Are ADHD Accommodations Actually Helping Your Child? Here's What Recent Research Reveals

If you're the parent of a child with ADHD, you've probably spent countless hours advocating for accommodations at school. Extended time on tests, preferential seating, and breaks during assignments. These supports feel like lifelines when your child is struggling. But what if I told you that recent research reveals a more complicated picture about whether these accommodations are actually helping?

It's completely normal to feel confused or even worried when hearing this. You're not alone in wondering whether the supports your child receives are making a real difference. Let's explore what the latest research tells us about ADHD accommodations and what this means for your family.

The Surprising Reality About ADHD Accommodations

Here's something that might shock you. More than 80% of students with ADHD receive extended time accommodations, making it the most common support provided (Education Week, 2025: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/does-extended-time-on-tests-actually-help-students-with-adhd/2025/10). Peer-reviewed reviews also find that this widespread use has outpaced the scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness (Lovett, 2010: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654310364063; see also Understood's summary: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/extended-time-accommodation-adhd-research).

You read that right. The accommodation your child most likely receives may not be helping them as much as you think.

In fact, several studies have found results that go against what many of us assume. A 2010 study with elementary school children discovered something unexpected. Kids with ADHD who had the standard 30 minutes to complete their work finished significantly more problems correctly per minute than those given 45 minutes (Pariseau et al., 2010, School Psychology Quarterly: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ909521). Appropriate behavior also declined as time went on in both conditions, suggesting that longer seatwork did not improve behavior (same study).

This doesn't mean accommodations are useless. It means we need to think more carefully about which ones actually work for your specific child.

Why Extended Time Often Falls Short for ADHD Kids

If you're feeling frustrated or confused right now, that makes complete sense. The whole idea behind extended time seems logical. If your child gets distracted and goes off-task, giving them more time should help them refocus and complete their work, right?

Unfortunately, research is showing us this assumption isn't quite accurate. As special education researcher Gregory A. Fabiano, PhD, put it, "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" (Education Week interview, 2025: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/does-extended-time-on-tests-actually-help-students-with-adhd/2025/10).

Here's another surprising finding. When researchers looked at large-scale testing data, they found that less than half of eligible students actually used extended time (Witmer, Lovett, & Buzick, 2023: https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829221130457). Even more interesting, having access to extended time, whether or not a student used all of it, was associated with better test outcomes and completion on some assessments (Barrett, 2024: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15377903.2024.2405812; ETS summary of NAEP findings: https://ets.org/research/policy_research_reports/publications/article/2022/kgfk.html).

What does this tell us? Sometimes just knowing the extra time is there provides psychological comfort, but your child may not need or benefit from actually using it.

When Accommodations Actually Work. It's All About Individual Fit

Before you panic and think all accommodations are pointless, let me reassure you - they absolutely can help. The key is matching the right accommodation to your child's specific needs.

Here's where things get really interesting. While extended time doesn't seem to help kids with ADHD alone, it can significantly benefit children who have both ADHD and anxiety (systematic review and clinical perspectives: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5424262/; anxiety-performance link in ADHD: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9496751/; student reports of reduced anxiety with extended time: https://doi.org/10.1080/09362835.2020.1727339). For these kids, removing the pressure of being timed allows them to relax and focus better on the actual material.

Similarly, preferential seating works wonderfully for children whose main struggle is inattention, but it might not be the best choice for kids who primarily deal with hyperactivity or impulse control issues (JAACAP systematic review, 2021: https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(20)31333-2/fulltext).

Think about your own child for a moment. What are their biggest challenges? Do they struggle more with staying focused, or do they have trouble sitting still? Are they anxious about tests, or do they rush through everything? These individual differences matter enormously when it comes to which accommodations will actually help.

The "More Is Better" Myth

You might think that if your child qualifies for multiple accommodations, using all of them together would be most helpful. Research suggests this isn't the case. In fact, experts warn that "more is not better." Just because your child is eligible for several accommodations doesn't mean they benefit from using all of them at once (JAACAP systematic review, 2021: https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(20)31333-2/fulltext; NCEO Report 438, 2021: https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/NCEOReport438.pdf).

This finding can actually be liberating. Instead of feeling like you need to fight for every possible accommodation, you can focus on identifying the one or two that truly make a difference for your child's specific needs.

Why Schools Keep Using Accommodations That Don't Work

If the research shows mixed results, why do schools continue providing accommodations that may not be effective? The answer is both practical and concerning.

Experts suggest that schools often provide extended time liberally because it's simpler and cheaper to implement than evidence-based interventions (Lovett, 2021: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.795266/full). Think about it. Extending test time requires minimal training and no additional resources. Developing and implementing a structured behavior management plan, on the other hand, requires expertise, time, and ongoing support.

This doesn't mean your school doesn't care about your child. It means they're working within constraints and may not have access to the most current research or training about which accommodations work best for different types of ADHD presentations.

Red Flags That Accommodations Aren't Working

How can you tell if your child's accommodations are actually helping? Here are some warning signs that current supports may not be the right fit:

Your child consistently doesn't use accommodations that are available to them. If extended time is offered but your child always finishes early, this accommodation may not address their actual needs.

Academic performance hasn't improved despite having accommodations in place. While grades aren't everything, you should see some positive changes if accommodations are truly helpful.

Your child expresses frustration about their accommodations or says they don't want to use them. Listen to these concerns - they might be telling you something important about fit.

Behavioral issues persist or worsen during activities where accommodations are supposed to help.

What You Can Do Starting Today

Feeling overwhelmed by all this information is completely understandable. Here's how you can use this research to better advocate for your child:

Start by observing your child closely. When do they perform best? What specific challenges do they face? Is it attention, hyperactivity, anxiety, or a combination?

Track accommodation usage. Notice which supports your child actually uses and which they ignore. This tells you a lot about what's truly helpful.

Ask specific questions at IEP meetings. Instead of accepting standard accommodations, ask "What evidence do we have that this particular accommodation helps children with my child's specific ADHD presentation?"

Consider your child's whole picture. Do they have anxiety along with ADHD? Learning differences? These combinations matter when selecting accommodations.

Don't be afraid to request changes. If current accommodations aren't working, it's okay to ask for different ones or to remove supports that aren't being used.

The Bottom Line for Your Family

Here's what I want you to remember from all this research. Accommodations can absolutely help your child, but they need to be the right accommodations for your child's unique needs.

The fact that extended time is commonly provided but often ineffective doesn't mean your child doesn't deserve support. It means we need to be smarter about matching supports to individual needs rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions.

You know your child better than anyone. If something isn't working, trust your instincts. If an accommodation feels off or isn't being used, it's worth investigating alternatives.

Most importantly, remember that supporting a child with ADHD is an ongoing process. What works in third grade might not work in middle school. What helps with math anxiety might not address reading challenges. Flexibility and regular reassessment are your friends in this journey.

Your child deserves accommodations that truly support their learning and growth. With this new understanding of the research, you're better equipped to advocate for supports that will actually make a difference in their academic success and overall well-being.