Application for Special Accommodations on the Grounds of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The Psychometric Test
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neuro-developmental disorder that manifests in ongoing difficulties in regulating attention, regulating activity and organizing oneself. These may include difficulty in maintaining concentration for extended periods, a tendency to be distracted, difficulty in persevering with tasks, difficulty in organizing schedule and sometimes also impulsivity and hyperactivity.
The disorder appears in a range of patterns: for some people it is characterized by attention deficit, and it is sometimes referred to as ADD, and for others impulsivity and hyperactivity are dominant. Today all these patterns are included in the general classification of ADHD.
Attention deficit can influence functioning in studying and timed tests, but that does not necessarily mean that everybody with ADHD experiences difficulty with studying and tests.
Who is entitled to special accommodations in the test on the grounds of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Many people experience difficulty with concentrating, persevering with assignments and organization. These are common difficulties that are not necessarily indications of attention deficit disorder.
In order to confirm that we are dealing with clinical attention deficit disorder, we need to establish that the difficulties appeared in childhood (before age 12), have persisted over the years and cause significant impairment with several aspects of life, such as education, work, interpersonal relationships or daily organization.
Special accommodations are only granted when the difficulties are part of a serious and primary attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and are not caused by other factors such as pressure, fatigue, educational overload or learning difficulties not related to attention deficit.
What documents need to be submitted?
The documents required in order to assess your entitlement to special accommodation on the grounds of ADHD are:
- a current and detailed assessment of ADHD
- background documentation from a young age (previous diagnoses and information about your functioning in elementary school)
What constitutes a current and detailed assessment?
A current and detailed assessment is an assessment of attention function at present, conducted by a professional licensed to diagnose adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The assessment is consider current if at least one of the following conditions is fulilled:
- either it was conducted during the last three years,
- or it was conducted after age 25.
The assessment must include in-depth information about ADHD in accordance with the Ministry of Health Guidelines as detailed in the guidelines for professionals.
Note: Computerized tests such as MOXO, TOVA or BRC can provide partial information, but they are not substitutes for a full assessment of ADHD. In order to assess ADHD, a document from a professional including a comprehensive clinical assessment following Ministry of Health guidelines is required.
Who is entitled to conduct the assessment?
Ministry of Health guidelines specify that the assessment must be conducted by a professional licensed to diagnose ADHD in adults according to Ministry of Health guidelines. Typically this will be a psychiatrist, neurologist or pediatrician with qualifications in attention deficit disorder who has training and experience in diagnosing ADHD.
Diagnoses conducted by professionals who are not licensed to diagnose ADHD in adults (e.g. a family physician, a didactic assessor or a psychologist who is not licensed to conduct such diagnosis) cannot be used for that assessment.
Full and detailed information on the Ministry of Health guidelines is available here.
In order to ascertain the presence of ADHD, we require evidence that symptoms already manifested in children. We understand that at a young age difficulties are not always noticed and in some cases a formal diagnosis is only made later. So it is not essential to include a diagnosis from a young age in the application, but you should include evidence that some symptoms already appeared in childhood, such as difficulties in perseverance, distraction, problems with organization or slow work. Such evidence may appear in school reports, teachers’ opinions or other documents describing function in the early years of education
It is important to send any documentation including information about your functioning in elementary school (grades 1-6), such as:
- Developmental therapy records (e.g., occupational therapy, speech therapy).
- Documentation of previous diagnoses
- Elementary school report cards
- Evaluations or letters from teachers
- Documentation of remedial instruction
- Middle- and high- school report cards
- Evaluations from teachers and other professionals (via the teacher questionnaire)
It is not required to send all the documents in the list. These are only examples of documents that can provide information on functioning at a young age.
Frequently Asked Questions
ADHD and learning disabilities are two different things. Learning difficulties manifest in specific difficulties in reading, writing or arithmetic, while ADHD is mostly connected to regulating attention, perseverance and long-term behavior. In some people both are present, and in others they appear separately.
They are two different kinds of disability, each of which is documented in different places and diagnosed according to different criteria.
Yes. Attention deficit can manifest with or without hyperactivity. The important thing is submitting a current assessment and background documentation showing that the symptoms of attention deficit already appeared in childhood.
A didactic or psycho-didactic diagnosis can provide information about learning function, but it does not constitute a formal assessment of attention deficit disorder. An ADHD assessment requires documentation from a professional licensed to diagnose ADHD in adults, according to Ministry of Health Guidelines.
Yes. The diagnosis itself may have been performed in adulthood. Evidence is needed that some ADHD symptoms already appeared in childhood. Such evidence may appear in report cards, teachers’ evaluations or other documents from elementary school age.
An assessment is considered current if it was performed during the last three years, or since age 25.
There is no list of recommended professionals. You can apply to any psychiatrist, neurologist or pediatrician with qualifications and experience in diagnosing ADHD according to Ministry of Health guidelines.
The special accommodations usually include breaks between test sections, use of pocket calculators or large-format answer sheets, and in some cases extra time for the writing assignment. The accommodations are determined according to the information appearing in your documentation and the difficulties described in your professional assessment.
As a rule extra time is not granted on the basis of ADHD alone, since the difficulties that extra time works around are not specific to this disorder, so it may change the conditions of dealing with the test. Breaks between sections of the test are more effective at dealing with ADHD and are consistent with professional recommendations.
The current assessment is important because the way in which ADHD manifests can change over the years. The type of symptoms, their strength and their effect on current functioning can change, so it is important to understand how you function now in order to determine whether special accommodations are necessary, and if so - which ones.
Background documentation from a young age is important because ADHD is a developmental disorder. In order to establish the presence of ADHD, as opposed to a difficulty caused by other factors (such as pressure, overwork, emotional conditions or recently appearing difficulties), it is essential to see that the difficulties already appeared in childhood and continued over the years.
Special accommodations may also be requested for the following
| Learning Disabilities | Physical Restrictions | Mental Health Difficulties | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) |