The Need to Revisit Legal Education in an Era of Increased Diagnoses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Authors

Heidi E. Ramos-Zimmerman

Abstract

The ever-fluctuating rhetoric from experts, in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders, has led to outdated notions and perplexity surrounding attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This Article tries to clarify some of the confusion. Better understanding of these disorders is imperative for today’s law professor, since law schools are likely admitting more students diagnosed with ADHD and ASD. This Article discusses the need for change in legal instruction and explores the link between the two disorders. An examination of recent history illuminates some of the commonly held misunderstandings and highlights the disparity in the diagnoses of ADHD and ASD among women and people of color. In addition, the Article delves into what an instructor can expect when he or she has a student with these disorders in the classroom. An illustration helps practically convey how these students may differ from their neurotypical classmates. Finally, the Article discusses what measures a law professor can adopt to assist students with ADHD and ASD in facing their many challenges. There are examples of teaching measures that assist struggling students with their organization, set shifting, focus and social skills. Thus, this Article aids today’s law professors by increasing their understanding of ADHD and ASD and the issues facing these differently gifted students and provides some recommendations for supporting their educational efforts.

Recommended Citation

Heidi E. Ramos-Zimmerman, The Need to Revisit Legal Education in an Era of Increased Diagnoses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders, 123 Dick. L. Rev. 113 (2018).
Available at: https://ideas.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/dlr/vol123/iss1/4