American University

🏫 Disability Services Overview

American University's Learning Services Program (LSP) sits within the Academic Support and Access Center and has been one of the East Coast's standout fee-based ADHD and LD programs for decades. AU is a mid-sized private university in one of the most internship-rich cities on earth — Washington, DC — which gives LSP students an unusual combination of intensive academic support and extraordinary professional development opportunity.

Tier 1: Academic Support & Access Center (ASAC) — Free

• Standard disability accommodations: extended testing time, distraction-reduced environments, note-taking support
• Alternative format materials and assistive technology
• Priority registration for students with disabilities
• Faculty accommodation letters

Tier 2: Learning Services Program (LSP) — Fee-Based

• Individual weekly sessions with a learning specialist — the core of the program
• Strategy instruction tailored to your specific learning profile and current coursework
• Executive function coaching: planning, prioritization, self-regulation strategies
• Writing process support: from brainstorming through revision
• Reading comprehension strategies for dense academic texts
• Math and quantitative reasoning strategies
• Test preparation and test-taking strategy coaching
• Transition support — LSP provides dedicated help as students navigate the HS-to-college shift

Staffing

LSP employs full-time learning specialists with backgrounds in special education, educational psychology, and ADHD coaching. Caseloads are managed to allow meaningful individual attention. The program serves approximately 400 students — manageable for a school of AU's size.

🧠 ADHD-Specific Support

Dedicated ADHD Coaching

Yes — a primary focus of LSP. Learning specialists are experienced with the ADHD presentation in college students: time blindness, task avoidance, reading struggles, inconsistent performance, and the difficulty of transitioning from the highly structured K-12 environment to college's open-ended demands.

Executive Function & Time Management

• Weekly coaching sessions build personalized planning systems based on the student's schedule, course load, and energy patterns
• Semester and weekly planning — forward and backward mapping of deadlines
• Strategies for managing the unstructured time that ADHD students often find most difficult
• Specific techniques for getting started on difficult tasks (body doubling strategies, implementation intentions, environmental design)
• Managing the spike-and-crash energy patterns common in ADHD

Testing & Accommodations

• Extended test time through ASAC's testing center
• Distraction-reduced testing environments
• LSP specialists help students articulate their needs to professors and navigate the accommodation process
• Support for oral exams and alternative assessment formats when appropriate

Medication Management

• Student Health Center with psychiatric services for medication management
• Washington, DC's robust healthcare ecosystem gives students many options for finding ADHD-specialist prescribers
• Telehealth options widely available in the DC metro area

Peer & Community Support

• LSP student community through shared programming and events
• ASAC sponsors workshops and awareness events around neurodiversity on campus
• AU's broader student wellness programming supports students with mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges

📋 Documentation & Neuropsychological Evaluation Requirements

Required Documentation

• Psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation by a licensed psychologist or qualified diagnostician
• Documentation should be within 3 years for ADHD (AU emphasizes current functioning for college-age students)
• DSM-5 diagnosis clearly stated with diagnostic criteria
• Functional impact on academic performance documented
• Specific accommodation recommendations from the evaluating clinician

Required Evaluation Components

• Cognitive ability: WAIS-IV or equivalent adult cognitive battery
• Academic achievement: WIAT-III or WJ-IV Achievement — reading, writing, math
• Attention/executive function measures: Validated rating scales (Conners-3, BASC-3, Brown ADD Scales) and/or performance-based measures
• Processing speed: WAIS-IV Processing Speed Index
• Working memory: WAIS-IV Working Memory Index
• Diagnostic conclusion: DSM-5 diagnosis with etiology, course, and functional impact
• Evaluator credentials: Licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist — credentials stated in report

Physician Letter or IEP Alone?

No. A physician's statement is not sufficient for LSP registration. The IEP provides useful history but must be accompanied by the actual evaluation report (if conducted within 3 years). Contact ASAC if you have questions about whether your specific documentation meets requirements.

Cost & Access

• Private neuropsych evaluations: $2,500–$4,500 typically
• DC area has multiple university training clinics that offer reduced-cost evaluations (George Washington, Georgetown, Howard)
• DC public schools provide evaluations under IDEA — if in DC, request through DCPS
• DC and Virginia VR programs may fund evaluations for eligible students

🎓 High School → College Transition Preparation

Timeline

• Junior Year: Research AU/LSP. Visit campus if possible — AU hosts prospective student events. Confirm neuropsych documentation is current (within 3 years of fall freshman enrollment).
• Senior Year (Fall): Apply to AU. Request LSP information. Begin gathering documentation.
• After Acceptance: Register with ASAC and apply to LSP immediately. Submit documentation. Don't wait until summer.
• Summer Before College: Confirm LSP enrollment, schedule first appointment. Set up DC-area healthcare including ADHD medication management. Attend orientation.

Navigating DC as a College City

Washington, DC is an extraordinary city for internships and career development — but it's also a fast-paced, politically intense environment. For ADHD students, the combination of coursework, internship applications, and a city that never slows down can be overwhelming without structure. LSP is specifically designed to help students build that structure. Don't try to figure it out without support.

Self-Advocacy at AU

• AU professors are generally supportive — the university culture values student success
• Use your accommodation letter every semester, not just when you're struggling
• Communicate proactively with professors at the start of the semester — a brief introductory email sets a good tone
• LSP specialists can coach you on exactly how to communicate your needs professionally

Executive Function Skills to Build Before College

• Practicing a weekly planning ritual (Sunday evening review: what's due this week? What's big next week?)
• Building a reliable system for tracking assignments across multiple classes
• Learning to estimate task time accurately — ADHD often causes severe time underestimation
• Understanding your own focus patterns: when can you do hard work? When do you need a break?

🎯 Practical Fit Notes

Who Thrives at AU LSP?

• Students interested in policy, government, international relations, communications, law, or social justice — AU's core strengths
• Students who want intensive support at a prestigious private university, not a specialized LD college
• Students who are excited by DC and will take advantage of the internship and networking opportunities the city offers
• Students who need structure but can handle a moderately complex, active campus environment
• Students whose families can navigate AU's price point (with merit aid, the net price is often more manageable than sticker)

Campus Environment

AU's campus is in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Northwest DC — one of the safer, more residential neighborhoods in the city. Metro access makes DC fully accessible. The student body is politically engaged and socially active. Campus is mid-sized: not overwhelming, but not small. Students who love DC's energy and intellectual culture tend to thrive here.

Cost Snapshot

• Tuition: approximately $54,000–$57,000/year
• Room and board: approximately $16,000/year
• LSP fee: approximately $3,500–$5,000/year
• Total COA with LSP: approximately $73,500–$78,000/year before aid
• AU offers merit scholarships; average scholarship for admitted students is substantial

❓ Questions to Ask AU / LSP

1. What exactly is included in the LSP fee, and are there different service tiers based on intensity of support needed?
2. How does LSP handle students who are also juggling internships — can coaching sessions help with internship planning and workload management alongside coursework?
3. What is the typical caseload for an LSP learning specialist, and how far in advance do students need to schedule sessions?
4. How does AU's Student Health Center handle ADHD medication management — are there long wait times to see a psychiatrist?
5. What is AU/LSP's retention and 4-year graduation rate for program participants?
6. If a student's needs change — either becoming more intensive or less — how is LSP service level adjusted mid-year?

🔗 Official Resources