Learning and Attention Disorders and the College Student

The transition from high school to college is a challenging time for many young adults. The college environment can be particularly challenging for students with learning and attention disorders (e.g. ADD, ADHD, dyslexia). While many intelligent students with learning weaknesses have performed well at the high school level, the college learning environment is different in many ways. Not only is the work load greater and the content more complex, but post-high school education requires much greater use of planning and organizational skills, the ability to prioritize, and the need to perform many daily activities previously performed by a parent. For a student to be successful, all of these skills must be employed both within and outside the classroom.

The pre-college neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of a young adult's strengths and weaknesses across all of the critical areas of everyday living. For some bright, successful students, the pre-college assessment is the first time potential learning problems are addressed. Because it is much more difficult to obtain accommodations for students who were not formally diagnosed prior to college, the pre-college assessment often provides the critical documentation in support of academic modification (e.g. extended test time, note-taking services). For students with a prior neuropsychological assessment, colleges often will accept test results within a finite window of time (often three years).

The best time for a student to take part in a pre-college evaluation is at the very beginning of the college search (usually during his/her junior year in high school). Not only does the evaluation provide diagnostic information, it also provides a foundation to begin the search for an optimal post-high school environment. The assessment of personality, psychological functioning, social skills, intellectual strengths/weaknesses, and maturity level, allow for the development of a highly individualized college search.

The pre-college assessment is made up of four components. In the first, a student's prior academic/medical/psychological records are reviewed. Next, the student and his/her parents take part in an extensive interview. Third, a neuropsychological evaluation is performed. The last component, the feedback session, is the most critical component. During the feedback session, the evaluation results are presented in a clear, easy-to-understand manner. Students are made fully aware of their strengths, as well as areas in which additional help may be needed.

The following information is provided:

• A comprehensive diagnostic conceptualization of the student's areas of difficulty

• Recommendations for academic accommodations/modifications to be provided by the institution (if needed)

• An individualized study strategy that maximizes the student's unique learning style

• Recommendations for areas of study in which a student is likely to excel

• Identification of potential barriers to success and strategies for addressing these concerns

• Recommendations for services by other educational, psychological, and healthcare providers (e.g. Counseling, tutoring services, consideration of pharmacological treatment).

Following completion of the evaluation, a comprehensive report is prepared. When deemed useful by the patient or his/her family, the doctor will be available to review the evaluation results with personnel at the institution's learning center.