What Accommodations Work in School?
In this page, you can find
classroom accommodations and
illustrations of situations in which students with psychiatric disabilities
have used accommodations, including what was effective for them.
For college students with disabilities, academic accommodations may include
adaptations in the way specific courses are conducted, the use of auxiliary
equipment and support staff, and modifications in academic requirements. A
college or university has both the diversity of resources and the flexibility to
select the specific aids or services it provides, as long as they are effective.
Such aids and services should be selected in consultation with student who will
Seating in front, by door, helps reduce audio/visual distractions
Having someone (another student, or a counseling staff member) to go with a
student to class and sometimes stay in class with the student.
|Assigned classmate as volunteer assistant|
Similar to an accompanier, an assistant may help take notes or provide
|Beverages permitted in class|
Helps alleviate dry mouth or tiredness caused by medications.
Helps student anticipate and manage anxiety, stress, or extreme restlessness
caused by medication.
Alleviates pressure of notetaking, freeing student to attend and participate
more fully in class.
Similar to above, having someone in class to take notes alleviates anxiety of
having to capture all the information; sometimes the anxiety of attending
class interferes with effective notetaking.
|Photocopy of another’s notes|
If notetakers are not available, then securing from another student helps free
him or her to attend and participate more fully in class.
|Change in test format |
Altering an exam from a multiple choice format to an essay format may help
students demonstrate their knowledge more effectively and with much less
interference from anxiety or a learning disability.
|Permit use of computer software programs or other technological
Writing may be difficult due to medication side effects that create muscular
or visual problems.
Allowing a specific extra amount of time, to be negotiated before the exam,
allows the student to focus on the exam content instead of the clock, and
lessens the chance that anxiety or other symptoms will interfere with his or
Dividing an exam up into parts and allowing student to take them in two or
three sessions over 1-2 days helps reduce the effect of fatigue and focus on
one section at a time.
|Permit exams to be individually proctored, including in hospital|
A non-distracting, quiet setting helps reduce interference from anxiety or
other symptoms or medication side effects.
|Increase frequency of tests or examinations |
Giving student more opportunities to demonstrate knowledge creates less
pressure than having just a midterm or a final.
|Permit exams to be read orally, dictated, scribed or typed.|
Anxiety, other symptoms, medication side effects, or a learning disability may
interfere with mental focus, concentration, ability to retrieve information,
and/or writing capacity during a typical paper-pencil test. Reducing the
amount of external pressure and distractions gives the student an equal
opportunity to demonstrate his or her expertise without the disability skewing
Written exercises or other out-out class exercise may be necessary for a
student with a psychiatric disability to best demonstrate their grasp of the
|Advance notice of assignments|
Helps a student anticipate and plan time, energy, and workload, and arrange
for any support or academic adjustments.
|Delay in assignment due dates|
A student may need to go into the hospital for week for a medication check or
a brief emergency; extra time on a due date might be all that is needed for a
student to pass the course. The delay should be specified; i.e., a new due
date should be negotiated and formalized, not be left open-ended.
|Handwritten rather than typed papers|
Relieves an additional source of pressure if student does not yet have typing
skills. The time tests and accuracy required in a typing course make them a
very high stress experience for students who are just returning to school.
|Assignment assistance during hospitalization|
Staying connected to a student during a course while he or she is in the
hospital may mean the student can finish the course as planned, and not have
to take an incomplete or withdrawal grade, lose their money, or repeat the
course again. (The exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms does not necessarily
preclude the student’s ability to complete schoolwork, and in some cases seems
to help them leave the hospital sooner because they academic responsibilities
|Use alternative forms for students to demonstrate course mastery|
A student may be better able to demonstrate his or her knowledge in ways that
don’t require lots of writing (e.g., a narrative tape instead of a written
journal) or time pressure (an essay exam rather than only multiple choice, or
an extra paper if the student has not performed well on the exam due to his or
|Textbooks on tape|
May help a student whose vision or concentration interferes with their reading
|Providing modifications, substitutions, or waivers of courses, major
fields of study, or degree requirements on a case-by-case basis.|
These adjustments should be considered on an individual basis, and only if the
changes requested would not substantially alter essential elements of the
course or program, or if courses are required for licensure)
|Provide orientation to campus and administrative procedures.|
Increasing a student’s familiarity with an environment and the system help him
or her to feel more confident and confident, and allow the student to plan,
strategize, anticipate trouble spots, and know where to go for assistance.
