Looking for suggestions of colleges to look out for my son with dyslexia and ADHD. He looked at WPI in Worcester, MA and loved it. Anyone have any other suggestions?
What’s the budget? Are there particular majors he’s interested in? Areas of the country?
Are you looking for schools that have special programs for students with ADHD or other special learning needs, or schools that generally provide a high level of student support?
My son has ADHD and he chose Case Western over more highly ranked schools to which he was accepted because they provide more student support and guidance.
Look at the matriculation lists for The Forman School and Landmark. Both specialize in that population and tend to send their graduates to schools where they know they will do well.
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My son loved WPI as well. Has he considered RIT? What is he thinking of majoring in?
DS23 has a similar diagnosis and the first thing he looks at on school websites is the academic support center. He really seems to be drawn to schools that offer group study/tutoring sessions for larger gen ed classes as well as individual tutoring if needed. There was a time I worried that he wouldn’t utilize those services, but he’s definitely matured and sees them as a key to success now.
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We visited RIT this summer and got a great vibe for inclusiveness and support. They have the National Technical Institute for the Deaf there and that’s fully integrated into everything they do there. I don’t know about their support for other disabilities, but I would guess that it’s quite good due to their approach with Deaf students. I also have a kid with dyslexia and ADHD and would feel great about sending them there when the time comes (just started high school).
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How has your student managed his dyslexia and ADHD in high school? My younger kid has both of those issues. When we searched for schools, I found that every one on our list had a disability office that offered accommodations such as extended time for testing, the option to test in a distraction free environment, alternative texts (audio or e-text) and access to supportive software such as Kurzweil 3000. So I’d suggest you forcus on the other factors that influence your decision, such as budget, location, major, etc and once you have a list, contact each school’s disability office to find out what they provide and what they require to qualify.
@vwlizard makes a good point to also look at what academic support is available for all students. At the end of the day, the school can provide the student with tools to succeed, but the outcome depends on his willingness to use those tools. My impression is that students with dyslexia become very good at developing and using work arounds to access the information they need.
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My understanding is that kids with ADHD/Dyslexia do well there. It’s a school a lot of kids from my son’s high school go to.
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Have you checked out Cornell College? It has a very unique one course at a time schedule. It works really well for some and not so well for others. As a hyperfocuser, I would have done really well there, but DS has no interest.
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The threads in this forum may provide additional ideas for you: Learning Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD - College Confidential Forums
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He’s not sure yet. He’s leaning towards engineering or architecture at this point. No budget. He would like to stay in the Northeast although I really think we should check out RIT.
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Thank you!
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Great ideas. He is a great advocate for himself and is not afraid to seek out help when needed.
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If your son is interested in engineering, he will want to attend a school that is ABET-accredited in that area. If he wants to become an architect, he will need to get a B. OF Architecture or an M. Arch from a NAAB-accredited school to become licensed. There are multiple paths to becoming an architect, and students can major in anything in college and then go on to an M. Arch. Many schools that only offer an M. Arch will also have a related undergrad degree with a B.S. or B.A. IN Architecture (or environmental design, architectural studies, etc) that can shorten the amount of time spent in an M. Arch program (from 3 years to 1.5-2 years, depending on the program).
I am not aware of all the support services that these schools offer. But, if this was my child, these are some of the places I would look first:
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U. of Hartford (CT): NAAB & ABET-accredited in multiple engineering areas
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Wentworth Institute of Technology (MA): The hands-on nature of the school often works well for many students with dyslexia; NAAB & ABET for multiple engineering areas
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SUNY at Alfred State: NAAB & ABET for engineering technology and construction management
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Syracuse: NAAB & ABET for multiple engineering areas
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Roger Williams (RI): NAAB & ABET for CS and Engineering (general)
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Norwich (VT): NAAB & ABET for several a few engineering areas
Landmark is well-known for its student supports. Its students are able to do semester-long exchanges at Norwich, which might speak to the quality of the services at Norwich, or be another option to consider if your son is thinking about Landmark and wants access to a NAAB-accredited school for a semester.
Also, please note that engineering technology (SUNY Alfred State) is not the same as engineering. @MarylandJOE or @eyemgh might be able to speak more to that distinction, if you are interested in that…
@momrath and @bgbg4us are two with a lot of knowledge about different architecture programs and might be able to provide better insight.
This list may be helpful as well: Colleges with Strong Learning Support Services
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This is slightly off topic. I have a few clients that were hired through this program. One of them did not go to college at all. He is making well into six figures and has been at the job for 1 year, fully remote. They provide a lot of support.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/cross-disability/neurodiversityhiring
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The tech program is less math intensive. They are generally less autonomous. They are nonetheless very important in the hierarchy and do very important work. I think the best analogy that I’ve come up with is PA vs MD. PAs see their own patients, but under the supervision of an MD or DO. Techs do their own work, but typically at the direction of an engineer.
WPI is a great school. If it’s in budget and he likes it a lot, it’s a good choice. Does he have the stats to be competitive? Even if so, he needs at least one safety that he’d be happy with, just in case.
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Thank you!
You’ve probably noticed that WPI has an Architectural Engineering major, which might be a fit for his interests depending on which aspects of engineering and architecture are appealing to him.
Another Northeast-adjacent school that has Architectural Engineering (as well as other engineering specialties and both a BArch and an arch studies BA) and a reputation for good disability support is Drexel, in Philadelphia.
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