LD with anxiety / emotional issues

Hello -

Has anybody run into any very supportive colleges that have specific programs for language based learning disabilities and also provide some support for anxiety and social stress? My son has been at a very small high school that is specialized for kids with learning disabilities and he has done extremely well and has come a long way since we took him out the public school system. He is a good student, enjoys school and wants to go to college for business. It’s easy for him to become socially isolated cause his anxiety causes him to prefer to stay at home when he’s not at school. We gently prod him to be involved in other activities through our church and volunteering at a community hospital, and he is happy when he does those things. I don’t think living at home would be a good idea since I think he would keep to himself (very shy) and not meet anybody. So I am looking for a school that can meet his academic needs, but could also help coach him to deal with the stress of his social anxiety. We live in the Boston area so looking for something up to three hours away.

Gina

Look at the K & W Guide by Kravets first. Go form there.

Curry College in MA has the PAL program.

Northeastern University also has a good LD support program

Curry College (Milton, MA), Landmark College (VT), Northeastern U. & UConn.

@GBBoston Salem State University is the third school my DD with LDs toured in MA-- sorry my responses are fractured, it took me awhile to remember this name. I wasn’t on that tour; she visited as part of the Curry College PAL summer program for high school students. In the end, she decided MA was too far from home. Best of luck.

Other posters noted schools with good programs for students with LD. Some of those schools with LD programs are pretty large so may not work for your very shy son. He also seems to have a grip on manifestations of his LD and how to compensate for them.

LD considerations: Without mentioning specific names, I suggest you look at small privates within your price range and/or smallish public schools that, for example, have groups of freshman who are enrolled in the same sections of several courses or freshman dorms or good schedule of socialization activities. These grouping have a built-in mechanism for group studying, finding friends, walking to class, talking about class content, etc. So. Consider looking through nearby schools and read how they treat and group freshman. Getting a good start may encourage your son to graduate from his first school or move on to somewhere he starts feelsing comfortable enough to thrive.

Now, about anxiety: Someone with lots of anxiety needs time to dissipate stress and tension daily and even on a good day. If carrying lots of anxiety, your son might feel the need to pace or have other strategies for reducing anxiety such as going to the library or hanging out in the laundry room. I truly suggest having a private room and getting a letter of support from someone like a doctor or therapist who knows your son well to support need over preference. Social isolates need privacy to discharge anxiety. Too much commotion and too many people increases anxiety and lack of privacy or down time prevents release of anxious energy. Talking about what and when he becomes more anxious and what helps is a profitable area of discussion. He might find academics unusually burdensome if he feels the trill of anxiety constantly.

Can someone with Depression and Anxiety Disorder be considered for a private room (with support from a psychiatrist)?

^ In my experience, yes.

There are various threads about how a large campus may be better than a small campus for some students who are very shy. One I remember in particular was about a girl who was very shy, and being in small classes and continually asked to “participate” really upset her, and she transferred to a large college IIRC.

There is a certain anonymity in large colleges.

Yes, a supporting letter from a doctor for any reasonable accommodation, including a single room, should be accepted. Remember that most single rooms will share a bathroom though, so if that is an issue, make sure they outline that. Also make sure to talk to housing early so you won’t be put on the fringes of campus.