Tips for College Students with ADHD
ADHD (including the former diagnosis of ADD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that first presents in childhood, but most individuals are impacted as adults. Adults with ADHD need to self-advocate when they require supports in their life.
College is one setting where teens and young adults with ADHD may need accommodations. ADHD can significantly impact a student’s ability to show what they know. Academic accommodations “level the playing field” between those with disabilities (such as ADHD) and those without.
Depending on the academic institution and a student’s profile of strengths and weaknesses, the following are some of the accommodations they could request:
- Priority registration for classes
- Extra time on testing
- Test taking in a private room
- Copy of lecture notes from notetaker
- Access to audiobooks
- Permission to record lectures
- Preferential seating
- Interpreting services
- Access to calculator
- Substitution of (some) class requirements (e.g., foreign language)
These accommodations can help reduce of weak attention and executive functioning associated with ADHD. The student must also take initiative and accept responsibility to be a successful college student, such as with the following:
- Take any medications as prescribed and use digital reminders if needed to avoid forgetting.
- Work with an academic advisor to select your courses.
- If you are not using a calendar or planner, this will be necessary. Find a system that works for you, but digital calendars promote easy accessibility and higher efficiency for many user functions.
- Studying in groups or being with other students who are also studying can improve sustained attention and effort, and it can provide opportunities to deepen learning. Participate in any available group tutorials; and consider studying at the library rather than the dorm where distractions are high.
- Meet with professors to ask questions, review progress at each stage of large projects, and ask questions about how to improve.
- Work with a tutor or participate in study skills classes. Ask about free services on campus or find private coaches/therapists and tutors. These supports could help implement new ways to effectively plan, organize, and learn.
- If depressed mood, anxiety, or worry are concerns, make an appointment at the student counseling center, which is a free service to students. These symptoms can contribute to procrastination, avoidance, and poor motivation.
Students with ADHD can demonstrate differences in their self-awareness about how symptoms impact daily life. If diagnosed at a young age, a student may have had many opportunities to build strategies to compensate. If diagnosed later in development, students may silently struggle and have lots of questions about “what’s wrong with me”. These factors can influence how a student transitions to and succeeds in college.
A neuropsychological evaluation can be a critical resource for the college student with ADHD. A comprehensive, recent evaluation can:
- Provide necessary documentation when requesting accommodations for the SAT/ACT.
- Provide necessary documentation when applying to colleges and you anticipate that academic accommodations will be needed. Consult with the disability services office at each college to explore how to do this.
- Increase a student’s self-awareness. It can help them understand their learning style, ways to use their strengths to support weaknesses, and when to ask for help. The psychologist should meet directly with the older student to explain the evaluation results and recommendations.
Transitioning from high school to college is a critical stage in a student’s development and planning in advance can be helpful. Contact us to learn more about how we approach the neuropsychological evaluation for college students with ADHD. Schedule a free phone consultation by reaching out by email: [email protected]
