ADHD can be a challenge, but when it has been diagnosed and is being treated, it is possible for anyone with ADHD to do more than survive– those with ADHD can thrive. Here’s an excerpt from one young woman’s account of her college orientation and the differences between navigating high school and entering college with ADHD. To help the young people (or young-at-heart people) in your life thrive with ADHD, reach out for diagnosis and treatment as soon as you suspect they may have this disorder.
…First, ADDYTeens accepted into college met “the same standards” as everyone else. In high school, each student has the legal right to an education. In college this is not true — you have to earn it. By your acceptance, you have.
Second, in high school, because school is mandated by law, it is the school’s responsibility and teachers’ job to educate and support you until you are completed in their course. For those ADDYTeens with accommodations during high school, the teachers worked with you and the administration to make sure you as a student were supported and provided the aid for success.
Third, since college is not mandatory and there is no legal right to college education, each student has the right to equal access to all services provided by the college. Educational assistance, aid, support and attention for each student will be given only when requested. Keyword: REQUESTED. Now that I am in college, it is my job to get what I need, when I need it, to succeed academically. That is true in college, and that is true in life.
Hearing all of this for the first time was scary. Like most ADDYTeens, I have always felt supported by my parents and teachers but in this moment, in this beautiful grand building, I felt alone and isolated. I looked around and studied the faces in the room. All of the students’ eyes were glued to the speakers and listening for a special word that would give them “the key” to success in college. Most of us had a look I would describe as “hopeful.” The real message Peggy Perno delivered to us was simple: you are “the key” to your own success.
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