Helping Prepare Teens with Attention and Learning Difficulties for College

Helping Prepare Teens with Attention and Learning Difficulties for College

As many teens and their parents are feverishly completing their final applications to attend college in the fall it seemed like an appropriate time to write about some of the strategies that can help parents to best prepare their children with attention and learning difficulties for college.  The college years can be a unique time in a person's life filled with both a large opportunity for growth and positive experiences, as well as presenting a variety of challenges.  Luckily there are many things that parents can do to support their children both prior to attending college and while enrolled in college to best support their learning and positive development.

For families not yet at the point of applying for college it can be very helpful to allow children to practice necessary skills while still in high school with varying levels of support based on each student's unique needs.  Some of the strategies that parents can utilize to help their children to be more successful academically include:

1.  Talk regularly with children about the importance of education and how advanced training whether in college, junior college, trade school, etc., may work to set them up for a positive future.  While this can be challenging to do without nagging or sounding like a broken record these conversations can be helpful for children.  The more that parents can take their own emotions (such as their fears) out of these conversations and allow their children time to express a variety of interests and ideas the better.  Conversations focused on hopes for your children's future and what you think they are capable of, given their unique abilities, will often be more successful than lectures about the pitfalls of not furthering their education.  For children with attention difficulties making short, brief points (25 words or less) will often be more effective.  For example: "My hope is that you will go to college and major in something that interests you." or "You have so many great abilities like your enthusiasm and creativity. I hope you use these qualities in the future in a job you love."

2.  Have systematic programs in school (often through Individualized Education Plans or 504 Accommodation plans) to support children academically and help them build their skills and provide a safety net for times when their attention or learning difficulties could potentially get in their way.

3.  Provide high levels of support to help ensure that needed skills are developed such as ways to improve task completion, develop study skills, be more organized, and to think critically about the world around them.

4.  Explore various options for further development for your children such as helping them set up internships or jobs in areas of interest.  Often children with attention and learning difficulties are great hands-on learners and these type of experiences can build skills and confidence.

5.  Consider what type of higher learning options your child may be ready for.  Some teens are really ready to attend a four-year university, while others may struggle to live away from home and might originally be more successful in a junior college program initially.  There are also some colleges and trade school programs that specialize in working with young adults with various academic and emotional challenges.

For families in which their children are either preparing to begin or who have already started higher learning opportunities many things may help their children who are now young adults to succeed.  Some strategies include:

1) Access a large variety of services through the disability services center on campus.  These programs are available at all levels of higher education from the junior college to graduate program level and can be instrumental in a student's success.  Often in order to qualify for services in these programs you need to be able to show documented proof of either a learning disorder, attention disorder, or other mental or physical condition.  Depending on the program and type of unique difficulty of the student differing levels of documentation are needed from a letter from a physician or psychologist up to a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment.  Often programs require that young adults be reevaluated after turning 18 to qualify for services.

Typical services and accommodations at the college level include:
a) Having extra time for tests and assignments
b) Testing in a quite room
c) Note-taking support (I strongly encourage accessing this support since often college can be so lecture intensive)
d) Extra tutoring services
e) Priority registration
f) Options to be considered a full-time student even if taking less coursework
g) Academic and/or mental health counseling

I often find that for many students these accommodations make the difference regarding their success in college.

2) Having a high level of communication with your children about how to balance their school work and college life may also be important if your young adult children are open to the idea.  Otherwise, having young adults work with tutors, coaches, or therapists may provide these same type of supports without involving parents in the mix to help increase independence and decrease conflict between parents and their adult children.

While the transition to college or other adult learning options can be stressful and challenging at first, there are many ways to help students to access services and build skills that will help them to be successful.