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Hi! So I recently received an official diagnosis for ADHD. It has been believed I have had a learning disability since childhood but due to my parents financial situation could never afford a full evaluation and opted for extra tutoring instead. We think I have/had Dyslexia but some teachers also suggested ADHD so this isn't too much of a shock. The reason I even got tested now was because I found out my school gives student discounts on evaluations and COVID factors have heightened my attention struggles. It is too late for me to apply these results to an LSAT, but I feel at least validated that my struggles have not just been in my head. With these results, can I maybe get testing accommodations in law school? Should I bring up this information when talking to schools about learning environments? Anyone with similar experiences I would love to hear from! TIA!
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Thank. you for the info!
yes, you can; i recommend familiarizing yourself with the accommodation process at the law school that you'll be attending and start gathering the relevant documents.
some schools have a more extensive process than others; the required documents also vary depending on your disabilities.
in some schools, you will be meeting with someone from the law school's student disability services to have a comprehensive review and determine your academic accommodations.
along with your current medical documentation, some law schools (like cornell) will look at your academic history and a history of prior accommodations.
according to the university of texas, they will take past accommodations into account, and future accommodations they will give will be "approved on a case-by-case basis based on the documentation, the student's history, and specific functional limitations."
so be prepared to provide more than your medical documentation if your school asks for it.
i know a few people who had to explain how they were able to academically succeed in undergrad without using any accommodations, and why they need them now in law school.
be prepared to fight for the accommodations that you're entitled to.
under the ada, a person with a history of academic success may still be a person with a disability who is entitled to testing accommodations: "A history of academic success does not mean that a person does not have a disability that requires testing accommodations. For example, someone with a learning disability may achieve a high level of academic success, but may nevertheless be substantially limited in one or more of the major life activities of reading, writing, speaking, or learning, because of the additional time or effort he or she must spend to read, write, speak, or learn compared to most people in the general population" https://www.ada.gov/regs2014/testing_accommodations.pdf
good luck!