Q: Should My Child Attend a College with an ADHD Program?
Teens with ADHD often need academic support after high school ends. Our expert explains how to know which type of college program is right for your student.
Q: “My son found a college that matches his passion, but it isn’t specialized for students with ADHD. Is that the right place for him? Or should he attend a college with an ADHD program?”
A: Aligning a passion with a university is a good place to start if you are confident that your teen can handle the 15- to 18-hour credit loads, and all of the academic requirements.
If not, there are colleges and universities that specialize in working with students with ADHD. Mansfield Hall, for example, offers a support community in a dorm off campus that focuses on executive functioning. Every day, students come back to that community and the counselors and tutors there help make sure they’re on track, and staying on schedule to complete college courses.
There is also a middle ground. Lots of good schools offer very strong disability resource centers where students can get all the accommodations that they need.
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The decision hinges on the level of support your son or daughter needs to thrive. Many universities allow students to customize their courses or degrees to avoid core courses they might consider boring. These tend to work well for teens with ADHD. One of them is the University of Rochester, which is a really good school.
This advice came from “How to Find Your Path: A Roadmap for Choosing a College, a Career, or Something Different,” an ADDitude webinar lead by Rick Fiery, M.S., MBA in February 2019 that is now available for free replay.
