Securing College Support for an ADD Student
A young man, 18, was admitted into a very selective and competitive college. However, having just been diagnosed with ADD, he was overwhelmed with all the independence, lack of structure, freedom, and new responsibilities. By the end of first term, he was nearing failure. It was imperative to get him in touch with student counseling and learning support services so that his academic experience could be salvaged before it was too late. My role was to facilitate the communication between the university services and his parents so that the university could offer the support needed, as well as provide support for the parents, who were quite distraught over the situation.
The Successful Placement Path of an ADD Student
"A fifteen year old male student was extremely bright, but also had major struggles with ADD, depression, and behavior issues at school, resulting in numerous suspensions. The relationship at home was fraught with conflict and the family was at the breaking point. He was belligerent about the thought of going to boarding school, and opposed every suggestion we made. However, he was finally convinced to try a wilderness program and thrived in that environment. After the intervention, he was admitted to a very reputable boarding school that offered a learning support center along with plenty of academic challenge. His attitude has improved and he is back on the road to success. "
Helping a Student Who Sought Academic Rigor
"A young man, 15, started looking for a boarding school for his junior and senior years. He had everything going for him – stellar resume, grades, sports, and personality. The conversation focused on just how much academic pressure he was willing to take on. He was adamant he wanted to push himself, and was given several offers of admission to very competitive boarding schools. In the end, he chose the one that seemed to be the best fit for him and is now doing extremely well. "
Finding the Right Fit for a Struggling Undiagnosed LD Student Abroad
A young woman of 17 moved to a remote location for what would have been her senior year of high school. She had never lived overseas before, and her school only offered the International Baccalaureate program. Therefore, she was put back a year to start the IB curriculum. She was miserable, and things finally reached a crisis point mid-year. She came back to the U.S. for a thorough evaluation and was found to have an undiagnosed learning disability that had never been addressed, as well as anxiety and depression. Instead of going back to the school overseas, which was clearly inappropriate for her needs, I worked every contact I had to quickly find her a placement in a small, supportive all-girl’s school that had a good learning support center. Her problems did not magically disappear, but she did make great progress and was much happier in her new setting.
A Solution for a Special Needs Student Abroad
A family with a son who had significant development delays contacted me regarding life as an internationally mobile family and wondered about embarking on such a lifestyle. We spent hours of counseling up front while they were still in their home environments, and the family prepared to homeschool their son, knowing few schools overseas would be able to meet his special needs. The mother was brilliant in her new role, and the son flourished. All members of the family are now at peace when several years later, he is in a boarding school that specializes in adolescents with his unique needs.
Two Different Solutions For Two Different Children In An Evacuation
A family with two employed parents was suddenly separated by an evacuation, leaving them with some important decisions to make quickly regarding the children’s education. The older daughter remained in her boarding school and became the school’s star student; the younger one remained with mom and came back to the U.S. The father remained overseas and commented that the daughter in the European boarding school was the only one in the family thriving throughout the crisis. I went to see her while visiting schools and saw for myself that she was a happy, well-adjusted young lady despite the turmoil the family had been through.
