<p>I agree with Missypie. Sounds like your son may have difficulties with executive functioning as a part of his disability. (How does he get his homework/tests done?) If this is the case and you can afford it, maybe you can hire an executive function coach/therapist/psychologist to teach him how to approach and organize his life in general to work towards navigating adult life. Additionally, you might want to consider a psychoeducation evaluation, which you can do privately (though costly maybe $1000-$4000) or you can get one free through public school which can help identify difficulties in learning/processing and ways to work with them. With exec functioning difficulties, it sounds like you WILL need to walk him through every step of the application and help him along the way, and have him apply to schools where they have extensive LD counselling available. Or consider community college or no college at all. It’s a tough decision, but you and your family and your counselors will be the only ones who will be able to answer those questions.</p>
<p>OP - This sounds so familiar! My s is a rising Junior and is diagnosed ADHD/Inattentive type. He has very low scores in processing etc. In spite of all that, he is successful in school and in his ECs.
I’ve always viewed my son as oblivious, floating along in his happy bubble, but this is how he behaves at home. He apparently can function independently at a more efficient level when he is away from home. I have found that when others give him advice he listens, when I offer advice he says “Thanks Mom” and that is the end of it. It could be your son is accustomed to your assistance, and knows you will help him complete the requested task if necessary. Please know as I write this, I’m writing about myself! How invested is your son in going to college? Does he have an area of study that he is interested in? As you pointed out, if research is needed about a video game he is playing, he is perfectly capable to find the information he needs.</p>
<p>Have you considered having him set aside a specific time each week to work on the applications? Also, what about letting him write an inappropriate essay since he did not do the research on the ap requirements. Maybe he will learn something about how to proceed with application process once he has to re-write it because it is inappropriate. </p>
<p>So, my suggestion would be to pre-plan a time when he knows that all he can do is the application. Then, stick to it. Have him do it. BUT, tell him that you want to proof it once competed before submission. That should be easy, since he will need your credit card info to submit the application. </p>
<p>If it helps, print out the first application and sit and go over it with him before he starts. If he is willing to do that. If not, just give feedback after he completes them.</p>
<p>OP–I hear your pain but also can only tell you that kids are different and your schedule is not always theirs. I’ve told my story often–DS#1 was just a procrastinator/last-minute type of kid, so I really did not stress when he didn’t get a single college app in until mid-January of his senior year. DS#2 is so the opposite–sent half his applications off in early September and half in early November. DS#3 is a rising hs senior and I’ve spent the summer vacillating between wanting to say “So when are you going to get started on some of this stuff?” and thinking, “Oh just do it whenever you want.” Just this week I suggested maybe he set August 1st as a deadline to get started on <em>something</em> (common app info? draft the big essay? take a closer look at his preliminary list of schools?). (His school offers a college application “boot camp” for a few days in early August, which of course he’s refusing to attend.)</p>
<p>I think bottom line is not to let <em>yourself</em> get too crazy over all of this stuff. College applications do get done, admissions do come in, the decision does get made (maybe not until too close to May 1st for your taste, but still. . .). Hang in there.</p>