Anonymous wrote:I got straight As in school but I couldn't focus in class, stayed up late learning the material and wished the bus would run me over in the mornings. Yes, kids that are getting straight As can still be struggling academically.

And there’s no evidence that getting accommodations of the type demanded by parents now would have helped you, at all.

Anonymous wrote:Research shows that extra time on exams / tests / assignments is counter productive for ADHD as an accommodation.

There is scientific evidence against it and none for it.

For the ADHD brain, the more time you have, the more time you put it off, procrastinate, do other things. The ADHD brain executes better under tighter deadlines and more structure, not less.

The research and what schools actually see in practice is more nuanced than "it’s counterproductive for ADHD."

From what I've read, studies often show that extra time doesn’t dramatically, automatically raise test scores for students with ADHD — but that's not the same thing as showing it harms them. There isn’t solid evidence that it’s broadly counterproductive. ADHD affects kids differently. Some do work well with tight deadlines, but others struggle with distraction, slower processing, or anxiety when the clock is ticking.

The goal of accommodations isn’t to give an advantage - it's to level the playing field so a student's grade reflects what they know, not just how fast they can work under pressure. Extended time is just one tool schools use, and it's hopefully paired with other supports like quieter testing spaces or breaks.
It won't help every kid, but for some students it reduces the panic of running out of time and lets them actually show what they've learned.

I got straight As in school but I couldn't focus in class, stayed up late learning the material and wished the bus would run me over in the mornings. Yes, kids that are getting straight As can still be struggling academically.

Anonymous wrote:Research shows that extra time on exams / tests / assignments is counter productive for ADHD as an accommodation.

There is scientific evidence against it and none for it.

For the ADHD brain, the more time you have, the more time you put it off, procrastinate, do other things. The ADHD brain executes better under tighter deadlines and more structure, not less.

Cite please?

I hope some of the posts here have been helpful as a starting point. Navigating the 504 process can feel frustrating, especially when you know how hard your child is working behind the scenes.

One thing that can get lost in these conversations is that grades alone don’t determine 504 eligibility. The question is whether a disability substantially limits things like learning, focusing, or completing work without accommodations. Many students with good grades are putting in an enormous amount of extra time and effort to keep up.

A few things that can help going into the meeting:

• Bring concrete examples of what it looks like at home (hours of homework, reteaching missed material, late nights to stay on track).
• Use the evaluator’s report and ask the school to respond directly to the accommodations that were recommended.
• Frame the conversation around sustainability, not just performance — a student shouldn’t have to exhaust themselves to maintain good grades.

A previous denial also doesn’t prevent a school from approving a 504 now, especially with updated testing and the increased demands of high school.

I’m a DC-based educational consultant, former school leader, and attorney who helps families prepare for 504 and IEP meetings. If it would be helpful to talk through how to approach the meeting, feel free to DM me.

Anonymous wrote:I had no trouble getting a 504 for a kid with straight As and strong test scores with ADHD. It’s a qualifying disability. End.


I will say it’s not that helpful bc DS doesn’t use the extra time or other accommodations so don’t expect too much. But I am surprised you had trouble even getting one.

well good for you, not everyone is as lucky as you!

Anonymous wrote:Research shows that extra time on exams / tests / assignments is counter productive for ADHD as an accommodation.

There is scientific evidence against it and none for it.

For the ADHD brain, the more time you have, the more time you put it off, procrastinate, do other things. The ADHD brain executes better under tighter deadlines and more structure, not less.

Have not heard this, can you provide the sources for the science against it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He can still qualify for a 504 even with good grades

It’s going to be very, very hard to make the case.

OP should spend the money on tutors not lawyers.

Tutors don't get the kid the accommodations they need in school.

Research shows that extra time on exams / tests / assignments is counter productive for ADHD as an accommodation.

There is scientific evidence against it and none for it.

For the ADHD brain, the more time you have, the more time you put it off, procrastinate, do other things. The ADHD brain executes better under tighter deadlines and more structure, not less.

Anonymous wrote:I had no trouble getting a 504 for a kid with straight As and strong test scores with ADHD. It’s a qualifying disability. End.


I will say it’s not that helpful bc DS doesn’t use the extra time or other accommodations so don’t expect too much. But I am surprised you had trouble even getting one.

