The Transition to College for Students with Learning Differences and ADHD

It is critical for college students with learning differences and ADHD to be self-advocates.

Suggestions for High School Students

1. Understand your learning difference and ADHD. There are charts on sites such as LDonline.org which ask students to describe their learning strengths, learning weaknesses, and accommodations they will need to be successful.

2. Attend IEP or 504 Plan meetings as well as transition planning meetings.

3. Learn about your own learning style by asking your tutor, teachers, or independent educational consultant to help you figure this out. Explain your learning style and your learning difference or ADHD and how it affects you to each of your teachers in order to arrange for appropriate academic support in each class.

4. Use a planner, print/online calendar, or computer program such as Microsoft Outlook to become better organized. Technology has contributed numerous organizational tools not available a generation ago. You must become familiar with tools that are useful to you and fit your personal learning style. You can begin using organizational supports in college, but it is preferable to “hit the ground running” and not lose valuable time familiarizing yourself with organizational tools for the first time.

5. If you will need online books or digitally recorded textbooks, it is better to become familiar with digitally recorded books before college.

6. Some useful tools to help deal with the increased volume of reading and writing in college include screen reading software, scanning software, and voice-activated software. You should learn these techniques before college so you are comfortable with them once you are attending college.

7. While you’re still in high school, try using note takers, recording classes, using extended time on exams, and taking tests outside of the classroom in quieter places to determine if these are good accommodations rather than trying them out for the first time in college.

8.  Make sure your disability documentation is up to date. Most colleges want documentation that has been completed within three years of college entrance. You should have these assessments done while still in high school rather than finding out that you may not qualify for recommended accommodations at a particular college.

9. You must understand the medicine you take, if any, and how you react to it. Knowing how the medication interacts with other medications, over-the-counter drugs, supplements, and alcohol is extremely important.

10. You should begin building support systems in high school so you know what works and what does not work. If tutors, coaches, friends, and study groups are useful in high school, these will be good to incorporate in college.

11. Consider attending a pre-college summer program for students with learning differences and ADHD.

Worksheet

Understanding How My Learning Difference or ADHD Affect Me

A specific description of my learning disability or AD/HD is:

My academic and personal strengths are:

My weaker areas are:

In high school I have received the following academic accommodations and support:

In college I think I will need assistance in the following areas:

Classroom accommodations I would benefit from are:

Additional information:

Adapted from an article by Renee LeWinter Goldberg, EdD, IECA (MA)