Anonymous
01/09/2026 13:57
Subject: Struggling college student
You said she/he gets failing grades. Is she/he now on academic probation? Does your child have a diagnosed disability that and is she/he working with the disability office? Assuming your child is on academic probation, I hope you have asked about pros and cons of staying vs. going on medical leave to figure this out. If your child is asked to leave based on grades, must it be disclosed when applying to future colleges? Also, think about the personal toll.
It takes a while to figure out what works. If your student isn't on academic probation that is one thing, if she/he is,I would consider coming home for a semester and taking classes from home either online or at a local community college. You can take classes at a local University as a non-degree student as well. Then you can figure out what works for your kid. I would not do a full course-load either. Maybe 2-3 classes.
It takes a while to figure out what works. If your student isn't on academic probation that is one thing, if she/he is,I would consider coming home for a semester and taking classes from home either online or at a local community college. You can take classes at a local University as a non-degree student as well. Then you can figure out what works for your kid. I would not do a full course-load either. Maybe 2-3 classes.
Anonymous
01/09/2026 12:55
Subject: Struggling college student
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My child who also needs intensive support/supervised study halls is thriving at Mansfield Hall. https://mansfieldhall.org/
Your child would need to be willing to switch schools to one in a city that Mansfield serves.
What is the demographic of Mansfield Park? My child is very functional in all ways except academic executive functioning! It makes it tricky socially to place him in programs.
Almost everyone is autistic or autism-adjacent. Everyone is assigned to two case managers -- one for academics, one for everything else -- but different people need different support, and they are good with individualizing. I would have said the same thing about my child, but she's still benefited from the support around keeping her space clean (including cleaning the bathroom) and mediating roommate disputes -- but the academic support is why she's there. When we visited for parents weekend, some of her peers were obviously autistic in their mannerisms but others had no outward signs (based on casual conversation). My daughter has joined social groups based both at Mansfield and at her college.
Anonymous
01/09/2026 11:43
Subject: Struggling college student
I found the Mansfield Hall website fascinating. Thanks for posting pp.
Anonymous
01/09/2026 11:28
Subject: Struggling college student
Anonymous wrote:My child who also needs intensive support/supervised study halls is thriving at Mansfield Hall. https://mansfieldhall.org/
Your child would need to be willing to switch schools to one in a city that Mansfield serves.
What is the demographic of Mansfield Park? My child is very functional in all ways except academic executive functioning! It makes it tricky socially to place him in programs.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 21:58
Subject: Struggling college student
Start by having your student go to the office of disability services. I bet they have tutoring available every day
Anonymous
01/08/2026 21:02
Subject: Struggling college student
You mentioned hiring a tutor, but have you done that? I would absolutely do that for my kid.
Mine is starting next year and I’m nervous how it will go. It’s supposedly a supportive program but time will tell how he does away from home. I would hire someone if needed.
Mine is starting next year and I’m nervous how it will go. It’s supposedly a supportive program but time will tell how he does away from home. I would hire someone if needed.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 20:14
Subject: Struggling college student
Is there an academic support center? I would reach out to them and say exactly what you just said here. Sometimes they will let students come in and work there, even daily, and they might be able to provide some scaffolded services and recommendations including tutors.
Nothing your kid is dealing with will be unfamiliar to them.
I have an anxious kid with EF issues, and one thing that I have really found helps is lowering the stakes a little. It’s paradoxical, but treating it all as a learning opportunity, saying, “eh, it might not work, but give it a shot,” and having a sense of humor (“we humans have so many foibles, look at us so often getting in our own way”) helps remove some of the anxiety, which gets her unfrozen. If your daughter is like mine, then look for people who allow her to feel at ease.
Whatever happens, it won’t be her last chance at a good life. Some kids take longer to figure themselves out, but they usually learn a lot about themselves along the way.
Sending good wishes to you both.
Nothing your kid is dealing with will be unfamiliar to them.
I have an anxious kid with EF issues, and one thing that I have really found helps is lowering the stakes a little. It’s paradoxical, but treating it all as a learning opportunity, saying, “eh, it might not work, but give it a shot,” and having a sense of humor (“we humans have so many foibles, look at us so often getting in our own way”) helps remove some of the anxiety, which gets her unfrozen. If your daughter is like mine, then look for people who allow her to feel at ease.
Whatever happens, it won’t be her last chance at a good life. Some kids take longer to figure themselves out, but they usually learn a lot about themselves along the way.
Sending good wishes to you both.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:57
Subject: Struggling college student
My child was at a state school. After going on academic probation, the school provided a free counselor through the student academic tutoring department. He did not fully take advantage of it, nor other ADA office accommodations provided, and left after another semester.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:45
Subject: Struggling college student
Some of the small schools DS looked at over the summer offered a lot of supports to kids. There was free tutoring, free counseling, a writers center, etc. Does your student have accommodations through the office of student disability? Can they reach out to that office to see what additional services might be available?