|Provide assistance with registration/financial aid.|
Helping a student cut through red tape and coaching them thorough the
intricate but critical process of financial aid eliminates a potentially
debilitating amount of stress and hassle.
|Flexibility in determining "Full Time" status (for purposes of
financial aid and health insurance).|
A school often has the power to declare a student “-time” even if s/he is
part-time. If the disability is such that a part-time load is equal in burden
to a full time load for a student without disability, such a case can be made.
(This adjustment does not entitle a student to full time financial aid).
|Assistance with selecting classes and courseload.|
Early morning classes or high stress classes such as keyboarding could set a
student up failure.
|Parking passes, elevator key, access to lounge|
Anxiety and other psychiatric symptoms can physically and emotionally prevent
a student from crossing the campus or climbing several sets of stairs or
sustaining energy for a day of classes, when they would otherwise be capable
of attending class. These supports make the environment more accessible and
“-friendly,” and are usually cheap and easy to obtain.
|Incompletes rather than failures or withdrawals if relapse occurs.|
If a student has finished most of the coursework but is unable to complete the
remainder before the semester’s end, negotiating an incomplete usually means
that a student will not have to repay or retake the entire course in order to
|Identified place to meet on campus that feels “” before or after class.|
Having a place that is safe may help a student attend class more regularly and
help lessen the effects of anxiety and “ in the bud” stresses that can
exacerbate other psychiatric symptoms.
|Jennifer was enrolled in a beginning computer class. Due to her
schizophrenia she had difficulty focusing in class. Her thoughts would wander
from the teacher and suddenly she would feel lost in class. Because of this
she would continually interrupt the class to ask the teacher questions. She
was beginning to feel as if her teacher and classmates were angry at her for
Jennifer’s teacher allowed her to bring in a tape recorder to tape the
class lectures. She was also assigned a “ buddy”, a classmate who would sit
next to her during class to point out what they were focusing on if Jennifer
became lost. The teacher also made herself available to Jennifer each week at
a certain time for questions. Jennifer also increased her time in the computer
lab at the school.
|Lisa was in her second semester at a community college. She had been
taking 3 classes and was near completion of the semester when her Multiple
Personality Disorder began to affect her school work. Until this point Lisa
had been an exemplary student, a teacher’s favorite with a grade point average
of 4.0. It became impossible for Lisa to go to her classes. Lisa did not want
to jeopardize her grade point average, nor did she have the money to pay to
take the classes over.
Because of her exemplary record Lisa’s teachers all agreed to give her
an incomplete rather than having her withdraw or failing her. This enabled
Lisa to complete the course work over the next semester. It would not affect
her grade point average and she would not have to pay for the classes again.
|Joe was attending a major metropolitan university. The parking lot for the
university was quite a distance from the building were his classes took place.
Because of an anxiety disorder Joe would find himself experiencing panic
attacks walking from his car to the classroom building. Once he arrived in the
building it would take him several minutes to calm himself and he was
generally very flustered during his class. Joe was contemplating quitting
Joe approached the Students with Disabilities Office and was able to get
a parking pass which allowed him to park closer to the building where his
classes were held. Because of this he felt safer in the environment and no
longer experienced the panic attacks on his way to class.
The following semester Joe had classes on the first floor and the third
floor of the building. In between classes, the hallway and staircase were
extremely crowded. Joe found himself experiencing panic attacks on his way up
the stair case, wanting to run out of the building.
Joe approached the Student’s with Disabilities Office again. Since Joe’s
class was located near an elevator they were able to give him a key to the
elevator. He would take the elevator to the third floor allowing him to avoid
the crowded staircase and diminishing his anxiety.
Introduction | Mental Illness Definition | Laws Overview
Employer Info | More Educator Info | Home
© 1997, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation,