Written by: Mir Mustaufiq Rahman
Edited by: Wong "Louie" Yi Shon
A 2021 article in the Journal of Global Health states that at least 2.58% of adults globally are affected by ADHD. Navigating through college life is already a daunting task. When coupled with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD, it can lead to further complications in managing one’s social, study, and work life.
Often, people afflicted with attention deficit and ADHD disorders require a support system around them to help nurture and enable their full potential. Considering that college life is vastly different from the environments they are familiar with, APU students may be particularly affected. Since a significant portion of APU students may not be proficient in English or Japanese upon arrival, navigating hurdles in daily life can be especially daunting. The need to establish greater support for those affected becomes even more crucial.
One 3rd year APM student who was recently diagnosed with ADHD shared her ongoing struggles. Frequently grappling with an inconsistent sleep schedule, she often finds herself going to bed around 12 am, only to fall asleep around 4 am due to her "overactive" brain. Among her New Year resolutions is the commitment to fix her sleep patterns. Balancing academic and personal life poses a significant challenge for students with ADHD, and our interviewee is no exception. She encounters difficulty in saying "no" and frequently acts on impulse, especially when it comes to socializing with friends or engaging in activities beyond her studies.
Another one of her major issues related to ADHD is her struggle to focus, leading to a pileup of assignments by the week's end. Additionally, she expressed frustration with her tendency to lose interest rapidly in some courses coupled with periods of hyperfocus on other courses. The interviewee has stated that these lapses in focus occur when the courses end up being too difficult for her, which may happen when professors are reluctant to assist students personally, or when the course contents are too confusing to understand. This has caused her overall semester grades to suffer drastically.
APU’s disability support center
Fortunately for students like her, APU provides an inclusive and nurturing support system. When it comes to students with ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorders, the process for accessing support from the Academic Office follows a systematic flow.
First, afflicted students can seek support by contacting the Academic Office. After consultation with designated staff, the student is provided with a form with general questions about their disability, discussing their current situation, past support measures, and requested assistance.
After completing the form, the student is requested to send the necessary documents for support measures to the university at apudss@apu.ac.jp. These documents may include the Application for Special Support Services for Classes and Exams, specialist medical certificates, counselor opinions, and high school handover reports.
After receiving the necessary documents and forms, the Disability Support Services Committee meets to discuss the need and feasibility of the requested support measures. Following this deliberation, the Academic Office communicates the details of their decision to the student.
When a student receives disability support, the Academic Office assigns a staff member to provide ongoing assistance. This assigned staff member is readily available for consultation on any class or exam-related issues that the student may encounter. The staff member communicates regularly with the student, working together to identify and implement solutions to the student's ongoing academic challenges.
According to Asako Mai of APU's Academic Office, the university is committed to continually improving and modernizing its assistance system for students with impairments. APU continues to be proactive in staying up to date on the newest information and trends by attending hearings at Ritsumeikan University and other institutions, participating in psychology and disability support training programs, and obtaining advice from specialists. Based on these observations, APU adjusts its support system to better meet the requirements of its students.
The Disabilities Support Services Committee Meeting at APU reviews feedback from faculty and students receiving support at the end of each semester. Any areas for improvement are integrated into the support system for the following semester. The committee also conducts training sessions for faculty and staff. For instance, in 2023, APU invited Associate Professor Jun Murata from Kyoto University to conduct a workshop on supporting students with disabilities, which included a foundational lecture and a question-and-answer session.
The Issue
Despite APU's robust support system for students with disabilities, many students are unaware that such a system exists. Our interviewee revealed that she was previously unaware of the Academic Office's support for her ADHD, indicating that the system is not well-known to many students. This highlights the need for increased awareness and understanding of the support system.
Our interviewee also commented on how cultural differences and language barriers often prevent students from discussing sensitive topics like ADHD, leading to a lack of awareness and hindering the establishment of a supportive environment. Some professors may also appear uncooperative in addressing these issues, and the absence of discussions about creating a safe space in class can make students feel discouraged. Despite this, the interviewee believes that most professors are generally supportive, helping students when needed.
Suggestions
When asked about the steps APU should take to make the campus more inclusive and supportive for students like her, the interviewee suggested,
"Maybe at the start of each course, professors should provide an outline of the support they might offer to students with disabilities. Simple words of comfort would also go a long way. Additionally, APU needs to create more awareness about having a support system for students like us. This could be achieved by hanging posters or featuring information on Campus Terminal/Moodle, discussing the support students with neurodevelopmental disabilities can receive."
Implementing hyperlinks within Moodle that can direct students to the disability support system page can be greatly beneficial. Additionally, the Academic Office can collaborate with circles to create awareness and promote inclusivity for students with neurodevelopmental disorders to enhance the overall campus environment for the affected students. This can be done by either hosting events specifically for students with neurodevelopmental disorders where they can share their stories of how they deal with their difficulties or awareness campaigns where diversity and inclusion clubs at APU can play a role by designing new posters for the campaigns.
Conclusion
As with any other neurodevelopmental disorder, ADHD is not something that can be solved or cured within a day, but the environment can play a key role in lessening its effects on those who are suffering with it. An inclusive environment where students with ADHD can be nurtured and flourish is what every university should strive to create, and while APU is on the right track, a few adjustments with increasing awareness among the student body and faculty can propel it forward in achieving a new standard when it comes to nurturing and helping students with neurodevelopmental disorders reach their full potential.
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