Anonymous wrote:PP with the daughter that failed out. When I say “great school” we are not talking ivy league or anything, it was what was great for her. Don’t want to name school (many friends on here) but let’s say it was between the failed school and the U of Delaware, so that level. And fyi I think Delaware is a respectable school.

PP, I'm sorry your daughter's college experience didn't go well. But this isn't the topic of the post. We're talking about the process of getting our kids into college. You're welcome to start another post or find an existing one about what didn't go well for kids with disabilities in college.

PP with the daughter that failed out. When I say “great school” we are not talking ivy league or anything, it was what was great for her. Don’t want to name school (many friends on here) but let’s say it was between the failed school and the U of Delaware, so that level. And fyi I think Delaware is a respectable school.

Congrats. As a parent to a daughter with ADHD, I can assure you that getting into college is a lot easier than staying in college. I genuinely understand your excitement, we also had the same excitement. Our daughter failed out of a great university her first year and has been in community college and working part time.
But question… what does your gut say? I’m only asking, because in our situation, we knew it was risky and admittedly we got caught up in the excitement of visiting schools and talking incessantly to friends about the process. And when those acceptances came in we were on top of the world.
In retrospect I wish we had listened to our gut and sent her to cc first. While a smart girl, she had some growing up to do. There is a lot of free and unstructured time in college and let’s just say our daughter knew all the things she was supposed to do, and did none of them. It ended in a trainwreck. But it has come together now, living at home, cc, and p/t work.
I’m not trying to rain on your parade. Just make sure you set her up with all the right supports. And good luck!

And one more thing, I did exactly what the other parent did. I was extremely involved with the list. He gave me his must haves and things he didn’t want and I created the places to look at. We went for visits. Then he revised what he liked or didn’t and I revised the list for the next tour. The only difference is I was doing it, not a college counselor. I work in education so I have some knowledge with schools.

Congratulations, OP! It is such a huge relief. I also have a senior who has been accepted and has committed to his top choice. I’ll also answer the questions to share our perspective.

Kind of testing or other documentation requested by colleges to qualify for services
No, DS did not want to do this. I was going to try to get him to if he was learning towards a school where he may have needed it to try to get an accommodation for a single but this wasn’t needed.

- Did you contact disability services offices directly? If so, when in the search process?
No, he didn’t want to contact them at all.

- Did your children visit the school of choice more than once? Yes, 3 times already

- What resources did you use to evaluate needed supports for a DC - hiring a consultant
At any point, using a parent FB group, using lists of colleges with good support programs? We looked mostly at programs to see which would be a good fit. Even then, some seemed perfect and then we went to the school for a visit and he immediately knew it was not the place for him. In person visits we’re important to our son. We used Google and old fashion Internet searches and process of elimination. What he thought he wanted at the beginning of his junior year was not what he wanted by the beginning of his senior year.


- Did your children take the SATs, ACT or apply to test optional schools? Test optional. He didn’t want to take them. We encouraged him to but he refused.

- Did you get testing on adult scales done? No

There's a book called the K&W Guide to Colleges, wasn't that useful to us but maybe it would be to others

Oh I would add that I was VERY involved in finding the schools. The consultant gave him a list but it wasn't a very good match for his academics or his interests. So I dug in. I think this amount of work - starting from every school out there - would be overwhelming for most kids, let alone one with ADHD. So I started with a broad list, then kid chose from mostly amongst that list. He added 1-2 schools on top of that, but mostly found schools he liked from my list so he pared it down to a workable number to apply to.

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to both kids! Appreciate this post!

How did you identify schools that have both challenge and support for adhd. I wonder/fear about some of the disability services offices if they are “in name only”? In general, any tips for building a list of schools to apply to?

What specifically did you help your ADHD kid with in the search/application process. Versus where did the consultant help? Unless things change I’m tempted to out the entire thing in the name of our relationship. Homework is already so fraught as is. Did you use a consultant who specializes in kids with ADHD? If so, could you recommend?

Did your ADHD child talk about any of the struggles that they have had it any points in their essays or interviews, etc.? I’ve always wonder about if/how to address this.

Thank you

Thanks!

How did you identify schools that have both challenge and support for adhd. I wonder/fear about some of the disability services offices if they are “in name only”? In general, any tips for building a list of schools to apply to?

This was really hard because the lists of schools with dedicated programs were not an academic fit. I asked around on social media groups. I also asked DC's psychiatrist because she has a lot of experience helping her patients get accommodations. And I paid attention on tours, like did the tour guides mention the disability offices. And sometimes I asked the tour guides about kids' experiences with disability services. I also looked for schools with good support services in general both academic and health.

