ADHD Can Be Managed
I have come across quite a few ADHD forums where parents ask about “fixing” their child’s ADHD or inquire at what age it will go away. Although ADHD doesn’t manifest itself in the exact same way forever over time, it does not go away. The positive: it can be managed.
Case study: “Adriana” is a 24 year old who is in her second year of college. She has a diagnosis of ADHD which manifests in lack of effective executive functions and bouts of extreme emotional dysregulation. Adriana began college with her peers of the same age, but wasn’t ready for the challenges thrown at her. She was homesick, lacked structure and routines, and couldn’t find balance between social interests and academic obligations. In high school, she had the support of her parents and a learning specialist, whom she relied on to read her tests aloud and comfort her when she was upset. In her first year of college, she barely passed her first semester, and then stopped going to classes two weeks into her second semester of freshman year. She was asked to leave until she gained better control of her challenges.
After years of struggling to manage her assignments, study effectively, and get to classes on time, she finally found a support system with an educational therapist that allowed her become more successful. Together they created a schedule with reminders and timers; she changed her diet and level of physical activity; she takes regular medication for her ADHD; she learned study techniques that allowed her to recall information more readily; she gained confidence in her abilities and skill set.
Adriana is thriving in college now. She has become much more independent and no longer requires the level of support she did previously. She still needs weekly meetings with her educational therapist, and a times, requires more hands-on support for writing papers, and studying during exam periods. Adriana reports her ADHD doesn’t impact her nearly as much as it did previously. It is still there—it has not gone away, but she has solid ways of managing it so it doesn’t control her.
