A common hallmark of kids with ADHD is their inability to sit still and stay focused for extended periods of time, especially when they’re doing something they’re not interested in. Yet, one of the most frequently used accommodations provided to these students is extended time for test-taking. 

What’s wrong with this picture? That’s the question EducationWeek writer Elizabeth Heubeck recently posed in the article Does Extended Time on Tests Actually Help Students With ADHD?

To the several experts that Heubeck interviewed, the answer is self-evident. For example, psychology professor Gregory Fabiano put it bluntly when asked his opinion: “For many kids with ADHD, that’s an absolutely absurd recommendation.” Fabiano, whose research focuses on interventions for kids with ADHD, explained what he considers the obvious: “They have a hard time paying attention for the typical time that they’re supposed to do the task. Why would giving them another 20 minutes to do that task be thought of as something that would help them at all?” 

Fabiano pointed out that the extended-time accommodation is one of several accommodations that have become common practice despite “little or no proof” that it works. Researchers at Columbia University’s Teachers College confirm that few studies exist that have examined the effectiveness of this accommodation, and yet 80% of students with ADHD are routinely given the additional time accommodation.

Judith Harrison, a Rutgers University special education professor, takes exception to the premise behind the extended-time accommodation:

Extended time for students with ADHD comes from the idea that they’re off-task—so if you give them more time, they’ll come back to focusing and complete the assignment, which we’re really finding out is not true.

A study led by Fabiano supports that contention. In the study, kids with ADHD were divided into two groups. 

One group received the standard 30 minutes to complete seat work; the other received 45 minutes. The students who received the standard amount of time completed significantly more problems correctly per minute than those who received extended time, the authors found. Further, the researchers observed that the behavior of the students in both groups declined the longer they spent on the assignment.

For some experts, the answer is not to treat all students with learning challenges the same way, but instead to focus on the individual, teaching them skills that can serve them in school and throughout their lives. As an example, Harrison maintains that students with ADHD may not benefit from extended time, but this accommodation may be well-suited to a child with anxiety by eliminating the stress that comes with the “timed” element. 

Regardless of what the future brings regarding accommodations and modifications, one thing is clear: more research is needed to provide the data necessary to help neurodiverse learners, a population that is growing and becoming more inclusive of many learning challenges.