Hi, my college going ADHD student has failed half of his freshman year in Los Angeles and we are wondering if a gap semester for him to gain maturity and better executive functioning skills is a better option for him for the fall. He is of course very disappointed as he wants to be with his friends. However has anyone experienced anything similar and has any recommendations on what he can do in the fall to come back stronger?
To add, he did not take any medication in the past and will be seeing a psychiatrist in the next two weeks for prescription. However as I understand medication alone does not fix the issue.
Would appreciate advice.
Thanks
There is a great book by Cam Newport called Buy How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less Paperback by Cal Newport Online https://share.google/uMzUFhwwCIE0IuxDB
This alone won’t do the trick but the theories can easily be applied to ADHD students. Great chapter on procrastination!
Biofeedback. I have seen this work well with ADHD. Everyone’s different but I have seen multiple people see “improvements “in less then 2 weeks. But you have to do it for a bit.
But you need to dig deep and find out the “Why”, he didn’t do well. Just taking a gap year and not understanding the why won’t change anything. He will just fail a year later. Not all people respond to stimulants. There are non stimulant meds as well. The kids I have seen with Biofeedback aren’t on any meds and some have had their meds reduced. But you have to find someone that knows what they are doing. I know of a fantastic person in Chicago.
Also college for anyone is hard to do alone. Study groups, Professor hours, math /science lab groups, peer to peer tutors. Most schools have all of these resources.
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Does the school itself offer any executive function help, either via disability services or via a standalone support unit (like SALT at Arizona or INI at UIUC, as examples)?
In terms of a gap semester - I am not sure tbh how kids learn EF for academics when they are not actually studying - at least, it didn’t work for my kid when they took a much-talked about summer course in EF. (I suspect the people who raved about the course did not really need proper EF help in the way that an ADHD student does.) Telling students how or what to do in principle is very different than when they have the work in front of them and someone is assisting them in practical terms how to approach it - this is what worked for my kid (in high school, but will have similar support in college to navigate the new environment there).
If you think he needs a gap for maturity that’s another issue - but again the broad question is, what would he do for 6 months that would achieve that objective?
Also wondering if taking a gap semester would set him back further than you expect in terms of graduation - if there are any sequential courses only offered in fall semester, for example (obviously depends what he is majoring in).
Medication varies widely by individual but for mine, stimulants were a game changer. You may need to go through some trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t for your kid.
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Thanks so much for responding
I would like the contact in Chicago if you don’t mind
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Work with a psychiatrist over time- sometimes it takes some time to get the right med and figure out the best way to use it.
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Have the psychiatrist write a letter with a list of accommodations. You can research accommodations and write the letter yourself for the MD to sign, if you want.
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He needs to register with the Office of Disabilities. They give him letters for professors (which don’t indicate what the issue is) and he negotiates accommodations- or sometimes the professors are told by the O of D.
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He needs to use the accommodations. Late submissions, extended time, single room, exams in a separate room, excused lateness, whatever fits.
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See if the school offers coaching/advising/tutoring. If not, or if not satisfactory, and if affordable, hire a coach.
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Contact Landmark for a list of coaches. They also offer summer programs.
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Physical exercise is good for ADHD. Sports, walking, tai chi, martial arts, dance, whatever…
Is he on probation? Does he have the summer to try meds and get some coaching? I am not sure what a gap semester will accompllsh unless he still needs to try meds and therapy of some sort.
As a parent, I had to have flexibility in what I envisioned for my kid(s). There is a saying around here - something like you think you are headed for Italy but you end up in France. College is not as structured. Failure is not the kid’s fault. Many kids resist accommodations and I hope he can understand the concept of a level playing field. He deserves to do the best work he is capable of and needs supports.
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Reminder that referrals are not permitted on CC.
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In addition to working with a psychiatrist to get started with medication and the above mentioned strategies, I would suggest making sure he has a summer job that requires a variety of expectations (including saving some money) and provides some structure. While help with executive functioning and accommodations at the college would likely be helpful, he needs to be motivated to use them. That’s why I would also collaborate with him to develop clear expectations and goals for the fall semester and how he can be accountable for what he agrees to. I would make clear what he needs to do in order for you to continue paying for what my husband calls “sleep away college”.
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Tuition refund insurance might be a good idea. Check if the policy covers ADHD with a psychiatrist diagnosis. Your son might still refuse or resist accommodations. It’s a process.