Making the Transition to College (www.collegeispossible.com)

It is imperative that the parent and teen both be realistic as to readiness to leave home. A question to ask oneself: 1) can my teen anchor and structure him/herself in an environment filled with distractions socially and emotionally; 2) will he/she be able to handle the academic and social demands of college; 3) will he/she be able to adapt to all the changes involved without a meltdown; 4) will he/she be able to put the brakes on alcohol and substance use; 5) does he/she understand how AD/HD impacts his/her learning and lifestyle; and 6) what are his/her strengths and weaknesses? 

Part of preparing for the transition is meeting with the high school counselor and therapist to discuss college options, the above questions, and if he/she is realistically prepared for the independence and challenges of college life. By junior year of high school, it is advisable for the teen to begin doing laundry and learn how to budget money.  In addition, a part time job helps in bolstering self-esteem and the use of money and time management techniques through making priority lists and a daily planner. These steps are crucial toward learning balance in establishing routines and a system to self-regulate as a life skill.

It is essential that the teen accept his/her AD/HD. The more you know and understand, the better you can educate others about it and self-advocate at college.

Parent and teen can anticipate that college will take longer than four years. For the AD/HD student to be successful at college: 1) he/she needs to be willing to ask for help; 2) be comfortable describing his/her disability and advocate for the needed services; 3) be willing to sit in front of the class; 4) be willing to work longer and harder; 5) use medication as prescribed; 6) understand the compensatory skills for learning; 7) develop adaptive study, coping and living skills with use of the counseling center, academic support services and an AD/HD coach (www.americoach.com);  and 8) focus on the goal of consistency, persistence, and follow-through  in developing  structure with a plan for success. There are on-line study guides at www.sparknotes.com

The College Search (Review.com; www.petersons.com; www.collegeboard.com)

  As a parent of an AD/HD student, I began my research his junior year of high school.

My focus was on what type of academic and social environment would best fit my son’s individual needs and AD/HD. I looked for structured academic support services that offered seminars on study strategies, time management, organizational skills and encouraged the use of student mentors, supplemental instruction, extensive content tutoring services, writing labs, and math labs.  In my search, I discovered that the academic support services were available to all students, which alleviated the stigma in seeking help. There are disability offices that work in conjunction with academic support services that are available only to students with documented disabilities. Thus, a relevant priority in my search were these two simultaneous services.

An excellent resource that I used was The K&W Guide for Students with Learning Disabilities or ADD (6^th edition) 2002 compiled by Marybeth Kravets and Imy Wax.  The book is divided into three different levels of academic support from most highly structured to just services with reasonable accommodations.  The book describes the learning disability program and services offered at each college listed.  It gives the director’s name and phone number/e-mail address of the contact person in considering a fit.  In researching colleges I obtained from the book, I developed a priority/criteria list from making contacts with the different disability directors and college admissions counselors.

The priority/criteria for my AD/HD son included: 1) a small college of 2,300 students or less with a smaller classroom environment to give personal attention and opportunity to interact directly with the professors and get feedback; 2) college location with easy access to a safe city; 3) a high percentage of students living on campus; 4) no Greek system; 5) waivers and course substitutions for a foreign language; 6) extensive academic support services available and unlimited; 7) an advisor who is connected to the disability office to oversee academic program and monitor progress; 8) flexibility of the college with reasonable accommodation for AD/HD; 9) a mandatory freshman transition to college class; 10) a full-time learning specialist who is knowledgeable about AD/HD and LD to assist with and coordinate services; 11) extracurricular activities particularly radio, theater, newspaper, athletics and intramural sports;  12) religious organizations on campus; and 13)  an adult mentor who is a graduate of the college and available to be a support person to out of state students.

