@ProfessorPlum168 sure the parent can talk to disability services. But they are not going to chase the kid down for assignments, they just aren’t. They aren’t going to go get the kid for tutorial or organizational work. The student needs to be independent enough to seek these services out.
There are colleges that DO have more extensive services because they are set up to help make students with disabilities successful in college…but they are specialty colleges…like Mitchell or Landmark.
Wow you all have such great advice. I really can’t thank you enough. I am going to look into executive function work she can do. I know she would be receptive. She is on meds but is at the highest dose. This medication has no side effects for her and she is very opposed to changing. She is definitely wired different - it is actually a perfect way to describe her. For those who gave feedback on Columbia - thank you, I needed to hear that reassurance. What she loved was that she could minor in voice over work which is like the dream combination for her. I am thinking maybe we can look at doing some of the gen ed during the summer at the CC nearby but online is also a good idea. Again THANK YOU!
Work with the prescribing doc. Maybe this is just the wrong Med.
You didn’t ask and sorry for unsolicited advice but you mentioned organizing folders so “things don’t get lost in them”.
Maybe she’s the “out of sight, out of mind” type. Folders don’t always work.
Get a big dry marker erase board plus post it notes. Post it notes allow easy way to put the steps on (break down task)and move them around or replace if needed.
Or the post it is put on front of a folder.
You get the idea—lots of tricks to try.
My D while in HS was disorganized about anything she wasn’t totally focused on. She couldn’t afford that in college. Now she could run a graduate level course on work organization. There is hope.
As a suggestion… Use timers, notifications on phones. Use the calendar. Etc. If something needs to be handed in then the notification goes off and says something like “hand in audio assignment” at 8:00 am. Vibration of phone can go off if she’s in class.
My son with some similar issues was successful at Columbia Chicago. The excitement of his major (Live Sound Reinforcement) carried over to those “other” courses. He also was able to network and begin to work professionally - where his motivation to do well made him master some of those organizational skills that he found challenging.
How does your D do with testing? Columbia College accepts CLEP credit - she might be able to test out of a lot of gen ed.
I will look into the CLEP credit. She is a very good test taker.
There’s a lot of good advice here. I think it’s possible that your D, excited and engaged with her studies, might be more receptive to these systems than she might have been for high school (which didn’t seem to excite her.)
You seem to be on the right track - give her a reason to address the executive functioning issues.
There are a bunch of books out there on ADHD in adults (with some good strategies). A coach could take on the role you have had.
But overall, I think with some work, you may be able to move from fretting to optimism.
I know an excellent academic success coach in the Chicago area. https://www.kairoscollegesuccess.com She’d be a great person to talk to.
We looked closely at Columbia College Chicago for my daughter, and one of the things that stood out was that the GenEd classes seem highly geared to a creative population. For instance, there was a science class on the science of color. I believe there is another one in the science of sound that my friend’s musician son took and loved. A writing class was writing critiques of films and music. Take a look at the first catalog and you may find that even the GenEds are interesting to your D.
You might want to consider choosing a school where a 5th year is financially possible. We have a couple friends whose kids have more severe adhd challenges and they were successful by doing 5 years and taking minimum required classes each semester. Seems to work really well for them. Otherwise, I’d probably be looking for into a transfer situation.
You will want to ask the disability office what is needed to get accommodations. She will likely need to show a high school IEP and/or a recent pyscho-ed evaluation. If she’s in public school and her disablities are impacting her academic progress, I’d push for your high school to do this testing asap in her senior year so that the $2000 test is on their dime and not yours
IEPs end with high school graduation. Some schools will extend all the recommendations and accommodations but others with either require a 504 plan or retesting. Maybe your school can help transfer her to a 504 Plan before graduation just to make sure all accommodations get into the transition plan?
I’d be on the side of a school closer to home and with all the supports you can arrange. The kids I’ve know who need big support do better closer to home. Sometimes it is just too many changes to have to handle school, medical needs, new social situations, new sleeping situations all at once. Some kids can do it but others do the one (or two) that are most important and the other things get pushed to the back burner. Medications and eating seem to be the most import, and school work seems to be the least important.
@twoinanddone if a student having an IEP needs accommodations, those are included on the IEP. There is no need to transfer to a 504 accommodation plan. The accommodations need to be on the IEP, be used, and there needs to be sufficient documentation that they are needed.
Yes, the IEP “ends” at graduation, but disability offices will look at that IEP and especially the accommodations section (which is a required field in IEP documents), and recent assessments…to help determine accommodations in college.
Yes to @thumper1. We have one iep and one 504 in college.
One thing we did as the school’s got narrowed down was to talk to the learning disability center on our tour or by phone call prior to our tour. We wanted to make sure they would get accommodations when needed.
If the answers are these are our accommodations and ones you need are not listed just ask how do we get x. If it’s crucial and they can’t provide it then that’s telling.
Keep in mind like all colleges we talked with “wanted” to help. They really don’t want to reduce what you currently have. They might actually have suggestions to make what you have better.
Re: not doing well in classes she is not interested in, what are we talking about here? IOW, how bad?
She manages to get a C, when you know she can do better? Or, she gets a D or F?
I would ask myself this:
“In the past when I have been worried or been doubtful about my daughter’s ability to rise to the occasion, has she in fact risen to the occasion with success, or were my worries well founded?”
In the past, have you worried about things that didn’t happen, or have your worries been a good barometer? Has your daughter succeeded despite your worries?
If your worries have been well founded in the past, then I would not ignore your doubts. Don’t send her that far away until you feel good about her abilities to succeed there.
The colleges CAN accept an IEP but they don’t have to by law because they are designed for those in public schools, k-12. Some colleges require either new testing or some other way to get accommodations. There also may be accommodations not on the IEP that the student might need when living away from home, like a private room or special foods, to take all classes early in the day, or no class longer than 4 hours. Those are things that weren’t needed in the grade school IEP.
My daughter had an expired IEP and some of her schools (high school) would still take it and make the minor accommodations, some wouldn’t. It wasn’t worth it to get it renewed, but it was helpful when a school/teacher would work with her.
The colleges do not “accept the IEP”. The colleges look at the provisions on that IEP, and determine what accommodations the college will put in place. If the student needs additional accommodations because they are no longer living at home, the need for these will need to be well documented.
Most colleges want evaluation/documentation information that is more recent.
Our high school special education personnel spend a lot of time updating IEP related information and 504 information…evaluations and documentation of the need for accommodations…during junior and senior years of HS for our IEP and 504 kids.
I believe this OP said her kid had an IEP. That being the case…a transition plan was required beginning at age 14. Where I am, this documentation is part of transition plan for the student…s it relates to post high school planning.