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ADHD Among College Students

Thanks to considerable efforts to raise awareness and ensure the optimum educational environment for all students, most middle and high schools in the United States are prepared to support young people who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

But when students with ADHD graduate from high school, many find themselves faced with at least three pressing questions:

1. Can ADHD students be successful in college?
2. Do U.S. colleges and universities offer support services to ADHD students?
3. What can ADHD students and their families do to address the challenges of college life?

Though no two students' situations are exactly the same, the answers to these questions indicate that ADHD should in no way be considered a "deal breaker" when it comes to a productive post-secondary educational experience.

Can ADHD Students be Successful in College?

The short answer to this question is "yes." The longer response is a bit more involved -- but the result is just as encouraging.

The most important word in this question is the first one: can. Academic success at the university level isn't guaranteed for anyone -- neither the students who breezed through high school with easy A's nor the ones who had to work hard for every passing grade should assume that earning a college degree is a foregone conclusion. 

In addition to more complex classroom challenges, college life also introduces a number of additional factors -- including (but hardly limited to) unprecedented levels of freedom, less structure and financial pressures -- into students' lives. For students with ADHD, the ability to deal with these external factors may have much greater impact on their progress than anything that occurs within the classroom walls.

As Dr. Mark Thomas, staff physician at the University of Alabama Student Health Center, observed in a Jan. 25 Medical News Today article, "A college student's day is typically much longer than most persons and ADHD affects so much more than class and studying."

Thus, in order to increase their odds of success, college students who have ADHD need to pay particular attention to the following issues:

• Medication -- As Dr. Thomas discussed in the Medical News Today article, students may need to consult with their physicians in order to determine if their ADHD medication needs to be adjusted (either total dosage or times when the meds are taken) in order to meet the demands of their post-high school lifestyle.

• Organization -- Though they may not view it in such a positive manner, high school students who struggle to stay on task have the benefit of parents, teachers, coaches, tutors and the ever-present bell system to help them get where they need to be and do what they need to do. This is not the case in many college environments. Thus, students with ADHD need to take special care to develop organizational skills that will allow them to take greater personal responsibility. Options for achieving this objective include taking a time management class, learning to take better notes, investing in a personal digital assistant and resisting the urge to take on too much (especially during the first few quarters or semesters).

• Self-Advocacy -- By the time they get to college, students who have ADHD need to have developed an understanding of their disorder and an ability to advocate on their own behalf. This doesn't mean that they need to label themselves as "impaired" or use their condition to shield themselves from taking on the challenges of university life. Instead, they need to recognize their personal strengths and weaknesses, develop the skills and strategies that will allow them to achieve their objectives, and learn who to contact (and how to discuss their concerns) when they are having difficulties.

Do U.S. colleges and universities offer support services to ADHD students?

The specific types of services available to ADHD students vary from school to school, but every college and university offers some type of student support program. For students with ADHD, it is important to identify the types of help that are available -- for example, while some schools are proactive in promoting their ADHD resources, others may fold these programs into more generalized student-assistance efforts.

The nonprofit advocacy organization Attention Deficit Disorder Resources addresses this matter with information that originated with the National Resource Center on AD/HD:

By law, all colleges and universities receiving any federal funding must provide "reasonable accommodations" for the student with ADHD. There are important differences, however, in the supports available at various schools.

Some schools have very minimal staffing to provide support services and only adhere to the "letter of the law," while other schools provide extensive support and encouragement to students with ADHD. Finding a school that can offer the appropriate support usually takes careful research.

While there are a few catalogs listing colleges with good supports for learning disabilities, no such guide yet exists for students with ADHD.

When visiting, evaluating and applying for college, students with ADHD should pay attention to the types of support services that are offered, should not be afraid to ask questions about what kind of help they will be able to access and should ensure that they choose a school that gives them the greatest opportunity to achieve their academic and career goals.

What can ADHD students and their families do to address the challenges of college life?

Much of the advice included in the previous sections of this article can also be applied to answering this question, but there are other actions that ADHD students and their families can take to help minimize the problems posed by college life:

• Document the disorder -- If you or your child have been diagnosed with ADHD, be sure that all relevant documents (including, if applicable, copies of any Individualized Education Plans that were followed in high school) are available. The college may require proof of the disorder in order for a student to be eligible for support services.

• Educate yourself about adult ADHD -- As young people with ADHD age into adulthood, many carry their disorder with them -- but ADHD often manifests itself differently in adults than it does in adolescents and teenagers. Gaining a greater understanding of adult ADHD will put you in the best position to identify and address issues that may arise during (and after) the college years.

• Stay flexible (and positive) -- ADHD students who attended the same school district throughout their childhood and teen years were in a familiar environment that (hopefully) met their educational needs. But in addition to facing the "normal" pressures of attending a new school, these students and their families will also have to locate new sources of support and address a new set of needs. This transition might not always be smooth, so it's important to remain open-minded and flexible until you've established the best plan of action.

By the time you or your child makes it to college, you've already experienced more scholastic success than tens of thousands of other students -- so be proud of your progress, and apply the lessons of your past to help you achieve the future you desire.