<p>I have been struggling in school for quite sometime now, since 5th grade. I get horrible grades because of unfinished HW, not having materials, forgetting things, or talking too much/being distracted in class. When it comes to tests though, I ace them easily. I know I'm smart, but there has always been something wrong. Recently it got so bad that I had a serious breakdown about my life. I went to a psychiatrist and they suspected I might have ADHD. When I was a child I was told I had it and the doctor wanted to put me on meds, but my mother said no. I have to wait a month until I can get a "Learning Disability Screening," and I was told it could take another few months until I would be able to be prescribed medication for it. I go to a charter school and have been attending this school for about 7 months, and only see a teacher for about an hour or less a week. I was given three forms to give to my teachers to fill out, but I doubt my past teachers will remember my exact behaviors accurately. I turn 18 in five months, and the questions on the forms are more accurate for a elementary school student. Is there an alternate I can do to get help? I feel like I will really benefit from this and change my life.-Also I want to take the CHSPE and wonder if you have to have good grades to take the test. Also, can you get financial aid if you take the CHSPE?</p>
<p>wubbie, I feel your, i really do. I don’t think I can answer your questions but I can say I’ve been there. I was ADHD all my life, and I wasn’t told until i was about 22 of this. They ran a lot of tests on me. This was done because like you, I had an absolute mental break down. I kept having these ‘worthless’ feelings. Nothing hurts more than that. I did much like you did, not completing homework, but yet waaaay surpassing the knowledge of everyone I went to school with. I was captain of the academic team in 6-8th grade. After high school, (which by the way, I didn’t graduate because my ADD was so severe + my attention to other teenage interests) I went to work. Same stuff happened there, I worked in a technical field for years, and nobody could do the stuff I was doing as well as I could. Yet, my boss hated me. Told me stuff like he wished I didn’t work there and that I don’t know what i’m doing… That’s when I had the break down. I’m an adult, yet I’d cry sometimes because I felt useless. Finally I figured out that my boss was threatened by me, and was tired of me making him look bad to his superiors. So I went back to college. Let me tell you that college is way better than high school. High school is for the ‘sheep’ of people, and it often bores you. I mean, writing papers about an embarrassing time in my life was so boring and dumb to me I never did it. When you go to college, things get better. You take pride in what you’re doing, because you’re doing what you want. Now i’m 25 years old, and I have an associates in engineering technology (electronics specific) and I’m attending UK to be an electrical engineer. Keep in there, I believe in you!!</p>
<p>What a beautiful response. Best Wishes to both of you. As a mom of three boys with ADHD I was the horror of their schools. Finally, I let them go to community college full time through PSEOP (post secondary education opportunity program) which is paid for my the high school by law. College is so much better. Not the busy work for the student that needs the extra help to pass as opposed to a grade based on tests. Tip for you.
If your grades are bad because of HW problems, make sure you get one on one tutoring for the college boards. My supposedly dumb kids got wildly high scores and two or three received full scholarships. Definitely work the effort. Also, file for extra time on the tests.
Your guidance counselor can advise you on that, or go on line will CollegeBoard or ACT to learn more. Hang in there.</p>