uni with ADHD/ADD?
anyone else has it thats at uni?
I'm starting uni in September after 2 years out of full time education and worried because my concentration is rubbish! I think I have ADD and have no idea how I could sit through an hour lecture or two hour seminar. during a levels I would daydream whole time but was luckily smart enough to still pass with good grades despite this. I guess uni may be different- if I cant pay attention can I still cope? also, any tips for how to concentrate well and get the most out of lectures?
I'm starting uni in September after 2 years out of full time education and worried because my concentration is rubbish! I think I have ADD and have no idea how I could sit through an hour lecture or two hour seminar. during a levels I would daydream whole time but was luckily smart enough to still pass with good grades despite this. I guess uni may be different- if I cant pay attention can I still cope? also, any tips for how to concentrate well and get the most out of lectures?
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I don't have adhd myself ( although i do have a step sibling who does) but i do have dyslexia and dyspraxia so my concentration certainly doesn't last two hours or my brain gets exhausted from reading or writing . The best thing you can do is apply for DSA so you could get all the help available and would also say get a dictaphone so if you re struggling to concentrate you can listen back to the lecture anytime afterwards if you miss anything.
Beware that in order to get DSA, you'll need proof of your symptoms and problems from a third party such as a GP, consultant or counsellor. You may not need a confirmed diagnosis, but you do need a professional who is used to assessing your symptoms, to confirm that they are outside the range of what could be considered "normal". DSA assessors won't just accept you reporting on your own suspected condition.
If you are thinking of applying for uni and you suspect that you may have a condition which will affect your ability to study, you should start the process by seeing your GP as soon as possible.
If you are thinking of applying for uni and you suspect that you may have a condition which will affect your ability to study, you should start the process by seeing your GP as soon as possible.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by claireestelle
I don't have adhd myself ( although i do have a step sibling who does) but i do have dyslexia and dyspraxia so my concentration certainly doesn't last two hours or my brain gets exhausted from reading or writing . The best thing you can do is apply for DSA so you could get all the help available and would also say get a dictaphone so if you re struggling to concentrate you can listen back to the lecture anytime afterwards if you miss anything.
can you get dsa for dyslecksia and if so may I ask how much it is.
Original post by Damien_Dalgaard
can you get dsa for dyslecksia and if so may I ask how much it is.
Yes you can
and they dont give you a set amount of cash per say, you get a needs assessment and based off that they can buy you software and 1:1 support and such.I think its up to 5k in software/equipment over the whole course or something like that.Have you got an educational psychologist report? if not get yourself one as you ll need it for uni
Original post by Damien_Dalgaard
can you get dsa for dyslecksia and if so may I ask how much it is.
this leaflet might help
http://www.sfengland.slc.co.uk/media/864997/sfe_dsa_guide_1516_d.pdf
Original post by claireestelle
Yes you can and they dont give you a set amount of cash per say, you get a needs assessment and based off that they can buy you software and 1:1 support and such.I think its up to 5k in software/equipment over the whole course or something like that.
Have you got an educational psychologist report? if not get yourself one as you ll need it for uni
and they dont give you a set amount of cash per say, you get a needs assessment and based off that they can buy you software and 1:1 support and such.I think its up to 5k in software/equipment over the whole course or something like that.Have you got an educational psychologist report? if not get yourself one as you ll need it for uni
Original post by claireestelle
Thank you for your help
Original post by Damien_Dalgaard
Thank you for your help
glad to help
Original post by schmuur
I can't see the GP till end of August because I'm not in the UK. but I will do. How would a diagnosis help? what could a doctor do to diminish the symptoms ? and what support could I get from the uni?
A diagnosis means that you would you could get help/support in education and work for your condition for life and in some cases a gp could prescribe you medication to help you concentrate like ritalin( cant spell:P).
This explains uni support on page 4 pretty well:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxford/field/field_document/AD(H)D%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
You can get exam accommodations including rest breaks which i ve found really helpful so far
Echoing the need for a diagnosis.
This will open doors to support for you through your studies. You can't be taken seriously saying 'oh, I think I might have ADD/ADHD.
Cheers,
RF
This will open doors to support for you through your studies. You can't be taken seriously saying 'oh, I think I might have ADD/ADHD.
Cheers,
RF
Original post by schmuur
anyone else has it thats at uni?
I'm starting uni in September after 2 years out of full time education and worried because my concentration is rubbish! I think I have ADD and have no idea how I could sit through an hour lecture or two hour seminar. during a levels I would daydream whole time but was luckily smart enough to still pass with good grades despite this. I guess uni may be different- if I cant pay attention can I still cope? also, any tips for how to concentrate well and get the most out of lectures?
