How Underdiagnosed ADHD in Black/Brown Students Hurts LSAT Test Scores
Battling the stigma associated with mental health within the Black and other minority communities has been a continuous challenge. However, research overwhelmingly supports that people of color, especially Black and Latino, are much less likely to get diagnosed with ADHD. (Note: What used to be ADD is now diagnosed as a subtype of ADHD.) Additionally, those people of color who get diagnosed are far less likely to receive treatment. The disparity strongly suggests that external issues play as much of a role, if not more of a role in diagnosis than stigma within a community.
Below, we take a closer look at the research and comparative statistics surrounding ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Then follows a discussion of how underdiagnosed ADHD translates to poor standardized test scores, including the LSAT. Finally, we provide some resources and tips for the LSAT if you have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Racial Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate the rate of ADHD diagnosed in childhood is 9.5 percent. White children are diagnosed at 11.5 percent, Black children at 8.9 percent, and Latino children at 6.3 percent. Researchers took a closer look at these numbers in 2013 and found that by the time students reach eighth grade, Black children were 69 percent less likely, and Latino children were 50 percent less likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than white children. A more recent study from 2016 published in Pediatrics found that Black children showed ADHD symptoms at a much higher rate than white children.
Once children receive an ADHD diagnosis, the next step is treatment. Medication and therapy help those with ADHD function better. This is especially true in an educational setting where those with ADHD struggle to focus and comprehend. Unfortunately, children of color also get left behind when it comes to ADHD treatment. In one study, about 36 percent of Black children and 30 percent of Latino children diagnosed with ADHD were taking medicated, compared to 65 percent of their white counterparts.
Untreated ADHD Leads to Poor Test Scores
We could write about ten blog posts on the potential causes of racial disparity in ADHD diagnosis and treatment, but we’re more concerned with sharing how this disparity leads to poor standardized test scores and what you can do about it. The proper diagnosis and treatment of ADHD have an overwhelmingly positive impact on a person's life. People learn to manage time, activities, schoolwork, relationships, and more. These are also areas where people of color already face stark disadvantages.
You should know that medical professionals divide ADHD into two category types: inattentive ADHD (formerly called ADD) and hyperactive ADHD. Regardless of which type, the symptoms can impact their ability to do what they need to do to succeed on a standardized test like the LSAT. However, inattentive ADHD symptoms likely have a more significant impact. Examples of ADHD symptoms that interfere with LSAT test prep and test-taking include:
Poor attention to detail and a propensity for careless mistakes
Difficulty focusing during lectures or lengthy reading
Difficulty organizing tasks
Frequently loses things needed for tasks and activities
Inability to stay seated for long periods.
Forgetful and easily distracted
When the above symptoms are left undiagnosed and/or untreated in children, who also carry their struggles into adulthood, it makes sense that the median LSAT score for Black students sits around 142 and white/Asian students have a median score of around 153.
LSAT Accommodations for ADHD
The most tragic aspect of undiagnosed ADHD in Black and brown law school applicants is that they are unlikely to ask for or receive LSAT accommodations. Historically, LSAC data shows Black test-takers with accommodations have been underrepresented, and comparatively, white test-takers with accommodations have been over-represented.
Although the data is not yet clear, it's fair to assume three major trends in LSAT accommodations have continued with the arrival of a global pandemic that has shifted focus to mental health in students at all levels.
An increased number of students have asked for LSAT accommodations in the last few years.
LSAC has been more likely to approve requests for accommodations.
The current state of healthcare makes it difficult for everyone to find mental health services. This is especially true for students over 18 from low-income families who do not have the time, money, or adequate healthcare coverage to seek out testing or a potential diagnosis for learning differences.
The recent shift towards mental health has led to a larger racial disparity among students who need LSAT accommodations. At the very least, this pre-pandemic trend continues.
Getting the Help You Need to Thrive With Your Learning Differences
If diagnosed with ADHD (or ADD before they changed its name), you do not have to give up your law school dreams or settle for a mediocre score. If you are undiagnosed, speak to a physician to share your concerns and push for an evaluation. A diagnosis almost always ensures you receive accommodations on the LSAT. Under the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA), LSAC, and other organizations that administer standardized tests, must provide accommodations for a wide range of physical and mental disabilities, including ADHD and other conditions such as anxiety, depression, panic disorder, and dyslexia.
In most situations, those with ADHD can request a private testing room and receive 50 percent additional testing time. Additionally, the law schools you apply to do not know whether an applicant has received accommodations. Getting the help you need allows you to do your best on the LSAT, likely increasing your test score. The benefits of higher test scores not only include a higher chance of admissions with a strong application package, but they also give students a better chance of getting scholarship money to pay for law school. You can learn more about how to get LSAT accommodations here.
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