There are two other guidebooks that I found to be useful in this search process: The Best 331 Colleges---The Smart Buyers Guide to Colleges 2002 edition of the Princeton Review and The Insiders Guide to the Colleges 2002 published by Yale Daily News.  These books describe the learning and social environments of the colleges.  It gives information about the type of students on campus and what they have to say about the college scene both socially and academically. They talk about how approachable the professors are and the ambience of the campus. I also found it useful to network with other parents of ADHD/LD students to collect more information. Another helpful resource includes educational consultants who specialize in colleges for ADHD/LD students and the phone directory is through the IECA 1-703-591-4850 or www.educationalconsulting.org

The Application Process and College Campus Visits (www.commonapp.org)

Through the sources I sited, we applied to nine colleges that could be possible fits.

All these small colleges used the common application, which simplified the process.

Since most of the colleges were out of state, my son took the SAT with extended time.

The high school counselor has to send in the AD/HD documentation with a letter requesting the extended time. The personal statement of the application is very important

(collegeapps.about.com). In the concluding paragraph of my son’s essay he disclosed with this statement “In having ADD, I accept that I need to apply myself longer and harder than my classmates do.  I will continue to work hard to succeed at college.”

We visited six of the colleges that were highest on the list. The admission counselors tried to push Early Admission which closes other options. After he interviewed with the admission offices, we had a student led tour of the campus and asked questions about the academics and social life at each college. My son attended classes at these colleges and ate in the cafeteria among the students as a part of the decision making process. As parents we asked admissions and students about alcohol use and drugs on campus. Most of the colleges had substance free dorms that a student can choose to live in.

We interviewed all the disability directors/coordinators at the different colleges and they varied in experience, position, credentials, availability, and services offered. I prepared a list of questions particular to my son’s learning style.

It is essential to be able to articulate the nature of the AD/HD disability and describe the services that helped in high school  (bring 504 plan or IEP with you). Ask how the faculty responds to students with learning differences. Find out the requirements for documentation to enable registration with the disability office. Get the specific services that the college offers and the procedure involved for the student to obtain what he/she needs to work at optimal potential.  Having regular contacts with the learning specialist or student mentor helps avoid the procrastination trap and that is a question to inquire about.

The Final Selection Based on Priority/Criteria Needs

Our final selection was based on the disability director’s knowledge of AD/HD and her accessibility. She held an EdD from John Hopkins and was a learning specialist who would also be our son’s advisor. Her approach was straightforward and she told our son what was involved in the transition to college for an AD/HD student.  She emphasized the need to self-advocate, ask for help, and she let him know all the resources available to him if he pursued the academic and skills assistance.  She warned that he should not wait until a crisis at the end of the semester to request services, as other AD/HD students have done.

Due to his language processing disability, a foreign language was offered on a pass/fail basis with the option to waive this requisite with a culture class substitute. He opted for the waiver second semester with Anthropology as the course substitution. I have his advisor’s phone number and e-mail to touch base with her, which I have done just once. My son attends Goucher College near Baltimore, Maryland. It turned out to be the right fit based on his academic success, ability to balance a productive, active campus life and his amazing overall emotional growth and maturity.

Know Your Rights

The disability coordinator at the college level is mandated by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990 to provide reasonable modifications for students who have ADHD/LD. The law obliges an institution of higher education to provide effective reasonable accommodations.  ADA is enforced by the US Dept. of Justice.  ADA applies to all public and private colleges or universities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies to all public and private colleges that receive federal subsidies or grants for research and financial aid.  Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability.

To be called a disability, the impairment has to substantially limit a major life activity such as learning.  AD/HD reflects impairment in social and/or academic functioning.  The law requires documentation ( ADA and Section 504) that is current within a three-year period of psychoeducational testing and/or a clinical diagnostic report.

