ADHD student and college ... (x-post)

[Luanne]

Have any of you had a child who was diagnosed with ADHD go to college and do well? I am concerned about how my daughter will do, but she really wants to try. We are thinking of going with the online route so she will have more time and less distractions when completing her work.
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[Beth in OH]

I have an ADHD daughter who is a sophomore at cc and is preparing to transfer to a university this fall. Here are my thoughts...

.... but she really wants to try.

I would encourage any child who wanted to attempt college to do so. Be proactive about addressing their special needs (this will be an important life skill for your child), and be positive about tackling the challenge!

I am concerned about how my daughter will do......

This concern is not unique to special needs kiddos!:lol:
My first priority is for my dd to have the physical tools (i.e. brain chemistry) to succeed. She has an adult patient/Dr. relationship with a pdoc, and together they decided that meds were a good idea. Learning coping strategies didn't work until the meds were in place.

How much coaching you can help your dd with depends on how open she is to receiving it. If she is oppositional, your coaching will translate into nagging. A brick and mortar school will have a disability services department that can provide academic support for your dd. Check it out and see what they offer (it might include a quiet room for test taking and such). The disability services office can also guide your dd about how to enlist the help of her professors.

Executive functioning skills are a huge part of college life, and again, your dd's willingness to receive coaching will impact how much you can do in this area. Some kids need to sink or swim in this area and need a parent around to guide them in cleaning up the mess afterward. It's a more painful approach, but some kids need to learn this way.

We are thinking of going with the online route so she will have more time and less distractions when completing her work

Online courses have been a disaster for my ADHD dd. They require too much personal iniative and don't provide enough interest in order to be motivating. They might be great for a kid who has high motivation, but simply needs quiet. It all depends on how the ADHD manifests itself in your dd. My dd also struggles with in-person courses that she finds tedious--completing the work can be a big obstacle. We have found it important for dd to choose a major that interests her now while she's taking the classes. Taking boring (to my dd) classes now in order to prepare for an interesting career in the future (e.g. taking chemistry in order to become a Dr.), is a recipe for disaster.

Remember that there is often a brain development delay of 2-4 years with ADHD kids. Their executive functioning skills usually lag behind, but their brains continue developing until age 30 or so. If your dd starts out and does poorly, don't give up. Regroup, seek help from the school's disability services, and keep at it. If the desire is there, your dd can overcome her ADHD, but it might take a bit more time. She will probably need to carry a 2.0 in order to remain in good academic standing. If she is open to dealing with her challenges, she can do this!

Beth

[EKS]

Have any of you had a child who was diagnosed with ADHD go to college and do well? I am concerned about how my daughter will do, but she really wants to try. We are thinking of going with the online route so she will have more time and less distractions when completing her work.
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/misc/progress.gif

My feeling is that college isn't just about schoolwork and grades: it's an important experience in its own right. You can't replicate that experience online, and I feel as though I speak from experience here, as I am in the process of getting a master's degree online.

I find that online learning requires that I be very self motivated, much more so than when I was in college. Also, there is essentially no interaction with the instructors or other students, something that I cherished in college. I really miss that interaction, as I think it is extremely valuable both intellectually and psychologically.

Your daughter might do just fine with the right combination of medication (if she uses it) and help from disabled student services (or whatever its called now). I strongly urge you to reconsider the online thing.