How to get accommodations at school for your mental health condition
YOU DESERVE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU CAN THRIVE
By Jackie Menjivar
(LinkedIn / Unsplash)
We can all probably agree that your mental health has an impact on how you do in school. But once we start talking about it as something that you may need academic accommodations for, the conversation gets more complicated.
You might be wondering if academic accommodations for mental health conditions even exist, or if your specific condition even “counts” as a disability. (Spoiler: they do, and it can.) Here’s what you need to know.
What are academic accommodations?
Academic accommodations are changes to the usual learning environment to help students with disabilities get equal access to education. These modifications aren’t meant to give you an advantage — they just get rid of the barriers that interfere with learning (because there are very real systemic barriers for people with disabilities).
Changes can be made in the physical classroom space, the way the lessons are given, and the assignments and exams. To be considered “reasonable,” accommodations can’t threaten health or safety, fundamentally change the curriculum requirements, or be excessively expensive.
Who can get academic accommodations?
If you have a disability, you have a right to academic accommodations — that includes physical, intellectual, cognitive, and psychiatric disabilities. And yes, a mental health condition can qualify as a disability. In fact, the US Department of Civil Rights Division explicitly lists major depressive disorder as an example of a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students with disabilities are guaranteed equal access to education through the ADA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Okay, but does my mental illness really qualify as a disability?
The ADA defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” According to the ADA, major life activities include (but aren’t limited to) learning, working, communicating, sleeping, eating, speaking, concentrating, and taking care of yourself. If the symptoms of your mental health condition limit your ability to function in any of these areas, then it would be considered a psychiatric disability.
Even if your mental health condition is usually manageable, it’s still considered a psychiatric disability under the ADA if it meets the definition when it’s active (like during a depressive or manic episode).
“It’s better to register for accommodations as soon as possible as many people only find out about them when they are in crisis — which makes it more complicated, especially with communicating with professors,” says Kelly Davis, Associate Vice President of Peer and Youth Advocacy at Mental Health America.
The bottom line: if the symptoms of your mental health condition interfere with your learning, then you can get academic accommodations for it. More than that, you deserve those accommodations because you have a right to participate fully and equally in your education. It can sometimes be hard to recognize mental health conditions as disabilities because of the way society has historically viewed them. Check out our journal about mental health and disability to learn more about it.
What kind of accommodations can you get for a psychiatric disability?
It really depends on your unique barriers and needs. But here are some examples:
Ability to take breaks
Preferential seating
Extended test-taking time
Extended assignment deadlines
Note-taking aids
Isolated testing space
Access to a “safe” space
So if your PTSD makes you afraid of being trapped, then you could be allowed to freely take breaks from class. Or if your depression disrupts your sleep and makes it harder to concentrate, you could be allowed to bring an audio recorder to class so you can review the lesson when you’re feeling more rested.
The Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) recommends these questions for when determining reasonable accommodations for mental health disabilities:
Does the student have a mental health condition?
Is the barrier described related to the mental health condition?
What are possible accommodations, modifications, or adjustments that might remove the barrier?
Without these accommodations, would the student have meaningful access to the program, service, or activity?
How do you get accommodations for a psychiatric disability?
If you’re in middle or high school: Reach out to your school’s special education coordinator. Your school might also call them an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) coordinator or 504 coordinator (there are differences between IEP and 504 plans, but staff should be able to help you figure out which is right for you). Have your parent or guardian email them asking for an evaluation to see if you’re eligible, and let them take it from there.
If you’re in college: Find your school’s accessibility services office (it’ll usually have “accessibility” or “disability” in the name). Get in touch, and work with staff to find out what accommodations you’re eligible for. They’ll probably have you submit an application, along with documentation about your psychiatric disability. Every school has their own guidelines for documentation (here’s an example from Montclair University). In general, make sure your paperwork is up to date, certified by a professional, and clearly states your diagnosis. Once approved, the office should give you some kind of paperwork to give to your professors informing them about your accommodations. You do not have to disclose your disability to your professors.
If any of this feels too intimidating, know that you aren’t on your own. There are advocates out there who can help you in this process. Try your local Mental Health America affiliate or other mental health/disability rights organizations.
“It's ok to ask people to help you. The accommodations process requires documentation, deadlines, and meetings — some of the things people are requesting accommodations for — so it's good to have support through the process,” says Kelly. “If you don't feel comfortable asking a friend, you can reach out to a peer organization on campus if your school has one.”
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Mental health conditions may be invisible disabilities, but that doesn’t make them any less disabling. So get the accommodations you need, and let your effort determine your success at school — not your symptoms.