Examination‐related anxiety in students diagnosed with AD/HD and the case for an allocation of extra time: perspectives of teachers, mothers and students

Abstract

This study details the perspectives of Western Australian teachers, students and mothers on the case for an allocation of extra exam time to students diagnosed with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Eighteen teachers of students with AD/HD (14 high and four primary), 15 students with AD/HD (10 high and 5 primary), and their mothers participated in a series of semi‐structured interviews (n = 48). Data analysis revealed that while 56% of teachers and 53% of parents support an allocation of extra exam time for students diagnosed with AD/HD, 67% of students are opposed. This paper details the reasons teachers, parents and students give for their support, ambivalence or opposition to the allocation of extra time for exams.

Keywords:

• AD/HD
• time anxiety
• extra time
• equity
• disability
• exam strategies