October is ADHD Awareness Month, so I had planned on compiling a series of posts for this month.  My son was diagnosed with ADD 9 years ago and has been on medication since that time.  It was a life changing diagnosis for him.

My husband and I are pretty well versed on ADD.  We have read a lot about it.  We have tried many strategies to help our son in areas that are struggles for him due to his ADD:  time management, organization, prioritization of tasks.  We have purchased apps for his phone.  We have purchased wall calendars to try to help him visualize short and long term deadlines.  We have helped him set up binders.  You name it...we have tried it.

This leads me to my opening statement.  I planned on a series of posts.  I had even started putting ideas together.  Then, my son started college!  Wow!  It has been a time in our house. There are some good times and there are some tough times.

Not only is my son a college student, he is a college student who has Cerebral Palsy, Low Vision, and ADD.  Of these three labels, ADD is the one causing the most challenges in college. Accommodations are in place for his fine motor challenges and for his Low Vision.  All of his accommodations he receives for his CP and Low Vision are also beneficial accommodations for his ADD.  That is good.

The challenge is that accommodations cannot take the place of being organized, turning your work in on time, printing your work to turn in on time, prioritizing your tasks, staying on task, etc. If you have a child who has ADD, you understand this.  

The biggest issue my son is having right now is that all of the challenges are battling to be the forerunner in his life.  It has been a tough time for him which means a tough time for everyone else here.

Because prioritizing his work is a challenge and time management are challenges, due dates are like four letter words to S.  He thinks due dates should be fluid dates and can be moved if that works better for him.  If he’s getting tired or easily distracted, he should just be able to stop his work until it is a better, more convenient time for him.  That worked when he was homeschooled; it doesn’t work in college.  

Due dates are not optional!

He heard this while he was homeschooled also, but he didn’t listen to us (I thought you were exaggerating.)

There have been some many challenges so far this semester.  This week really threw some wrenches into his plans which were very good plans.  But….life happens.  He survived, and we survived.  His white board might be completely erased this weekend. We are all breathing a little easier right now.  

I will be on the couch with chocolate and wine (I’m not going to lie.).