Serving Students with ADHD in Spanish Universities: Actions and Good Practices

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has an impact on the academic and quality of life of university students with this diagnosis. The aim of this study was to describe the actions aimed at individualised attention for students with ADHD in Spanish universities and to identify good practices. To do so, a survey-based methodology was used, by administering a questionnaire to the heads of support services for students with disabilities in 36 Spanish universities (23 public and 13 private). The results identify that the registration of students with ADHD in these services is increasingly common. The most commonly used measures to assist these students are adaptations of written tests, distraction-free placements and planning strategies. These measures are more frequently used in the first years. No differences were found between public and private universities with respect to attention measures. The results of this study allow us to conclude that the commitment of universities to students withADHD has increased with the incorporation of specific actions. However, there are shortcomings that need to be addressed by university inclusion policies, which include specific training for teaching staff, greater funding for these services with specialised staff and raising awareness of ADHD in the university community.