Anonymous wrote:As was already mentioned, the student needs to have had a psychoeducational evaluation within the prior 3 years. My DS was evaluated in 8th grade, so needed to have all the testing again in 12th. He's about to graduate from college.

We just went on a college visit last weekend where we talked briefly with the disabilities office, and they said it only needed to be within 5 years. They may be an exception, though.

Anonymous wrote:Curious how then transition to life works out when suddenly there are no accommodations? DH and I are really struggling with this question, so no offense intended.

There are accommodations. You don't have timed 60 minute tests in the real world. You can stay late if you need to finish something - or come in early. You can get up and walk around every so often in a real job, go to the bathroom, drink some water, have a snack..... You can use word prediction software and spell check. You can have someone read over your work. You can have a chair that helps you sit for longer periods of time, you can even sit on a yoga ball if you want. You can use a calculator in the real world. In the real world, your assets are the reason you have a job, you don't have to be good at everything. You can use text to speech software. You can go for a walk over the lunch hour. You can bring your own food and eat it when you want.

Curious how then transition to life works out when suddenly there are no accommodations? DH and I are really struggling with this question, so no offense intended.

PP here again. I would also argue that learning how to advocate for yourself, navigate the system legally, and get what you need to succeed despite personal circumstances is a useful skill to have. Your daughter may have to figure out how to do this when she needs maternity leave, has a chronic illness, etc. and I think it's important to figure out how to deal with the appropriate legal channels in such circumstances. It is perhaps less useful if your parents do it for you, but after figuring out how to deal with all that crap in college and graduate school, I feel pretty comfortable with dealing with any circumstance where I need some sort of special paperwork to make something happen.

Anonymous wrote:Curious how then transition to life works out when suddenly there are no accommodations? DH and I are really struggling with this question, so no offense intended.

Depends what the issue is. My DC can write great research papers because she has strong writing and analytical skills but when it comes to exams she has trouble with instant recall, with sustained focus, and with the time pressures. So she knows a job that emphasizes instant recall of facts is not going to be a good fit. For what she wants to do she will probably need to work harder and longer than other people, but otherwise shouldn't be at a huge disadvantage. She's also done several internships/summer jobs so has a pretty good sense of what she does and doesn't want to do.

You find a job that fits your strengths and you also use workplace accommodations available through the ADA. Also work is very different from school, and the stressors are different so someone who needs extra time for an exam may not encounter a similar issue in the workplace as few jobs require exams.

PP who got accommodations in college and graduate school. It is a non-issue because I am fine with writing in a timely fashion, projects, coordinating ideas at meetings, interviewing, etc. I just have issues with taking exams. In graduate school, once I got to the dissertation stage, past coursework, it was a complete non-issue. The sort of skills that are important for a job are entirely distinct from what makes someone a good test taker.

Anonymous wrote:Curious how then transition to life works out when suddenly there are no accommodations? DH and I are really struggling with this question, so no offense intended.

You find a job that fits your strengths and you also use workplace accommodations available through the ADA. Also work is very different from school, and the stressors are different so someone who needs extra time for an exam may not encounter a similar issue in the workplace as few jobs require exams.

Curious how then transition to life works out when suddenly there are no accommodations? DH and I are really struggling with this question, so no offense intended.

I have ADHD and another LD related to executive functioning. I was smart enough that it went totally undiagnosed until college, when the work got much more challenging and received accommodations starting my second semester of sophomore year. I was able to receive time and a half on exams throughout college and graduate school. I have another friend who is severely dyslexic and got time and a half on exams throughout college and graduate school as well. Most colleges are well equipped to deal with this, and I think they may be required to as per the Americans with disabilities acts. I have been both at a small private liberal arts school and a large top tier research university, and the process was similar. You send your diagnosis paperwork (I went through some extensive testing--which was available at my college) to the dean or the disabilities center and they send you letters to distribute to the faculty whose courses you are taking. Then you coordinate things like alternate time, room, etc. Accommodations can include extended time on exams, a private room to take an exam, note-taking services, and some others. It's not really a big deal. My professors in graduate school were less accustomed to dealing with this, but it was fine.

Anonymous wrote:As was already mentioned, the student needs to have had a psychoeducational evaluation within the prior 3 years. My DS was evaluated in 8th grade, so needed to have all the testing again in 12th. He's about to graduate from college.

Were there other adjustments that had to be made or anything you'd recommend to the parents sending ADHD kids to college? Did you checkin more than your might otherwise or wait for a call for help, for example?

Here is an example of what Georgetown University does.


http://academicsupport.georgetown.edu/disability/medical-accommodations/request/


http://academicsupport.georgetown.edu/disability/medical-accommodations/guide/

Would appreciate hearing specific colleges where anyone's kids have had good experiences with accommodations. Thanks.

As was already mentioned, the student needs to have had a psychoeducational evaluation within the prior 3 years. My DS was evaluated in 8th grade, so needed to have all the testing again in 12th. He's about to graduate from college.

Anonymous wrote:See also:


Theresa Maitland and Patricia Quinn (2011). Ready for Take-Off: Preparing Your Teen With ADHD or College. Magination Press.

Patricia Quinn and Theresa Maitland (2011). On Your Own: A College Readiness Guide for Teens with ADHD/LD.

Thanks for these recs. I've already downloaded one and just started reading it.

I'm confused that sometimes the point is made that ADD is not a learning disability and sometimes not a disability per the ADA. And other times it is considered as such. Can anyone shed any light on this?

See also:


Theresa Maitland and Patricia Quinn (2011). Ready for Take-Off: Preparing Your Teen With ADHD or College. Magination Press.

Patricia Quinn and Theresa Maitland (2011). On Your Own: A College Readiness Guide for Teens with ADHD/LD.