Skip to Content

ADHD in College

The transition from high school to college can be difficult for any student, but especially so for students with ADHD and other learning difficulties. Many college capable students with ADHD have trouble focusing, difficulties with impulse control, activating to do work, retaining information, and other executive function challenges, which can make it much harder to succeed in a college environment. When students are in an academic environment that isn’t conducive to their learning needs, they often receive negative reinforcement when moral weight is attached to actions associated with attention issues. For example, a student may feel shame when they show up late for class or miss a due date for an assignment. This can lead to a student becoming discouraged and losing motivation and confidence both in and outside of the classroom. However, when students have the right tools, professors, and scaffolding at their disposal, they can find remarkable success in and beyond college.

So how can students with ADHD find success in college?

College capable students with ADHD require a different approach to learning to succeed academically. At Landmark College we help our students to explore and employ new learning strategies by teaching differently. We hold high expectations for our students, and encourages independence while also providing academic and social support.

Many of Landmark College’s faculty have been working with students with ADHD since the disorder was first classified in the 1990s and our approach is constantly evolving based on developing research and extensive experience in the classroom.

  • The best evidence that our model works is our students themselves. Visit our media page to hear directly from students, parent and faculty on all that Landmark College has to Offer: https://www.landmark.edu/admissions/media

  • "In the classroom, make sure what you’re doing is dynamic and meaningful to students. When students with ADHD are interested in something they can focus. Engagement is always going to be important

    Always be straightforward with students. The bottom line is that there’s nothing that prevents students from ADHD to do anything; it’s just sometimes harder. It’s especially important for students with ADHD to have goals, a clear sense of what they want to achieve and what they need to do to achieve it."

    – MacLean Gander, Ed.D., Professor at Landmark College.

  • · ADHD Coaches (ACO) http://www.adhdcoaches.org/ The ADHD Coaches Organization is a professional membership organization that provides resources and training for those interested in ADHD coaching.

    · Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) http://www.add.org/ The ADDA is a non-profit organization focused on providing information and resources to adults living with ADHD.

    · ADDitude http://www.additudemag.com/ ADDitude Magazine provides various information and resources to individuals learning, working, and living with ADHD.

    · Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) http://www.chadd.org/ CHADD provides ADHD resources to individuals, parents, teachers, and professionals via 200 local chapters throughout the United States.

    · National Resource Center on ADHD http://www.help4adhd.org/ The National Resource Center on ADHD, a program of CHADD, serves as the national clearinghouse for science-based information and resources on ADHD.

Back to top