college age diagnosis | ADHD Information
I'm so sorry bassmaster. I don't really have advice. I have never been diagnosed, but I went through a similar experience in college. I actually never finished, and then I had children...and here I am now. I found this board to try and make sure that my son doesn't go through what I did.
I found that I did better in school if I took classes that interested me. Also, I needed classes that let me work at my own pace. But I really struggled with the "boring" classes and couldn't seem to get my act together. I would start failing a semester and then have to take time off before I could build up enough steam to make it through another round.
I would think that any of the advice on the "parents of..." forum would still be helpful to you as well. Many of those parents have young children, but some information would relate to your situation. Also, if you have to wait awhile before any treatment, try looking at some older threads on the "alternatives" forum. There's good advice there on diet, supplements, even skills to help with getting organized and such.
If your son attends a state school, they would have services available to help. I would look into the mental health services. There is also probably some sort of assistance program for those who are being academically challenged. Once he is "signed on" and in the system, it is easier to get understanding from those in charge. They'll know you're being proactive, and that he isn't just another "slacker".
I never sought out that sort of help for myself, so I commend you for being an advocate for your son. If he needs to take a semester off while you figure this all out...well, I don't think it would create a life-long problem. Good luck and don't give up! No one has experience with this? Please help!I have to say that I think I know what your son is dealing with. My son moved from Private school to our local High School. He had a problem with all you mentioned. We did speak with his DR and he was put on Aderall. It made a world of difference. He acknowledged it himself. After his junior year we were concerned with his weight and stopped it. The difference was a little obvious. We had to closely monitor everything for him again
He is looking to start college in the fall and is asking if he can go back on. He said we can't keep having to keep track of his responsibilities. (Good Kid) He does not want to blow his first year in college.
Speak to his Dr. and see what they say.
There are a lot of books to help with organizational part of the disorder.
I tried all that myself. I'm 47 and finally got diagnosed. I was fortunate in my career to be able to advance without the degree. I avoided college, but back in those days I never knew what my problem was. I have moved up to a level that the ADD-I is stopping me from following through on long term project. I finally had to deal with it. Speaking with older siblings now, they all seemed to be aware I had the issue? Would have been nice to have adressed this sooner.
If your son has the issue, getting him help now would be the best thing to do.
Good Luck!
Hello! My college-aged son is struggling quite badly and we've come to realize that he probably has ADD(no H ever apparent). His younger brother was diagnosed in 1st grade, but he himself was always able to at least get by, if not do really well. He always scored very highly on standardized tests, but he would day dream in class, forget to turn in assignments, forget to fill out his assignments notebook, forget after school responsibilities. Because he always did really well in grade school, we assumed that he was just being lazy and rebellious in high school. He scored in the 30's on his ACT, but only graduated at 50% of his class. He is now on the verge of flunking out of his second college in two years. "Mom, I sit in class and realize that a half hour has gone by and I don't know what the professor has been talking about." We are currently waiting to have him evaluated (it takes months to get those appointments!) but I'd like to know from those of you who were diagnosed as adults, what's the standard course of treatment like? Were you helped substantially? Are colleges and employers understanding of the diagnosis? What can I do right now to help him? I'm so worried that the last two years of failure are going to mess him up for a long, long time. Please give some advice!Oh man, this post really hits home with me. Bassmaster, I sound exactly like your son. I was an academic rockstar who "acted out" all through high school. I learned very quickly and was fantastic at standardized tests, too (over 30 ACT even though I fell asleep during the test). I had a full scholarship to my first college, but just being smart means nothing when you have all of that work to do. I'd zone out when the professor would speak and couldn't get myself to start my homework. I lost my scholarship and transferred before I flunked out. That didn't help, though, because I flunked out of the next school in terrible fashion. My cumulative GPA was below 1 (OUCH).
But there is hope to my story. I ended up getting an OK job because I had a lot of computer skills, so I did that for a few years. Once I WANTED to be in school (man is this important for us ADHDers), I turned everything around. I was able to build my GPA back up (straight A's) and transfer into a Tier 2 university. I graduated last year with my bachelors at the top of my class. Just last week, I was accepted to one of the best MBA programs in the world. It actually wasn't that hard, but it was mainly because I was able to address the issues you brought up. This is what I did.
1. When possible, take classes that are interesting. I found that saving my philosophy-type general education classes until my senior year really made it bearable (it was super easy at that point).
2. Always sit front and center in the classroom. If the professor is right in front of me, I listen to the lecture. If the person next to me is talking, I listen to them. People in the front tend to talk less.
3. Always go to class. It is too easy for us to make excuses rationalizing why it is OK
4. Finish every assignment on time. This was tough...I had to block out specific "homework" time and plan out my long term projects way in advance.
5. If possible, get on medication. This made all of the above much easier to manage.
I've done a lot of other little things as well. I'd be happy to chat with you more if you have any questions. I'm not a doctor or anything, but I have successfully navigated this problem.