How Does Standardized Testing Affect Kids With ADHD?

Students take standardized tests at least once per year to determine academic progress. Educators and schools systems use standardized tests to measure achievement and to make educational placement decisions. Also, colleges and universities use standardized tests to make acceptance and scholarship decisions. Students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be disadvantaged when it comes to scoring well on standardized tests because many symptoms of ADHD create challenges within the typical testing environment.

Significance

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD affects approximately 3 to 7 percent of all school-aged children. Children with ADHD often have lower standardized test scores in both reading and math. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, students with ADHD may have standardized test scores about 10 percent lower than those scores obtained by the average student.

Function

The ADHD brain does not function well under pressure. Often students with ADHD freeze and blank-out when given an assignment to complete. Standardized tests may be particularly overwhelming for ADHD students because of their length and the number of concepts contained within the tests. Also, timed tests add even more pressure and increase the amount of test anxiety felt by the test-taker.

Considerations

According to research led by Richard M. Scheffler at the University of California at Berkeley and published in the May 2009 edition of the Pediatrics journal, students with ADHD who take ADHD medication score higher on standardized tests than students with ADHD who do not take medication to reduce symptoms of ADHD. However, even with medication the students with ADHD still tend to score lower than students without ADHD.

Testing Accommodations

Some students with ADHD may be eligible for testing accommodations. Allowable accommodations vary depending on the test being given. The student's school counselor should be able to discuss accommodations with the student and his parents. Common accommodations include computerized testing, extended time, frequent breaks, fewer test items on each page, small group administration and preferential seating.

Prevention/Solution

Students with ADHD reduce anxiety and improve test results by pacing themselves, focusing on small sections of the test rather than the entire test, using a timer on their desk, skipping difficult questions and coming back to them later and writing out math problems step-by-step. To minimize distractions, students with ADHD might want to use earplugs during testing.

References

• ADDitudemag.com: Ace Every Exam-ADHD Study Tips for Math, Essay and Multiple-Choice Tests
• CDC.gov: ADHD Statistics
• National Bureau of Economic Research: The Effect of ADHD on Educational Outcomes
• "Pediatrics": Positive Association Between Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder Medication...
• Collegeboard.com: Accommodations

Resources

• ADDitudemag.com: Cracking the SAT Code