Prot
04-21-2009, 04:57 PM
The transition from high school to college is tough for most students. But for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, university life poses a host of academic, medical and personal challenges. Students with A.D.H.D. struggle to stay focused on their studies and to meet the organizational demands of schoolwork.
Although some children appear to outgrow the disorder as they age, doctors say that as many as two-thirds have symptoms that persist into adulthood.
Medications help, but students need a support system of family, teachers and friends. Last year, The Journal of Pediatric Nursing published a report in which college students with A.D.H.D. recounted the role family members played in their academic success in high school. Mothers made flash cards, gave them books on tape, proofread papers and helped them prioritize. Even school friends would tap them in class if they “zoned out.”
When teenagers leave for college, that personal support system disappears. They move away from parents, trusted teachers and the pediatrician who prescribes their medication.
For a teenager struggling to stay organized, the unusual class schedules, hourlong lectures, late-night study sessions and disrupted sleep routines of college can be a nightmare. Studies suggest that college students with A.D.H.D. are at greater risk for academic and psychological difficulties, and have lower grade-point averages, than peers without the problem. “We have found that there are a lot of significant barriers these students face,” says Dr. Mark H. Thomas, a physician at the University of Alabama student health center, who is part of a campuswide effort to provide additional resources to students with the disorder, including a series of podcasts on how to cope.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/education/edlife/guidance-t.html?_r=1&ref=edlife
Although some children appear to outgrow the disorder as they age, doctors say that as many as two-thirds have symptoms that persist into adulthood.
Medications help, but students need a support system of family, teachers and friends. Last year, The Journal of Pediatric Nursing published a report in which college students with A.D.H.D. recounted the role family members played in their academic success in high school. Mothers made flash cards, gave them books on tape, proofread papers and helped them prioritize. Even school friends would tap them in class if they “zoned out.”
When teenagers leave for college, that personal support system disappears. They move away from parents, trusted teachers and the pediatrician who prescribes their medication.
For a teenager struggling to stay organized, the unusual class schedules, hourlong lectures, late-night study sessions and disrupted sleep routines of college can be a nightmare. Studies suggest that college students with A.D.H.D. are at greater risk for academic and psychological difficulties, and have lower grade-point averages, than peers without the problem. “We have found that there are a lot of significant barriers these students face,” says Dr. Mark H. Thomas, a physician at the University of Alabama student health center, who is part of a campuswide effort to provide additional resources to students with the disorder, including a series of podcasts on how to cope.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/education/edlife/guidance-t.html?_r=1&ref=edlife