What specifically did you help your ADHD kid with in the search/application process. Versus where did the consultant help? Unless things change I’m tempted to out the entire thing in the name of our relationship. Homework is already so fraught as is. Did you use a consultant who specializes in kids with ADHD? If so, could you recommend?

The consultant had him on a schedule and would give him tasks to do before their next meeting. No she didn't specialize in kids with ADHD but this structure was very helpful. We still had to edit/proof essays, help brainstorm topics, proof the apps, help with activities list, remind him to work on things, etc. I kept reminding him to check portals and email. I also helped with the additional info section.

Did your ADHD child talk about any of the struggles that they have had it any points in their essays or interviews, etc.? I’ve always wonder about if/how to address this.

Yes a little in the written app. He addressed it in the additional info section where relevant and while it didn't come up in the common app essay, it did come up in some of the supplementals. I have no idea if it came up in interviews. He did mention it when we helped him prep for interviews but unsure if it actually came up.

Congrats to both kids! Appreciate this post!

How did you identify schools that have both challenge and support for adhd. I wonder/fear about some of the disability services offices if they are “in name only”? In general, any tips for building a list of schools to apply to?

What specifically did you help your ADHD kid with in the search/application process. Versus where did the consultant help? Unless things change I’m tempted to out the entire thing in the name of our relationship. Homework is already so fraught as is. Did you use a consultant who specializes in kids with ADHD? If so, could you recommend?

Did your ADHD child talk about any of the struggles that they have had it any points in their essays or interviews, etc.? I’ve always wonder about if/how to address this.

Thank you

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Congrats on a job well done!! Parents might benefit from information on:

- Kind of testing or other documentation requested by colleges to qualify for services
- Did you contact disability services offices directly? If so, when in the search process?
- Did your children visit the school of choice more than once?
- What resources did you use to evaluate needed supports for a DC - hiring a consultant
At any point, using a parent FB group, using lists of colleges with good support programs?
- Did your children take the SATs, ACT or apply to test optional schools?
- Did you get testing on adult scales done?

A DD is in the process now for a teen and these are topics that have come up.

Ok!
-Kind of testing or other documentation requested by colleges to qualify for services
One kid got in a couple years ago, is at college now with accommodations. Their disabilities were medical so they just needed a dr's note.
Second kid just got in ED so I have not dug into what this school's office needs yet. That's the next project now that they are in. We got updated neuropsych testing this summer so plan to submit that.

- Did you contact disability services offices directly? If so, when in the search process?
Actually no we did not. That wasn't my preference and would not be my advice but the kids are adults now so they have to drive it. Neither kid wanted to contact disability offices while looking at schools so we did not. I asked around on social media groups to try to make sure the schools they were interested in weren't horrible for accommodations, but that's all I could do. Kid #1 didn't even want to apply for accommodations. Thought they'd be fine without them. 3 weeks into the school year they realized that wasn't going to work so we scrambled to apply - I helped them to put together the application and helped contact the dr for support. Luckily the school was responsive and the accommodations came through quickly.

Kid #2 also didnt' want to contact disabilities offices during visits despite me suggesting it more than once. So we didn't. This kid knows they need accomms so will be applying. And crossing fingers office is responsive. We did look into things like which schools require langugages as that is a weakness for this kid.


- Did your children visit the school of choice more than once?
Yes, both visited 2x before applying ED.

- What resources did you use to evaluate needed supports for a DC - hiring a consultant
Both kids worked with a college consultant to manage the process but the one we used wasn't very knowledgeable about supports. So for the second, I hired a second consultant just to advise on schools. But mostly I researched on my own. There's a book that I can't remember the name of and groups of parents on Facebook and here. In the end, it's still hard to tell. Neither kids was a fit for the schools that are known for disability supports (Landmark, SALT program at Ariz etc) because those schools were not an academic fit.

At any point, using a parent FB group, using lists of colleges with good support programs?
not sure I understand this question, but the schools on those lists were mostly not a fit for other reasons.

- Did your children take the SATs, ACT or apply to test optional schools?
They both took the ACT and not the SAT. We got the advice to focus on one test and not the other. One kid did better on practice ACT so focused on that one. The other happened to take the ACT first and did really well so didn't end up needing the SAT. It was so much better not taking both, less overwhelming, less stress.

- Did you get testing on adult scales done?
Yes got an updated neurospsych the summer before sr yr of HS. Some schools require it and some don't as best I could tell so we went ahead and got it done.

SN mom here who also happens to be a test prep tutor -- no child anywhere, disability or not, should be taking both the ACT and SAT. Take a practice test in each, evaluate scores, look to see what kinds of things they did well or poorly on, and ask the child which they prefer. Most kids perform similarly on both SAT and ACT and it is only very rarely and for very specific reasons that I would recommend one over the other, and never over the preference of the student.

