Students shouldn’t fake ADHD for extra help in school

Do you make careless errors? Are you easily distracted? Do you avoid sustained mental effort?

If yes, you already qualify for three of the many symptoms of “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”. Because these symptoms are so common, one in four adults may be faking or exaggerating their symptoms when being tested for ADHD, according to a study in The Clinical Neuropsychologist.

Colleges have a distinct role in addressing this issue because many of the adults who are testing for ADHD are college students. Further, UCLA should have a role as a public institution in revising guidelines for understanding and diagnosing ADHD. Otherwise, the process is diluted by students who exaggerate their symptoms in order to obtain medication and gain academic advantages.

The number of students with ADHD registered at the UCLA Office for Students with Disabilities has increased over the past 10 years from 133 to 371. And that number does not include the many students who are already diagnosed and taking stimulants but not registered with the school.

While this increase may be due to the increasing awareness and acceptability of the disorder, the study shows that adults are eager to fake these symptoms that are seemingly felt by all students.

The implications of diagnosing students with ADHD are severe ““ they are exposed to intense and potentially addictive stimulants and will receive academic assistance, including extra time on tests and note-taking help. If students who do not truly need the assistance begin to rely on the accommodations given to ADHD patients, they are missing the most important lesson in college: self-management as an adult.

In UCLA’s ultra-competitive environment, we must ensure that fairness is upheld and respected. If students were to obtain a false diagnosis, the extra time to complete multiple choice exams, revise essays and prevent any careless errors would give them an unfair advantage. And on standardized tests that require speed and pace, including the MCAT and LSAT, extra time should only improve test scores.

ADHD is a bona fide disorder, but if students are going to receive this assistance, there must be a stricter approach to granting this aid, especially since the demand is high.

Elizabeth Gong-Guy, the director for UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services, said she has seen students come in thinking they have ADHD ““ and when they are not diagnosed, they get angry and demand a prescription.

UCLA has recognized these issues and is addressing them on campus through a more stringent plan for diagnosing students and giving them accommodations. Because the issue extends beyond UCLA’s campus, the university must shift its focus to require that strict guidelines are enforced externally if students want to receive accommodations here.

Licensed clinicians now give students lengthy questionnaires that sometimes include testing portions, while requiring two collateral forms to be completed by close relatives, friends or professors.

Students must have proof that their symptoms have had a negative impact on their grades, relationships or obligations. But since clinicians are still only using surveys and their best judgement to diagnose students, doctors must approach the process with the highest skepticism because the numbers only seem to be increasing.

Gong-Guy said that many universities, private and public, do not even provide the services for testing and diagnosing ADHD. Outside of UCLA, a psychiatrist usually makes a diagnosis after a patient is referred by their doctor and fees range upwards of $4,000 to $6,000. This process is exclusive to those who can afford it, and it is difficult to mediate the process because no single factor can fully determine if someone has ADHD.

The Counseling and Psychological Services process at UCLA is a model for diagnosing ADHD in the future. UCLA has no financial incentive for diagnosing students because the university is not profiting from students who use Counseling and Psychological Services.

As a public institution, it is in UCLA’s interest to avoid labeling our common acquiescence to distraction as a disorder. If students are going to be using medication and receiving school-related assistance, UCLA should be developing further guidelines that extend beyond the campus to ensure fairness and proper treatment of students.