College Counselor for ADHD/ASD kid

[Anonymous]

DC is a sophomore with ADHD/ASD. DC is excelling in a small independent high school. Solid grades, managing the workload, meeting deadlines, socially engaged, plays sports, in the school play, etc. DC has very slow processing speed, and while outgoing and kind, is probably a year or so behind in maturity and “quirky.” Not strange, just unsophisticated—what we’d consider “nerdy,” back in the day. I suspect that DC will have some solid options for college, but my concern is finding the right fit. DC will need a school with small student-teacher ratios with an accepting student body—a frat/sports school isn’t DC’s jam. DC will also need ADHD accommodations, like extended time on tests. Should I hire a college counselor to help us find the right fit, given DC’s special needs? Or should we be able to figure this out on our own through research and school visits? Money isn’t an issue. Yes, this is early, but my kid is complicated and getting in front of things has helped.

[Anonymous]

My dc’s psychologist and psychiatrist were helpful in narrowing down colleges - they have a lot of similar patients with current experience. The biggest thing I’d advise is to pick a school that’s not far away. My child seemed independent and we looked at schools in Maine, etc, but he ended up an hour away and there have been periods where that has been key. In fact he probably wouldn’t still be there if he’d gone further. Being able to get there or get him home quickly has been critical.

[Anonymous]

Every school will offer basic accommodations like extra time on tests. It becomes more difficult to find a good fit school if he will need actual services, like executive function coaching. The more support he needs, the more important a knowledgeable counselor is.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the distance recommendation. That has been key for us. There are good Facebook groups too like Parents of College Bound Students with Learning Disabilities, ADHD and ASD. Look at the Colleges that Change Lives book/website.

One thing we had to assess was what was more important - support or academic rigor, but based on how high school went, we chose support. That part was a little hard for me to square with, but so far has been the right decision. We did not use a college counselor, but this was not my first time through the college application process, so that helped. If this is your first time, you may want some support. Elizabeth Hamblet is a counselor with a lot of content out there and a private practice.

[Anonymous]

You can do this yourself. We worked with a college counselor and it really is a scam. Maybe only helpful (mildly) for essays.

Join the Facebook page mentioned above and do searches on DCUM. People have asked what schools are good for AuADHD kids and have gotten great answers. If you want to start now, make a post in the college forum with this question but provide specific info. They need to know GPA, rigor, ACT/SAT, area of country.

[Anonymous]

I also wanted to add that some of the challenges have been things I didn’t expect, like eating in the dining hall. My child, and several other kids I know, won’t eat in the dining hall, because of sensory issues, crowdedness, no one to eat with, and other problems. I have a friend whose kid eats all his meals at the campus coffee shop. There are many things I like about my child’s college but a situation with more options or more off campus housing might have been better. IDK. It’s hard to anticipate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can do this yourself. We worked with a college counselor and it really is a scam. Maybe only helpful (mildly) for essays.

Join the Facebook page mentioned above and do searches on DCUM. People have asked what schools are good for AuADHD kids and have gotten great answers. If you want to start now, make a post in the college forum with this question but provide specific info. They need to know GPA, rigor, ACT/SAT, area of country.

you probably didn't have the right counselor. some are knowledgeable about certain schools and can be a helpful source of info. they also know more about the process than parents.

my kid's psychiatrist is used to workign with schools to get accommodations and had some helpful input on which disability offices were helpful or not.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone recommend names of college counselors/consultants?

[Anonymous]

We used this group and have been very happy.

https://collegeld.com