🎓 So Your Kid With ADHD is Going to College: A 7 Step, Parent’s Survival Guide

👋 How to support your neurodivergent teen without turning into their college roommate (please don’t do that)

First, take a deep breath. You got them this far. Through missed assignments, emotional rollercoasters, forgotten lunchboxes (until senior year?), and let’s be honest, some days that tested the limits of caffeine and patience.

Now they’re heading off to college — a place full of opportunity, responsibility, and ramen. But ADHD doesn’t magically disappear with a dorm key. In fact, college life often turns up the volume on executive dysfunction.

When I went off to college with undiagnosed ADHD, I lasted 3 Semesters. I was changing my major faster than J.Lo changes husbands. I was partaking in every party I could possibly partake in. After three semesters, I had had it! After finding out I had ADHD and implementing the strategies that I developed, I managed not only to get my degree, but also a Master’s and a PhD. That’s how powerful my strategies are! Of course, I do provide a free session to get your child (and you, too!) up to snuff on these strategies

That’s where you come in — not as a helicopter, but as a ground-control crew. Let’s talk strategy.

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🧠 1. Understand What They’re Really Up Against

ADHD in college isn’t just “getting distracted.” It’s:

• Time blindness: “I have a paper due in three weeks” feels like “That’s future me’s problem.”

• Task initiation issues: Knowing what to do but still staring at a blank screen for hours.

• Emotional dysregulation: A single bad grade can feel like the world is ending.

👉 Parent Tip: Read up on ADHD in young adults. (Dr. Sharon Saline, Russell Barkley, or Jessica McCabe on YouTube are great starting points.)

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🧰 2. Shift From “Manager” to “Mentor”

You’ve probably been their Executive Function Extraordinaire for years. In college, they need to take the lead — but that doesn’t mean going it alone.

• Instead of: “Did you turn in your essay?”

• Try: “What tools or reminders are helping you keep track of assignments this week?”

✅ Help them build systems, not just complete tasks.

🧡 Your role now: Coach, cheerleader, occasionally the reminder fairy. Not the boss.

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📄 3. Get Accommodations Set Up Before Move-In

Many ADHD students qualify for:

• Extended test time

• Note-taking support

• Priority registration

• Reduced-distraction testing environments

🔑 But none of this happens automatically. They’ll need recent documentation and to self-advocate with the Disability Services Office.

💡 What you can do:

• Help gather documentation now (IEP/504 plans, psych evals).

• Practice a “script” they can use when contacting the disability office.

• Support them in scheduling that intake appointment early.

This is very important! If I had this, my original college experience would have been very different! Which reminds me, you are going to want to sign up for the VIP Subscription. The rest of the article alone is worth the cost!