Freedman, J. E., Drelick, A. M., & Dotger, B. H. (2024). Use of simulated discussions of postsecondary accommodations to inform self-advocacy instruction . Learning Disabilities Research & Practice , 39 (1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/15405826231221314

Specific accommodations were not examined; the focus of this study was on students’ self-advocacy for accommodations, but extended time and separate setting were both discussed.

Ten students with learning disabilities (LD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from a private four-year institution of higher education in the Northeastern United States participated in the simulation.

Participants engaged in in-person simulated meetings with a standardized (actor-portrayed) professor to discuss their approved accommodations. Participants engaged in an interview about the simulation based on a pre-developed protocol following the simulation.

While participants had access to accommodations for exams, they were often hesitant to assert their need for these accommodations when discussing them with professors. When professors suggested taking exams in the classroom rather than at the Disability Services Office, only three students firmly reiterated their need for the separate testing environment, with one student explaining that professors could still communicate last-minute changes through the Disability Services Office. Other students either remained noncommittal about the exam location or changed their original request when faced with the professor's suggestions, highlighting students' tendency to compromise on their accommodations even when they had a clear right to them.