It is late summer. This is the time when parents begin seeking new evaluations to qualify their student for support services through a Technical School, Community College, a University or for accommodations on ACTs or SATs.
Who are these students with LD/ADHD who are successful and will graduate from high school, and pursue additional education or training? These students have overcome significant obstacles. The 2014 report on The State of Learning Disabilities indicates that only 68 percent of students with LD/ADHD graduate from high school with a diploma! Fifty percent experience some type of disciplinary action at school. Some clues about the successful student are discussed in the Executive Summary of “A Study of Young Adults with Learning and Attention Issues” published on the National Center for Learning Disorders website (www.NCLD.org).
The study reports that successful young adults with LD/ADHD have the following in common:
What does it mean to provide a supportive home life? How can we help our children develop self-confidence when they face daily academic and social challenges in school? While we are busy helping with homework and providing encouragement, is it possible to also provide experiences that promote comfort in social situations?
Future blogs will discuss how we can shepherd our children with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD through elementary and high school toward successful young adulthood.