Should your student continue to receive ADHD care from a longtime clinician or join a new practice closer to campus? Here are some factors to help you decide.
Continuity of Care vs. New Support
One benefit of your teen continuing care with their existing clinician: Because of their personal knowledge of and history with your teen, that clinician can quickly recognize and respond to worsening symptoms. Familiarity can also have a downside, however. Some young adults have told me their clinicians feel comfortable regularly re-prescribing medications over text without an evaluation, which can lead to inaccurate clinical decisions.
[Get This Free Download: How to Get ADHD Accommodations in College]
If your student wants to continue care with the clinician they had in high school, ask the clinician for their perspective. If your teen is attending college out of state, ask whether the clinician is licensed in that state. You should also keep in mind that it might be less convenient for your student to regularly attend appointments in another state. Fewer face-to-face appointments can mean that worsening ADHD symptoms go undetected and untreated. Have this conversation several months before the transition so your teen has time to find a new care team, if needed.
Finding a New Clinician
Roughly one in four students with ADHD is receiving a prescription for stimulants from a psychiatrist in the local community around their college, even though finding a psychiatrist who is affordable and taking new patients can be difficult. Some students have the financial means to pay cash and take their pick of available psychiatrists. Most do not.
To identify medical professionals in the community around your student’s new school who accept your insurance, consult your student’s insurance website. Call early. Insurance network lists can be outdated with clinicians who are no longer taking new patients.
If identifying a psychiatrist proves difficult, find a primary care clinician who is willing to prescribe ADHD medications. This might be less desirable if your teen has multiple psychiatric conditions or needs frequent or more complicated medication adjustments, however.
[Read: 13 Survival Tips from College Graduates with ADHD]
Some students use campus mental health services. Our research has shown that almost all U.S. colleges and universities offer mental health services, but few provide clinical services for ADHD. Check the institution’s website or call its health clinic to determine whether ADHD services are offered. The advantages of these clinics: They are on campus and are usually cheap or free. Your student may need to provide documents to verify their diagnosis and transition their care.
College can be a rewarding time for students with ADHD. Choosing who will manage your teen’s professional mental health care during these formative years requires planning, conversations, and careful thought about what will maximize their chance of appropriate care.
ADHD Therapist and Medication Changes: Next Steps
- Free Download: Who Can Treat ADHD?
- Read: ADHD and College: Survival Guide for Teens on Their Own
- Read: The College Survival Guide for Students with ADHD
James Aluri, M.D., is an associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.
Updated on February 25, 2025