I know it's a common commercial test prep approach to encourage kids to take both, but this is not the way.

Also, please apply for testing accommodations and please know that multi-day testing is offered by both SAT and ACT and that your school team must consider it on the IEP and/or 504 plan through an accommodation that limits the amount of testing in one day (i.e. no more than 2 hours of testing in one day). That kind of accommodation can be supported by data about working memory and processing speed, and would apply to College Board APs also (so a student wouldn't have to take more than 1 AP a day).

And, for the sake of the mental health of your child - please google "common data" and a school name and see that many schools accept a large proportion of students without any SAT or ACT. At the end of the day, if a student doesn't do well on these tests, there are still many, many schools to apply to. In fact, the entire U of California system doesn't even use SAT/ACT in the admissions process.

Anonymous wrote:OP - Congrats on a job well done!! Parents might benefit from information on:

- Kind of testing or other documentation requested by colleges to qualify for services
- Did you contact disability services offices directly? If so, when in the search process?
- Did your children visit the school of choice more than once?
- What resources did you use to evaluate needed supports for a DC - hiring a consultant
At any point, using a parent FB group, using lists of colleges with good support programs?
- Did your children take the SATs, ACT or apply to test optional schools?
- Did you get testing on adult scales done?

A DD is in the process now for a teen and these are topics that have come up.

Ok!
-Kind of testing or other documentation requested by colleges to qualify for services
One kid got in a couple years ago, is at college now with accommodations. Their disabilities were medical so they just needed a dr's note.
Second kid just got in ED so I have not dug into what this school's office needs yet. That's the next project now that they are in. We got updated neuropsych testing this summer so plan to submit that.

- Did you contact disability services offices directly? If so, when in the search process?
Actually no we did not. That wasn't my preference and would not be my advice but the kids are adults now so they have to drive it. Neither kid wanted to contact disability offices while looking at schools so we did not. I asked around on social media groups to try to make sure the schools they were interested in weren't horrible for accommodations, but that's all I could do. Kid #1 didn't even want to apply for accommodations. Thought they'd be fine without them. 3 weeks into the school year they realized that wasn't going to work so we scrambled to apply - I helped them to put together the application and helped contact the dr for support. Luckily the school was responsive and the accommodations came through quickly.

Kid #2 also didnt' want to contact disabilities offices during visits despite me suggesting it more than once. So we didn't. This kid knows they need accomms so will be applying. And crossing fingers office is responsive. We did look into things like which schools require langugages as that is a weakness for this kid.


- Did your children visit the school of choice more than once?
Yes, both visited 2x before applying ED.

- What resources did you use to evaluate needed supports for a DC - hiring a consultant
Both kids worked with a college consultant to manage the process but the one we used wasn't very knowledgeable about supports. So for the second, I hired a second consultant just to advise on schools. But mostly I researched on my own. There's a book that I can't remember the name of and groups of parents on Facebook and here. In the end, it's still hard to tell. Neither kids was a fit for the schools that are known for disability supports (Landmark, SALT program at Ariz etc) because those schools were not an academic fit.

At any point, using a parent FB group, using lists of colleges with good support programs?
not sure I understand this question, but the schools on those lists were mostly not a fit for other reasons.

- Did your children take the SATs, ACT or apply to test optional schools?
They both took the ACT and not the SAT. We got the advice to focus on one test and not the other. One kid did better on practice ACT so focused on that one. The other happened to take the ACT first and did really well so didn't end up needing the SAT. It was so much better not taking both, less overwhelming, less stress.

- Did you get testing on adult scales done?
Yes got an updated neurospsych the summer before sr yr of HS. Some schools require it and some don't as best I could tell so we went ahead and got it done.

OP - Congrats on a job well done!! Parents might benefit from information on:

- Kind of testing or other documentation requested by colleges to qualify for services
- Did you contact disability services offices directly? If so, when in the search process?
- Did your children visit the school of choice more than once?
- What resources did you use to evaluate needed supports for a DC - hiring a consultant
At any point, using a parent FB group, using lists of colleges with good support programs?
- Did your children take the SATs, ACT or apply to test optional schools?
- Did you get testing on adult scales done?

A DD is in the process now for a teen and these are topics that have come up.

Anonymous wrote:That is so amazing!
Congratulations.
I have a MS kid with ADHD and I'm dreading the college process already.

OP here. One of my kids has ADHD, the other one does not. The ADHD kid needed me to be a lot more hands on in the college search process.

That is so amazing!
Congratulations.
I have a MS kid with ADHD and I'm dreading the college process already.

Whew! Just completed the college process for two kids with disabilities. Both got into their top choice schools. Both schools are really hard to get into. It's been quite a journey. Really really proud of them both. I'm willing to answer questions from other parents as long as they don't involve identifying information.