I'm starting uni in September after 2 years out of full time education and worried because my concentration is rubbish! I think I have ADD and have no idea how I could sit through an hour lecture or two hour seminar. during a levels I would daydream whole time but was luckily smart enough to still pass with good grades despite this. I guess uni may be different- if I cant pay attention can I still cope? also, any tips for how to concentrate well and get the most out of lectures?
I have ADHD myself so trust me when say the first thing you should do is see a doctor about getting diagnosed
thanks guys! yeah, I will try and get a diagnosis as soon as poss.
how do you cope in lectures and stuff? do you manage to keep concentration with medication or do you find yourself needing to do a lot of catchup work too from when you werent concentrating?
Original post by RyanSammy
I have ADHD myself so trust me when say the first thing you should do is see a doctor about getting diagnosed
how do you cope in lectures and stuff? do you manage to keep concentration with medication or do you find yourself needing to do a lot of catchup work too from when you werent concentrating?
Original post by schmuur
thanks guys! yeah, I will try and get a diagnosis as soon as poss.
how do you cope in lectures and stuff? do you manage to keep concentration with medication or do you find yourself needing to do a lot of catchup work too from when you werent concentrating?
how do you cope in lectures and stuff? do you manage to keep concentration with medication or do you find yourself needing to do a lot of catchup work too from when you werent concentrating?
I haven't actually started Uni yet as I'm still in Sixth form but I'm almost a completely different person medicated than when I'm not. As well as meds helping with concentration having an official diagnosis means it'll be easier to get extra support like extra time in exams and possibly extended deadlines for assignments.
As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD combined type as a child but who has also worked in a school with children with SEN it is definitely essential to get a diagnosis. Disabled students services must be sick of the amount of people who walk into their office saying they have bad concentration, might have ADHD or even (yes I have heard this one) my hand gets tired when I write for too long, do I have dyspraxia. its sounds heartless of me to say this but it's true, many people hear of these disorders, think oh I have bad concentration I must have this and don't realise just how severe it should be to warrant a diagnosis. Many average people can't concentrate for 2 hours straight.
Having a diagnosis will help you as it will set you apart as someone who definitely has severe enough symptoms to require help but also because in the report you receive the psychologist will outline exactly where your difficulties are and strategies you and your university can use to help these.
The main issue is it can be very hard to get diagnosed at this age and it is even harder still to receive medication for ADHD as an adult if you weren't on it as a child (strattera being the exception). This is because all the stimulant medicines such as concerta are not licensed for use in adults who did not have it prescribed as children. Also due to the fact that many doctors still believe you should grow out of ADHD by this age, that if you really had it you would have been diagnosed as a child or that due to your age you could simply be looking the medicine for it which is known to be abused. These misconceptions may be false but they can still affect the chance of your doctor taking your request seriously. If you have any evidence from your childhood that can back up you have had these problems from a young age and they have persisted and are severe enough to warrant a diagnosis then you may hep your case. This could be in the form of old school reports, social services letter, previous inquiries made to your GP (maybe your mum took you when you were a child concerned about your concentration) or an educational psychology report.
Either way a diagnosis is essential for getting through uni as you will need it to access any help you can get but it may be difficult to be taken seriously when looking for it, my boyfriend tried to get a diagnosis aged 18 and the doctor would not take him seriously, he produced an educational psychology report from primary school that stated he had problems with attention span and motor skills and he got referred to an adult autism centre who sent him back to the gp because they didn't deal with ADHD and the gp then said he didn't know where else to send him. He then gave up trying to get help, failed school and works in a bar despite probably genuinely have ADD so be prepared to fight your case, don't be put off when they say they don't know where to send you or that you're too old. Bring all the evidence to support you that you can, possibly even your mum as her word on your difficulties may help. Not because they think you are lying but because your mum was older and will remember more than you and may be able to identify areas you didn't even notice as a problem. Honestly looking back on my own childhood I would say other than a few mishaps I wasn't that bad but my mum will tell a whole different story, starting with me breaking her tv, dvd player, video player and oil lamp in one kick of a ball and ending with that week we had 2 different trips to A&E for a busted lip.
Having a diagnosis will help you as it will set you apart as someone who definitely has severe enough symptoms to require help but also because in the report you receive the psychologist will outline exactly where your difficulties are and strategies you and your university can use to help these.
The main issue is it can be very hard to get diagnosed at this age and it is even harder still to receive medication for ADHD as an adult if you weren't on it as a child (strattera being the exception). This is because all the stimulant medicines such as concerta are not licensed for use in adults who did not have it prescribed as children. Also due to the fact that many doctors still believe you should grow out of ADHD by this age, that if you really had it you would have been diagnosed as a child or that due to your age you could simply be looking the medicine for it which is known to be abused. These misconceptions may be false but they can still affect the chance of your doctor taking your request seriously. If you have any evidence from your childhood that can back up you have had these problems from a young age and they have persisted and are severe enough to warrant a diagnosis then you may hep your case. This could be in the form of old school reports, social services letter, previous inquiries made to your GP (maybe your mum took you when you were a child concerned about your concentration) or an educational psychology report.