What type of accommodations did you get for your kid? NP with a 504 meeting coming up next week with the school. We did a full neuropsych which revealed ADHD and anxiety. But she gets straight As, even with late assignments in every class.

Anonymous wrote:Yet again … if anyone is wondering how it can possibly be that 40% of kids at Stanford have accommodations, reference this post. Here we have a child doing objectively exceedingly well, yet mom insists on seeing him as fragile and disabled and thinks, I guess, that he should never need to make any effort, and finds it intolerable that he may not be as able as other kids.

Why do people persist in seeing Moms as disabling their kids? It's a sexist framework. Moms are frequently the people closest to the child - they often know how homework assignments play out at home, know how it is affecting the child in terms of mental health (anxiety, self-esteem, etc.), and know the kids abilities the best. The OP literally said, "He gets good grades" (which BTW isn't the same as PP's "objectively, exceedingly well") but it takes an enormous amount of effort and time to get work done at home (including going over stuff missed in class bc of distraction). " That is exactly the kind of "substantial limitation on major life activities" that is the criteria for a 504 plan.

Here are some links about what ADHD accommodations can look like:
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/classroom-accommodations-for-adhd
https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/treatment/classroom.html
https://prntexas.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TA-72-Accommodations-ADHD-Partners-Resource-Network.pdf

https://chadd.org/for-educators/assignment-accomodations/ (specifically references assignment length)
https://chadd.org/for-educators/overview/ - all kinds of accommodations - classroom, behavior, assignments, motor, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of accommodations do you think he needs?

The 504 specifies things like extended time for tests, ideal seating, no more than 2 tests/day.

It also specifies things like "copy of class notes" which is really helpful for kids with ADHD who get distracted in class, plus use of calculator and/or computer for writing. It can also specify accommodations like speech to text or text to speech, spell check, etc.

Really a 504 can specify anything that is "reasonable" (in terms of the burden it places on the school to provide) that isn't "special instruction".

A significant number of my students have copies of class notes as an accommodation. I work in an affluent public school, where many have accommodations. All teachers post copies of notes online now for everyone. This is because of Schoology, not because of this accommodation.

I don’t know what you want, OP. You say your kid is spending too much time at home. How would a 504 help? Are you hinting at reduced assignments? That often isn’t appropriate in HS with the content needed to learn material for tests. Is your kid in the right classes? It sounds like it if the grades are As and it sounds like time on tests isn’t an issue since the grades are As.

The bold is actually not true - not "all". In a large public high school in MoCo, many classes do not post daily class notes. The only one that does reliably is math.

FWIW, "reduced assignments" can be appropriate depending on the student and situation. My DC had post-concussion syndrome that lasted for over a year. She absolutely had a 504 plan, and it absolutely included "reduced assignments" and had frequent "sick" absences due to post-concussive symptoms. She was an excellent student in all advanced classes and had excellent grades prior to the concussion and after the concussion. 504 plans are, by law, considered on an individual basis, and she did not need to do all the class assignments to learn material for tests. TBH, there is a lot of "fluff" in assignments. Maybe a kid only needs to do 6 of the 12 math problems, or doesn't need to do the "crossword" puzzle with science terms.

Yet again … if anyone is wondering how it can possibly be that 40% of kids at Stanford have accommodations, reference this post. Here we have a child doing objectively exceedingly well, yet mom insists on seeing him as fragile and disabled and thinks, I guess, that he should never need to make any effort, and finds it intolerable that he may not be as able as other kids.

Anonymous wrote:I had no trouble getting a 504 for a kid with straight As and strong test scores with ADHD. It’s a qualifying disability. End.


I will say it’s not that helpful bc DS doesn’t use the extra time or other accommodations so don’t expect too much. But I am surprised you had trouble even getting one.

No, you are not entitled to a 504 just on the basis of having a diagnosis on paper … and it is only going to become harder now that the accommodations are mushrooming out of control.

I had no trouble getting a 504 for a kid with straight As and strong test scores with ADHD. It’s a qualifying disability. End.


I will say it’s not that helpful bc DS doesn’t use the extra time or other accommodations so don’t expect too much. But I am surprised you had trouble even getting one.