Transitioning to College or Career

The end of high school often feels like falling off a cliff for young adults with ADHD. They are expected to be adults and to move toward either college or a job. At the same time, their maturity and social development may lag behind that of their peers. For many young people, this is the first time there has not been parental supervision available to help guide them and provide the external structure so important with ADHD. Choosing the right college, job training program, or job can be crucial.

More about young adults Young Adults and Social Life High School  Driving Teens Girls and Women Dealing with Stigma Young Adults and Teens Career Guidance Center    More about ADHD Causes Three-Step Evaluation Process Treatment ADD or ADHD? Coexisting Disorders Myths and Misunderstandings School and ADHD Adult Relationships

Articles with a key are available to CHADD members.
If you are a member, please log in.
If you are not a member, join CHADD today.

Does Coaching Help College Students with ADHD? - Self-determination and executive functioning skills are critical for success in the postsecondary educational environment, but can be lacking in students challenged by ADHD. Can specialized coaching help?

Going It Alone Wasn't Getting Her There - A second-year medical student works with an ADHD coach to identify how her symptoms impeded her studies and to develop strategies to address them.

 Is College Right for You? - College can be a great experience, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re a young adult, you need to figure out for yourself whether college is the right thing for you at this time.

 Parenting Young Adults with ADHD - Parents are often perplexed about their role during the sometimes difficult years when their children with ADHD are transitioning to adulthood. For guidance, Attention interviewed Anthony L. Rostain, MD, MA, director of the Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

A Professor's Perspective: ADHD and College - When students and professors enter college classrooms this fall, many of the students will have been diagnosed with attention disorders and/or learning disabilities. Faculty members, disability resource staff, and students agree that it takes the three groups working together and an accommodation-friendly environment to help such students achieve their greatest success in college.

Teens with ADHD: Transitions from High School to College or Career - For teens with ADHD figuring out what to do after high school can be confusing. Add ADHD to the mix, and the issues become even more complex.

How to Select the Right College - The thought of your child starting college is daunting. But like many things, preparation is the key to success. 

Tips on Returning to College for Adults with ADHD - For adults affected by ADHD, this is one of the best times in history to return to college or to attend for the first time.

 Educational Services in Postsecondary Settings - To obtain apropriate educational services after high school, teens and adults with ADHD and other disabilities need to be informed consumers when shopping for a college, university, or postsecondary training program.

Navigating the College Social Scene - For many students college life is, in large part, about the social scene—making new friends, adjusting to new roommates, and fitting in with the right crowd.

Promising Practices: University of Arizona's SALT Center - Is it possible for high school students who struggle with attention and learning challenges to actually do better in college?

Brilliant Minds with Learning Differences - While we've come so far in traiing educators to teach all kinds of minds, awareness and acceptance of ADHD and learning differences seem to stop at the doors of graduate and professional schools.