Either way a diagnosis is essential for getting through uni as you will need it to access any help you can get but it may be difficult to be taken seriously when looking for it, my boyfriend tried to get a diagnosis aged 18 and the doctor would not take him seriously, he produced an educational psychology report from primary school that stated he had problems with attention span and motor skills and he got referred to an adult autism centre who sent him back to the gp because they didn't deal with ADHD and the gp then said he didn't know where else to send him. He then gave up trying to get help, failed school and works in a bar despite probably genuinely have ADD so be prepared to fight your case, don't be put off when they say they don't know where to send you or that you're too old. Bring all the evidence to support you that you can, possibly even your mum as her word on your difficulties may help. Not because they think you are lying but because your mum was older and will remember more than you and may be able to identify areas you didn't even notice as a problem. Honestly looking back on my own childhood I would say other than a few mishaps I wasn't that bad but my mum will tell a whole different story, starting with me breaking her tv, dvd player, video player and oil lamp in one kick of a ball and ending with that week we had 2 different trips to A&E for a busted lip.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by student2312
(yes I have heard this one) my hand gets tired when I write for too long, do I have dyspraxia. its sounds heartless of me to say this but it's true, many people hear of these disorders, think oh I have bad concentration I must have this and don't realise just how severe it should be to warrant a diagnosis. Many average people can't concentrate for 2 hours straight.
I m surprised that anyone would think they have dyspraxia just because they get tired when writing(try not being able to hold a pen properly and being in pain after 20 minutes i d say to these people:P) although considering when i try to explain my dyspraxia to people they ve barely ever heard of it i guess i shouldnt be shocked that people don't know enough about it then assume they could have it themselves.
Thats mainly the issue, they hear about it, hear maybe one or two symptoms and suddenly think they have it without proper research such at looking at the DSM which sets out strict guidelines for diagnosing ADHD. It's so annoying when people say things like "I'm so hyper today, I must have ADHD or something" or the dyspraxia one genuinely shocked me, I've also heard "I wish my handwriting was neater, do you think I have dyspraxia?" I don't have dyspraxia and it still annoys me, if nothing else it belittles the problems people who genuinely do have dyspraxia have. Or when kids say "I wish i had dyslexia/dyspraxia so I could have a laptop in class"
I've actually had someone say this one to me, "you like to read? but I thought you had ADHD?" or when im sitting doing work i had one classmate stare at me for a couple of minutes, I kept looking up at him and he'd just look away but eventually he said "you dont act like you have ADHD"
I've actually had someone say this one to me, "you like to read? but I thought you had ADHD?" or when im sitting doing work i had one classmate stare at me for a couple of minutes, I kept looking up at him and he'd just look away but eventually he said "you dont act like you have ADHD"
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by student2312
Thats mainly the issue, they hear about it, hear maybe one or two symptoms and suddenly think they have it without proper research such at looking at the DSM which sets out strict guidelines for diagnosing ADHD. It's so annoying when people say things like "I'm so hyper today, I must have ADHD or something" or the dyspraxia one genuinely shocked me, I've also heard "I wish my handwriting was neater, do you think I have dyspraxia?" I don't have dyspraxia and it still annoys me, if nothing else it belittles the problems people who genuinely do have dyspraxia have. Or when kids say "I wish i had dyslexia/dyspraxia so I could have a laptop in class"
Hearing of things like that really bugs me, both of my dyslexia and dyspraxia are mild so my school barely bothered helping me, well they never figured out i was dyslexic so shows how sometimes only in severe situations is help available.
So why people would wish to have a condition that has such an impact on someones life for the sake of a laptop really shows that they have no understanding conditions like dyspraxia and adhd. I cant manage to write cursively and struggle to write more than 20 words in minute on a bad day so will feel quite annoyed if someone thought they had my condition just because their handwriting was a little messy sometimes.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by claireestelle
Hearing of things like that really bugs me, both of my dyslexia and dyspraxia are mild so my school barely bothered helping me, well they never figured out i was dyslexic so shows how sometimes only in severe situations is help available.
This is the exact issue my little sister is having. She's always struggled with a poor attention span and literacy difficulties, I wouldn't say ADHD would be applicable but she definitely has dyslexia. But because she sits at the back of the class and quietly tries her work and usually passes her tests with C's the school are content to not have her needs properly assessed. It's a shame, she really wants to do well and could use the help. I tried telling her to start kicking up in the teachers class then they'd be rushing to help her and she looked appalled, like the idea of disrupting a teachers class was a plain crime in her eyes
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