EVALUATIONARTICLE AND DIAGNOSIS HEADER
How Helpful is an ADHD Diagnosis as a Young Adult? By Faigy Liebermann, AACC, PCAC, ACC
These skills don’t come easily to people with ADHD. Lagging executive function skills such as organizational problems, impulsivity, and time management issues are the hallmarks of this diagnosis. Students DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERAC- with ADHD can’t fall back on these skills since TIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)? IF SO, HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD SERI- they are the skills they are weakest in. They need specialist tools to develop these skills. OUSLY CONSIDER GETTING AN OFFICIAL ADHD DIAGNOSIS.
ADHD affects every single area of life. Read that sentence again. Let’s first focus on the top four qualities every successful student needs to possess to succeed at college: 1. Sticking with things even when the going gets tough (perseverance) 2. Time management and organizational skills 3. Striking the right balance between fun and work 4. The ability to delay gratification and focus on the big picture
ADHD treatment is pills and skills. You need both to live your successful life. A diagnosis opens the doors for treatment. Getting an ADHD diagnosis gives you access to and funding for specialist help in the above areas, so you can connect with coaches who can teach you these vital skills. It can also enable you and your family to accept yourself for who you are. Your ADHD does not define who you are; it is simply another feature of your unique personality. A diagnosis turns your “whys” into “whats.”
Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 6 | 43
