a few suggestions and simply shrug its shoulders. They're complying with the law, and that's all that matters. They expect you to come up with the majority of solutions. To a point, this is okay - you have a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses than they do - but they are the ones who deal with hundreds of students every year.

It has been almost ten years since the initial lawsuit at Boston College led to revisions of ADA, and I am only now starting to see improvements in attention to students with LDs. My college has just this year added a position in its counseling department to focus on these students...which would have been nice while I was still there. It's a step in the right direction - these students should not be left to fend for themselves.

Parental Abuse of the System

I have started reading many, many reports on how competitive parents are starting to perceive college entrance requirements to be, and how cutthroat these parents are getting. In addition to going to college advisors (more or less performance coaches) as early as these students' freshman years to make them 'Ivy League material' (I believe some of this is documented in the book "Branded," by Alissa Quart), it's getting to the point where some of them are forcing doctors and psychologists to give their kids false diagnoses for LDs (Learning Disabilities)!

I have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior, and giving normal kids advantages they don't need infuriates me. 504 and ADD/HD coping tools can be looked at like a pair of eyeglasses (Drs. Hallowell and Ratey, authors of "Driven to Distraction," use this analogy) - someone who is nearsighted won't be able to see clearly until they have glasses to correct their vision. In this context, giving normal students these accomodations is like giving them a pair of binoculars! I find this kind of action by these parents dishonest, immoral, and inexcusable.

As I was beginning this post, I came across some resources that can help you understand what you can legally ask for/expect from your colleges/schools to help you with; only a tiny fraction of these were offered to me. In another post, I will share these resources along with my own spin.

Why be diagnosed with ADD/HD?

As I've described the symptoms of ADD to many people, they've commented, "Hmmm, do you think I might have it?" Sometimes, it's hard to say. Many other people point out that the things that frustrate ADDers (people with ADD) to no end happen to everyone. True enough, but the frequency of misplacing keys, forgetting assignments, zoning out when people talk to you, mishearing people, and so on plays an important role. Generally, if these things happen often enough to be considered disabling (getting in the way), you might consider seeking a diagnosis.

If you're wondering if you have ADD, Dr. Daniel G. Amen has a self-assessment over on his website. I have linked to it on the sidebar. It's a detailed 72 question survey, but the results - and the questions themselves - may very easily shock you. It's definitely worth your time to look if you suspect that it might be possible.

ADD affects virtually EVERYTHING a person does. The list is astounding; it affects friendships, jobs/work, school, social aptitude, ability to hear people correctly...straight down to a person's sex life. The tools used to treat ADD are fantastic - the meds are a lifesaver. Basically, the meds work by allowing a person with ADD to 'flip a switch,' and give them a choice to whether or not they want to focus on something.

A pattern I've noticed in people with ADD (and I haven't seen these things on any assessment tests), is that they all, including me, tend to have 'noise' of some sort going on in their heads all the time. Examples of this noise are constant self-conversations or music/movie scenes playing as background - which shuts out other conversations. Medication quiets or sometimes virtually silences this inner noise - and the first time an ADDer experiences this, it can be quite unnerving. It is far, FAR easier to function, though, without the background.

In addition, since about '97 or '98, schools and colleges have been required by law to accomodate students with ADD/HD. Yes, required: ADD is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, just like any other physical or mental disorder. One of the things this allows ADDers to get is time extensions on papers and tests. These are under a program called 504 accomodations, and I've been using them ever since middle school. More on 504 in a future post.

These reasons make getting a diagnosis from a licensed psychologist worth the time and money you would spend. Also, even if you were diagnosed before high school, you have to get re-diagnosed once you're 18 in order for colleges to accept your diagnosis. It will cost roughly $2000 (correct me if I'm wrong), but spread over 4 or more years - that's cheaper than a single class every semester, and it buys you legal protections from the worst consequences of screwing up.