On the Way to Work
Young people, especially those with ADHD, are increasingly caught in the crosshairs of concerning and intersecting trends in postsecondary education and the world of work. Throughout 2019, business magazines such as Forbes and Inc. chronicled the decline in college enrollment and the rising costs of college education. According to these reports, many young people are…
Read MoreIs There a “Right Fit” College for My Student with ADHD?
MY COLLEAGUES AND I ARE OFTEN ASKED, “Are there colleges that work best for students with ADHD?” While we wish that we could answer this question with a list of colleges, the process of finding the “right fit” college is complicated. However, there are a few important tips that we share with families to help…
Read MoreWhat to Know Before You Head Off to College
Students heading off to college for the first time confront a plethora of new and challenging experiences, but those with ADHD and similar issues may find those experiences completely overwhelming. Coaching college students has allowed me to understand the problems they are up against. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest challenges and…
Read MoreLeaving Home, ADHD-Style
One particularly hot summer day during my Texas youth, I was cutting mesquite trees for a local rancher. As I worked my way from the cattle pens outward, I soon found myself a mile or so from the ranch house. I should mention that I have ADHD and often forget little things that can become big problems,…
Read MoreTraining in the Trades
Worried about the traditional college route? Learn about the positive realities of this option for students with ADHD. SAM COMES FROM A FAMILY of high achievers. Everyone in his family who is older than him has gone to college, and everyone who is younger is expected to go as soon as they graduate from…
Read MoreGraduating into Adult Life
FOR MANY YOUNG ADULTS, college graduation marks the start of real adult life with balancing a job, living in an apartment or group house instead of a dorm (or navigating living at home as an adult), planning out meals, paying bills, and having other responsibilities as well. For those who went straight from college to…
Read MorePreparing for College: The Top Three Things to Consider
AS COLLEGE LIFE COACHES, we have supported hundreds of students with ADHD in successfully transitioning to college. No two transitions look alike. Students have varying degrees of support, confidence, resourcefulness, and tangible information that affect their personal journey from high school to college. While there is no exact formula, there is one key theme among…
Read MoreUnderstanding and Supporting Your Emerging Adult
UNDERSTANDING OUR EMERGING ADULTS is an essential step to supporting their growth and developing independence. Transgenerational expectations for how individuals should “progress” in life don’t apply like they used to, as today’s emerging adults are different than those of any other generation. Cultural, economic, healthcare, educational, and technological changes have pushed back the clock for…
Read MoreSteps to Take Before Sending Your Student to College
SPRING BRINGS NEW BEGINNINGS, and every spring brings at least one new client to my ADHD coaching practice from a familiar new-beginning category: the college student with ADHD who has flunked out. And each time I listen to yet another sad story of decline and failure, I find myself wishing that I’d had the chance…
Read MoreFailure to Launch: Addressing the Needs of Transition-Age Young Adults
DO YOU REMEMBER the first time you purchased a car or signed a lease and said, “Now I am an adult!”? Looking back on that event now, what knowledge or skills did you have that allowed you to be successful? What help or advice did you get from parents, friends, or mentors? Most likely, you…
Read MorePreparing for College Challenges [Webinar Guest: Oelking, Michelle]
Preparing for College Challenges Michele Oelking, MSW, ACC, PCC, serves as director of the Academic Success Center at Tulane University, an umbrella of academic support services for college students. As a professional certified coach with the International Coach Federation, she believes students achieve success through a comprehensive, individualized approach based on exploring beliefs, interests, values,…
Read More