Thinking about 504 accommodations? Think again.

One of the things that many ADHD publications advise at this time of year is to start the year off by letting your professors or teachers know about your 504 accommodations. Accommodations are alterations made in the classroom that students with a disability have the right to receive via a 504 plan.  Preferential seating and taking tests in smaller groups are often on the recommended accommodation list for ADHD students.

Getting accommodations can be helpful, but they don’t address the real issues of ADHD.  Let’s step back a minute and look at what makes a student successful.  Successful students usually have four main qualities that help them achieve their goals:

• Sticking with things even when the going gets tough (a.k.a. perseverance),
• Ability to delay gratification and focus on the big picture,
• Time management and organizational skills, and
• Striking the right balance between fun and work.

These qualities, which are also known as your brain’s executive functions, are actually the hallmarks of ADHD. Students with ADHD can’t depend on these skills because these are exactly the skills they are weakest in.  Getting more time on your tests isn’t going to help you with getting organized. And preferential seating won’t solve impulsivity or time management.

For most with ADHD the problem is not so much in knowing what to do, but in getting it done.  If you have ADHD and are reading this, it’s likely that you’ve already tried countless organizational systems, have been nagged-to-death by caring, but overprotective parents, and feel frustrated with yourself because you know what to do, you just can’t seem to follow through.

ADHD coaching works with your strengths to accommodate your weaknesses

There is growing evidence, both research and anecdotal, that coaching helps students learn to plan, prioritize, and persist (i.e. follow the plan). It helps students develop self determination and self confidence and reduces anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Through being coached, students learn how to coach themselves, and actually strengthen their executive functioning skills – something that no other intervention does.

It’s not too late to get started with an Edge coach. Because many coaches work on the phone, you can “take your coach with you” wherever you go. Starting early in the school year is smart because it is surprisingly easy for students with ADHD to fall behind without even realizing it. Failing classes is a big waste of money and not a good way to start your college career.

Want to learn more?  Sign up to speak to an Edge coach today and see if you don’t find you are more on top of things than you ever dreamed possible.