As part of a pre-referral intervention for a student with ADHD, which accommodation is suggested?

• A. Giving the student shorter tests and assignments
• B. Allowing the student to take short, scheduled activity breaks during tests and assignments
• C. Allowing the student to take tests orally
• D. Allowing the student to complete assignments in a group or with a partner

Answer: (C)

When assessing a student with ADHD, the goal is to reduce the barriers that ADHD often creates during tests—especially demands related to reading, writing, and written output. Allowing tests to be taken orally directly lowers those barriers. It lets the student demonstrate knowledge through spoken language, which can be a strength for many students with ADHD, and it minimizes difficulties with decoding text, organizing thoughts in writing, and sustaining lengthy written responses. This makes it easier to gauge true understanding and mastery rather than performance driven by written output or processing speed.

Other accommodations like shortening tests or breaks can help with attention and stamina, but they don’t specifically remove the heavier written or decoding demands. Having students complete tests in groups or with a partner can introduce distractions and affect individual accountability, which may not reliably reflect the student’s independent knowledge.