Making the transition from elementary school to middle school or from middle school to high school is a challenge for many students. Parents, teachers, counselors and administrators expend much time addressing this issue and with good reason. Intervention in this arena is particularly crucial if a student has been diagnosed with a learning disability, particularly Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD).

We often neglect to address this issue when our children make the transition from high school to college. Many students go to college at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons, at the wrong location, and at the wrong age. This can be disastrous for a student with an AD/HD diagnosis. We have written a paper titled "Where Will Your Child Be Their Sophomore Year in College" that addresses the issue of freshman retention and the myriad of reasons why students often leave college or simply fail to make the grade. You can find this article at www.nvtutoring.com/articles.

1. Tests:

• Extended time on tests and assignments,
• Testing in a separate and quiet place,
• Testing over several sessions

2. Lectures:

• Permission to record lectures,
• Audio-taped text book,
• Assistance with writing class notes (i.e., note taking service),
• Reading assistance service (i.e., reading group)

3. Courses:

• Written instructions from professors,
• Priority registration with a professional in the disability services office,
• The possibility of class substitution within the curriculum,
• Reduced course load

What students with AD/HD can provide for themselves:

1. Choosing:

• Right college: with good reasonable accommodations for students with AD/HD,
• Support group for students with AD/HD,
• College with large number of AD/HD-LD specialists,
• College with many registered AD/HD students
• To disclose your AD/HD diagnosis at the earliest possible opportunity and request appropriate accommodations including those that the school may not readily offer but you can justify the need.

2. Contact:

• School's office of disability and be familiar with its resources;
• Health officials to provide them with documentations that prove your AD/HD status and proof that AD/HD affects your academic performance;
• Writing center and utilize it properly;
• Professors beyond the classroom, make use of office hours, if only to introduce yourself. Set up appointments to clarify assignments.

3. Find:

• How and where to access support from tutors, whether on campus or online;
• Healthy study environment early on: proper time management (including a schedule that includes time for studying, socializing and exercising), distraction free study environment;
• A study buddy or study group: sign up for classes with friends, or make friends in the classes you have so that you will support each other in and out of class;
• An academic coach (through the college counseling office or privately) that will check in with you throughout the week to ensure success.

4. Improve your:

• Self-advocacy skills,
• Self-esteem and avoid frustrations,
• Socializing time and social skills,
• Perspective to your future goals and carrier,
• Perseverance and procrastination,
• Sleep habits to be able to get up early in the morning to catch your classes,
• Self-expectations: sometimes kids with AD/HD think that they are cured after high school so they are not in need for further treatment.

Source: www.add.org   

Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood

by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., and John J. Ratey, M.D.

Simon and Schuster, 1994

Classic bestseller which defines and explains ADD, illustrated by cases from private practice. Addresses the child and the adult with ADD, how ADD affects couples and families, identifies subtypes of ADD, how the diagnostic process often works, treatment options (including education, medication, tips for classroom and home management) and the biology of ADD in the central nervous system. Excellent text for the information-hungry parent.

Smart but Scattered: the Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential

by Peg Dawson, EdD, and Richard Guare, PhD

The Guilford Press, 2009

We receive innumerable calls from parents who say things like "my child completes his/her homework but doesn't turn it in!" What are executive skills and how can a parent help a child who is struggling with simple tasks? The authors explain what makes your child smart but scattered, how to lay a foundation for learning and using executive skills, and how to put it all together.

The Gift of ADHD: how to Transform Your Child's Problems into Strengths 2nd edition

by Lara Honos-Webb, PhD

New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2010