You can also find a virtual EF coach. The issue is more cost than anything else.
You can also find a virtual EF coach. The issue is more cost than anything else.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:45
Subject: Struggling college student
Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming that your child is properly medicated for ADHD and depression, though it certainly doesn’t sound like it based on this post. Hopefully, you have an updated an neuropsych and a he is regularly meeting with a therapist and psychiatrist. Otherwise, this plan is utterly ridiculous and doesn’t address why a smart 18 YEAR OLD needs this level of hand holding.
You can go on your child’s college’s parents/community Facebook and post that you are looking for an executive function coach or explain the situation. Also, I assume you have reached out to the office of disabilities?
Or you can find an online tutor (or two) to perform this “body doubling.” Something like Wyzant. If your kid can’t find the motivation to log in for this service, then I think he needs to come home.
I am sympathetic to special needs and mental health problems and wish the best for your son. But this plan looks like you aren’t addressing his actual needs. The first goal is to raise an independent adult, the second goal is education. This can be hard to accept when we don’t want to accept that our child has special needs and may not take the same course as their peers.
I'm the pp above who posted about Mansfield Hall. I assure you that my student is properly medicated for ADHD and anxiety (there is no medication for autism), meets regularly with a psychiatrist and therapist, and still needs a tremendous amount of executive function support, even at 18. Great for you that your child's disabilities are 100% remediated by medication and age, but some of our kids continue to need high levels of support, despite being smart and college capable.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:43
Subject: Struggling college student
We used an executive function tutor from Ann Dolin’s company for freshman year. It was virtual and the “package” I think was 30 hours. She had access to Canvas or whatever platform the college used. They would meet in 30 minute blocks once or twice a week and develop a schedule of what would be done when. At the end if freshman year I think we had 10 hours left and she didn’t need to use them sophomore year. I highly recommend it. I think it was around $1500 (?) but money well spent (especially if you consider the alternative of wasting a semester at $30,000)
Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:25
Subject: Struggling college student
Know it’s not exactly the same, but I have a kid who has also needed more support and our solution last semester was he came home every weekend and we helped him figure out the work he needed to do (or catch up on). It worked because school was not far and working Fri-Sun was long enough to do most work for the week. We had tried an exec function coach at school but they during seem to help much.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 18:14
Subject: Struggling college student
I’m assuming that your child is properly medicated for ADHD and depression, though it certainly doesn’t sound like it based on this post. Hopefully, you have an updated an neuropsych and a he is regularly meeting with a therapist and psychiatrist. Otherwise, this plan is utterly ridiculous and doesn’t address why a smart 18 YEAR OLD needs this level of hand holding.
You can go on your child’s college’s parents/community Facebook and post that you are looking for an executive function coach or explain the situation. Also, I assume you have reached out to the office of disabilities?
Or you can find an online tutor (or two) to perform this “body doubling.” Something like Wyzant. If your kid can’t find the motivation to log in for this service, then I think he needs to come home.
I am sympathetic to special needs and mental health problems and wish the best for your son. But this plan looks like you aren’t addressing his actual needs. The first goal is to raise an independent adult, the second goal is education. This can be hard to accept when we don’t want to accept that our child has special needs and may not take the same course as their peers.
You can go on your child’s college’s parents/community Facebook and post that you are looking for an executive function coach or explain the situation. Also, I assume you have reached out to the office of disabilities?
Or you can find an online tutor (or two) to perform this “body doubling.” Something like Wyzant. If your kid can’t find the motivation to log in for this service, then I think he needs to come home.
I am sympathetic to special needs and mental health problems and wish the best for your son. But this plan looks like you aren’t addressing his actual needs. The first goal is to raise an independent adult, the second goal is education. This can be hard to accept when we don’t want to accept that our child has special needs and may not take the same course as their peers.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 17:49
Subject: Struggling college student
My child who also needs intensive support/supervised study halls is thriving at Mansfield Hall. https://mansfieldhall.org/
Your child would need to be willing to switch schools to one in a city that Mansfield serves.
Your child would need to be willing to switch schools to one in a city that Mansfield serves.
Anonymous
01/08/2026 17:37
Subject: Struggling college student
I hope it is OK to post this here. I have a struggling college student. Very bright, but gets caught up with anxieties and cannot get work turned in and ends up with failing grades. At best, underperforms.Without getting into details, what they need to stay in school is the equivalent of daily in-person study hall with a tutor. Please don't question this conclusion as it will derail the thread! And has been reached after consultation with student and professionals. The issue with executing on this solution is that they are in a small liberal arts school in a small town. Does anyone have experience creating this sort of structure for their bright but academically struggling college student? Details would be appreciated.