Young adult help

[Jacl44]

19 year old daughter. Diagnosed w anxiety and that is what we dealt with from age 6 up. Recent eval before she went to college says adhd and spectrum. Both very on cusp. However she had major meltdown day of first classes and we going to get her. Mood disorder as well. Not sure what.

[Aspen797]

Welcome to this great community! I am so sorry to hear that your daughter had such a difficult start to college. This must be so hard for your whole family. Did she connect with the college’s student service center (for accommodations for disability)? Are they helping? I have heard that some colleges have amazing transition/disability services, others not so much. Important for her to know that this is not her fault in any way—no shame. Clearly her needs were not met or she wouldn’t have struggled. With help, she can learn what those needs are and tools she can use to help address them—both ones she learns and those she asks others for (accommodations ). It’s fairly common for girls on the spectrum to go undiagnosed/misdiagnosed. Has she explored this diagnosis with a group or with others in the same situation? A great talk about girls/women with late diagnosed autism is here: bbc.co.uk/news/resources/id.... Another great talk that also highlights the misdiagnosis of women with autism with mood disorders is here: autism.org/gender-differenc.... There are some great support groups online. AANE.org has online groups for girls/women and also separate groups for family members like you to find support and help support your daughter. Your local autism society likely has more resources and support.

[LisethHIS]

Hello, Jacl44,

Thank you for contacting CHADD National Resource Center on ADHD. I am sorry that she is having a hard start in college. When she was evaluated and diagnosed, did her medical provider come with a plan? Perhaps therapy would be helpful since she has anxiety and is having a lot of life changes. We have a professional directory if you are interested. chadd.org/professional-dire... another recommendation would be to work with a coach to help her with any areas she is struggling with. adhdcoaches.org/

I would inquire about student accommodation in her college. Here are two links that would be helpful. chadd.org/wp-content/upload... chadd.org/wp-content/upload... This other link is about women/girls who get diagnosed with ADHD. chadd.org/for-adults/women-...

Here at CHADD, we also offer parent-to-parent course that help train and provide support, as well as our adult-to-adult program. Something you can look into.

chadd.org/adult-to-adult/

chadd.org/parent-to-parent/

If you have further questions, please let us know. We are here to help!

Liseth

Health Information Specialist

CHADD’s National Resource Center on ADHD chadd.org

[anirush]

I have an 18 year old grandson who recently had some car trouble he had to deal with while I was at work. A couple of times he called me crying because he was so stressed. But he made it through and hugged me when I got home, thanking me for helping him through it.She may need to go to a junior college to start. Good luck

[Redpanda5]

I HIGHLY recommend this book:

amazon.com/Breakaway-Transi...

This author is a psychologist and owner of a special school in Colorado and has put together a masterful plan of how to tackle exactly what you’re going through. In a nutshell, there are stages of readiness for these type of kids and this book helps you ask the right questions to gauge where they are and how to help them take the next step forward. Like I said, it’s masterful. Not easy, but follow it and you will be empowered.

[HoldingonLou]

At least she tried. Maybe starting out at a community college or online classes. Did she use any resources to assist her with transitioning to school?