The higher rated colleges require both testing and report.  Such documentation ensures that colleges provide appropriate accommodations.  A student (parent) can request that his/her high school update the assessment to comply with the college policy.  An ADHD/LD student may require the following accommodations based on the documentation and what is interpreted as reasonable by the university: 1) a reduced courseload; 2) extended time to complete tests and assignments; 3) a note-taker

4) course substitution particularly with math and/or foreign language; 5) waivers or pass/fail option; 6) a quiet testing room, books on tape; 7) an alternate format for taking tests if required; 8) tutoring and assistive technology; 9) clarification or further explanation on assignments, tests, new concepts and 10) option to tape-record classes.

If a professor fails to agree to the recommendations or neglects to provide them, then the student must promptly notify the director of the disability office.

Alternatives to College

Many teens need time after high school to mature and acquire life skills before going away to a four-year unstructured college environment. AD/HD teens are known to lag behind socially and emotionally.  Contact HEATH Resource Center at 1-800-5443284 or at www.heath.gwu.edu for disability resources available on the postsecondary educational level.  Vocational Rehabilitation Services offers vocational counseling, evaluations, training and job placement assistance.  It is an eligible funded program for AD/HD students who may need vocational guidance and not opt for college..

Transitional Colleges/Life Skill Programs

A one-to-two year transitional college will prepare the student to enter a four-year college. There is Louisburg College in N.Carolina 1-800-775-0208 or www.louisburg.edu and Landmark College in Vermont 1-802-387-6718 or www.landmark.edu Both Louisburg College (less pricey) and Landmark College help the ADHD/LD student who needs to develop study skills and strategies, time management, organizational skills, critical thinking and assistance with self-regulation.

The students receive individual attention from faculty, very small classes, and exploration of individual learning styles and a focus on self-advocacy. In the book Learning Between the Lines by Jonathon Mooney and David Cole, they teach students how to take charge of their education, how to learn (which the educational system did not teach) and provide the “tools” to be successful.  Cole and Mooney demonstrate that acquiring learning skills enhances life skills.  Cole went to Landmark and Mooney a similar type of college and they both transferred to Brown, an Ivy League College where they were successful.

Transitional living programs prepare the AD/HD student for independence and life management skills.  The cost of transitional programs may be fully tax-deductible as a medical expense. 

The following life skill transitional programs allow a student to attend a community college, vocational school, a four-year college or complete high school credits or earn a GED: 1) Benchmark (California) 1-800-474-4848 or www.benchmarkeducation.net assist young adults “at risk” in the world of education, work, health (physical and emotional) and independence; 2) Echo Springs (Idaho) 1-208-267-1111 or www.echosprings.com. It gives guidance toward acquiring skills for autonomy and productivity; 3) College Living Experience (Florida) 1-800-486-5058 or www.cleinc.net is a 12 month comprehensive independent living curriculum; 4) New Lifestyles (Virginia) 1-540-722-4521 or www.newlifestyles.net They provide academic, therapeutic and career support with coaching. I would recommend finding out all you can about these alternative options to make an educated decision.

From 2002-September 2007 Update with the Launch into Adulthood

My son graduated from Goucher College cum laude in four years. He is just starting a doctoral program in psychology. The preparation phase involved visits to the Grad Schools before graduation to learn what the requirements were so he could be informed and prepared. Once he was accepted into the PsyD program, he registered with the Disability Office with the documentation from his former College and an updated letter from a psychologist. Moving into an apartment has been a new experience for him. He had spent four years in a dorm at Goucher. We helped him get familiarized with his new environment by a practice run of all the places he needs to know how to access.

Fran Parker PhD is a fully licensed psychologist at Comprehensive Psychiatric Services in Farmington Hills, MI She is Coordinator of CHADD of E. Oakland County. She helps parents advocate proactively to get educational services for their AD/HD students in their schools and for college. She helps high school students prepare for college and works with college students who have done poorly and need to get on the right track. She teaches the National CHADD Parent-to-Parent class to help parents be empowered in navigating with their kids through the lifespan. Parents are their kids with learning differences greatest resource.

Dr. Parker can be reached at 248-932-2500 (work) and eocchadd@aol.com