Chu, Lily, Fuentes, Lynn R, Marshall, Olena M et al. · Work (Reading, Mass.) · 2020 · DOI
Many college students with ME/CFS struggle because universities don't understand how unpredictably the illness changes day-to-day. This article explains how occupational therapists (OTs) can help by learning about ME/CFS and working with universities to create reasonable accommodations—like flexible attendance policies or rest spaces—that let students participate in college life despite their illness.
ME/CFS students often face institutional barriers because their disease is invisible and fluctuating, leading to inadequate support despite affecting up to 2.5 million Americans. This study empowers occupational therapists with actionable guidance to advocate for appropriate accommodations, potentially improving academic outcomes and quality of life for this underserved population.
This study does not provide empirical evidence that specific accommodations improve academic or health outcomes for ME/CFS students, as it is a literature review and professional commentary rather than a controlled trial or outcomes study. It does not compare different accommodation models or measure their effectiveness quantitatively.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Chu, Lily, Fuentes, Lynn R, Marshall, Olena M, & Mirin, Arthur A (2020). Environmental accommodations for university students affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).. Work (Reading, Mass.). https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-203176
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-chu-2020-environmental-accommodations,
author = {Chu, Lily and Fuentes, Lynn R and Marshall, Olena M and Mirin, Arthur A},
title = {Environmental accommodations for university students affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).},
journal = {Work (Reading, Mass.)},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.3233/WOR-203176},
note = {PubMed: 32568151},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/chu-2020-environmental-accommodations},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/chu-2020-environmental-accommodations
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.