First of all, why don’t you ask yourself: What types of accommodations do I want? Why? Make sure you have a concrete idea of what would help you succeed in the classroom.

Secondly, make sure your personal habits aren’t doing anything to hinder your success. What I mean is: Make sure you’re sleeping enough (8 hours at least) regularly, drinking enough water, exercising daily, and eating well. This is to resolve any underlying issues before starting to address the accommodations, because it may turn out that accommodations are just covering for your tiredness or non-optimal state. Giving solutions to a symptom of an underlying issue may feel helpful, but it will catch up to you. Have the accommodations work with you, not for a tired version of yourself.

For accommodations, the first step is usually talking to your school's student support services or counselor. Check the school website’s staff directory to look at the names & emails of the people you need to contact, this includes your counselor and school-based therapist. Reach out to one of them via email & schedule a visit. They'll be the ones to guide you through the process and help you figure out what accommodations might be helpful for you. After the first meeting, there will likely be more follow-up meetings involving your parents. The follow-ups will allow the counselor & therapist to assess your situation. The next steps vary from school to school, so make sure you ask plenty of questions about the process and take notes.

As for needing an official diagnosis, it really depends on the school and the type of accommodations you're looking for. Some schools may require an official diagnosis from a professional, while others might be more flexible. The best thing to do is to talk to the student support team and see what they say. They'll be able to give you the most accurate info for your specific situation.

Finally, if you don’t want or need to go through the (sometimes arduous) process of getting officially enforced accommodations, you could ask your teachers individually to talk about the informal accommodations you’d like to have. For example, you could ask your teacher if it’s okay for you to record the class lectures, or if you’re allowed to occasionally step outside to read material aloud / while walking around. Again, because you only approached the teacher, these accommodations are strictly informal, completely up to the teacher’s discretion, and NOT legally enforced. So keep this in mind if you’re considering going with informal accommodations.

Remember, everyone's journey is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer. The most important thing is to advocate for yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Good luck, I hope you achieve your academic goals! 😊