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February 03, 2007

Getting College Services for ADHD Students

For young adults with ADHD and other learning disabilities college seems like a huge challenge. Getting extra help might seem out of reach. But, that is not truth any more. Now, when you or your child is looking to apply at different colleges, look into each college’s support services. That might help make your mind up on where to attend your formal education. It will be listed and described in college catalogues. You would assume that support services are much the same from one school to the next, but this is far from true. Although several guides that have been developed to assist parents and students in selecting colleges with good learning disability support services, no such guide has yet been developed for ADHD support services. Having the right questions to ask is vital. Here is a list of questions to get you started.
Questions to ask:
1. How many students with ADHD or other learning disabilities are registered with the DSS office? The more the better! A large number of registered students suggest better funding and staffing for support services.
2. Is the director of the Office of Disabled Student Services a clinical specialist in ADHD and/or other learning disabilities? If their answer is "no", the college is less likely to offer good support services.
3. How many ADHD and/or other learning disabilities specialists are employed full-time by disability services? Beware of large universities that employ only few specialists.
4. How long has the current director held the position? The longer the better. The program director is typically the individual who is the heart and soul of disabilities support program.
5. How long has the support program for students with ADHD and other learning disabilities existed on campus? The longer the better. Good support programs take time to build and be reliable.
6. Is there a formal learning disabilities program available for students on campus and do they a separate application? Are there additional costs associated with this program? Many students with ADHD also have learning disabilities and may need support services for learning disabilities as well.
7. Is there an ADHD specialist or ADHD special service for students? Most often the answer is "no." A positive answer, however, is an excellent sign.
8. Is there an ADHD student support group on campus? Finding other students with ADHD and having an organized meeting is a big plus.
9. Is there a faculty education program to familiarize the faculty with the needs of students with ADHD or other learning disabilities? Faculty education about ADHD is very important. Today, many faculty members have little knowledge and even less training about ADHD and may even have a negative, skeptical attitude toward students who ask for accommodations.
10. What kinds of accommodations does the school offer students with special needs? At the bare minimum, a college should provide the possibility of a note-taker in each class, the possibility of extended time on exams, and the possibility of taking exams in a quiet, non-distracting environment.
11. Is specialized tutoring available for students with ADHD or other learning disabilities? Almost all campuses provide peer tutoring, however students with ADHD and other learning disabilities typically need more specialized tutoring from a trained tutor.
12. Does the DSS office facilitate the communication of the student's disability needs to each professor? Disability services should provide official documentation of the student's disability and the accommodations for which he is eligible.
13. How complicated is the procedure a student must follow to obtain alternative testing (extended time or on a computer)? Some schools require such a complex set of steps each time a student with ADHD receives alternative testing that it is difficult.
14. Is there a specialist on campus who teaches planning, organizational and study skills? If "yes", that is positive sign. If "no," ask if they have a list of private professionals in the community that can provide these services.
15. What types of writing supports are? Writing papers is one of the greatest challenges for college students with ADHD. Because they have a particular set of challenges, it is most helpful if writing tutors are available that trained and experienced in working with students with ADHD.
16. Is ADHD coaching available through the student disability office? Some cutting-edge support service offices are beginning to train their staff in ADHD coaching techniques.
17. Does the student disability office have a list of local professionals that provide ongoing treatment such as medication and psychotherapy for ADHD? This list should be made open in all disability offices.
18. Do students with ADHD and other learning disabilities have early registration privileges to allow them to select the courses and professors they need? A very critical accommodation, allowing a student with special needs to hand-pick professors and to customize his or her schedule. It is not a good sign if a college does not provide this accommodation.
19. Does the school offer specialize academic advising through the DSS office for students with ADHD and other learning disabilities? A very strong need! If students with ADHD and other learning disabilities are sent, along with all other students, for academic advising by someone with little or no training in ADHD, the advising is unlikely to be helpful.
20. Is there a way in which a student can identify faculty members who are knowledgeable about and sympathetic toward the needs of students with ADHD and other learning disabilities? Few disability offices will provide an "ADD-friendliness" rating of faculty members, however many office will allow students to make such ratings and will keep a book of such ratings available for other students to peruse.
21. Does the DSS office help to mediate disputes between student and professor regarding rights and accommodations? Many college professors are still not aware of the legal rights of students with a documented disability such as ADHD and some are even hostile to the idea of providing accommodations to these students. Students with ADHD should strongly pursue the choice of a college which has an active ADHD faculty education program and which provides mediation when students encounter resistance from a professor who is asked to provide reasonable accommodations.
22. What is the school's policy toward course substitution when a student's disability prevents him from fulfilling a particular requirement toward graduation such as a math or foreign language course? Are requirements ever waived? Under what circumstances? If a student with ADHD has a particular difficulty with math or foreign language, it is critical that the flexibility of such requirements be carefully considered before applying to a particular college.
23. Are counselors available on an ongoing basis for ADHD? ADHD student guidance, more so than others, counseling from trained staff can make the difference between success and failure during the first year or two of college.
24. Is it necessary for students in the DSS to fail math or foreign language before they qualify for a waiver, and does the failing grade become part of the student's GPA? This is the most important question! Some schools that provide requirement waivers or course substitutions first require a student to take and fail the required course. If this failing grade becomes a permanent part of the undergraduate record it can and will have a permanent negative effect upon your GPA.
At some colleges, in order to be eligible for services and particular accommodation, you might have to produce either an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) or a letter from your physician stating that you do have ADHD; and as a result of having ADHD, you require specific accommodations.
Take the time to carefully research each college you are considering attending. Often many high school children think they will not need these services. So they give little or no consideration of the services available for students. It’s better to have them available than to not know what you could be missing out on to make your college academic career easier. Call the colleges, do your research and be prepared, that is part of being a responsible adult.

By: M.Richter

Posted by margo1 at February 3, 2007 12:06 PM

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