How is under-achievement manifested?
The term “under-achievement” as it is applied to learning is often associated with diagnosed (or sometimes undiagnosed) learning disabilities and/or ADHD. According to the Learning Disability Association of Canada (LDAC), two of the common manifestations of learning disabilities are:
Unexpected underachievement
- Talks well on self-selected topics, but difficulty answering a teacher-directed question
- Exhibits knowledge of concepts taught when tested orally, but written test responses are short and do not exhibit same level of understanding
- Strengths in reasoning, but weak reading skills
Unusually high levels of effort and support
- Homework completion is very slow when compared to other children
- At the college, university level, student asks to reduce course load in order to give extra time to completing work requirements
- Individual receives tutoring 3/ 4 hours (or more) per week over several years or in several subjects to keep up with peers
Reference: Understanding Learning Disabilities
For individuals diagnosed with ADHD, some common manifestations of this disorder which often result in under-achievement include:
- Difficulty maintaining necessary levels of attention and alertness in class
- Distractibility
- Poor working memory
- Slow processing speed
- Difficulty with mental arithmetic calculations and problem-solving
- Impairments in executive functioning
- Writing notes while simultaneously listening to the teacher/instructor in class
How can under-achievement be supported?
For individuals with a learning disabilities and/or ADHD, having appropriate supports and accommodations in place in the classroom is very important in order to address under-achievement. Examples of classroom supports include having advance access to the instructor’s notes, preferential seating, having access to a scribe or reader, or having access to a computer with adaptive software (e.g., text to speech, or speech to text). Test or exam accommodations often include having extra time for tests (e.g., 50% extra time or “double time”), writing tests in a distraction-free setting, or having short, scheduled, supervised breaks during a test. At the high school or university level, students also benefit from weekly support (often 1 to 2 hours/week) from an academic or learning strategist. The basic premise of providing support and accommodations to individuals who are not achieving to their potential is to “level the playing field”.
In fact, the LDAC has developed policy statements that assert: “All Canadians with Learning Disabilities have the Right to Access the most Effective Accommodations* in all Subject Areas, in all Educational Settings, and at all Levels of Education.”
The LDAC defines accommodations as: “…the support, tools, and services that help accomplish a goal, but which do not change the integrity of a learning task (e.g. books on tape, extra time for tests and exams, copies of handouts, a note-taker, editorial assistance, use of a calculator, speech recognition software, spelling checker, etc.). Accommodations compensate for learning disabilities, and vary from person to person based on the type of disability and the degree to which it interferes with daily activities.”
Source: The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
For individuals diagnosed with ADHD who are seeking accommodations and support, Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA) has provided an excellent letter template which can be provided to an educational institution. This can be found here: Caddra Educational Accommodation Letter Template