What accommodations are appropriate to request for an older grad student with dx ADHD?
I am a 59 year old woman starting my 3rd year as a full time student in a seminary Masters of Divinity program. I'm hoping to be able to graduate after 4 years.
I also have primary physical custody of my 15 year old grandson after a prolonged and painful custody battle who has been diagnosed with mood d/o nos-but likely ADHD vs Bipolar and has stopped taking his meds (most recently Depakote 1500mg qd and Geodon 60mg qd). Needless to say there are behavior issues with him and frequent conflict.
I have been on various meds including Adderall in increasing doses up to XR 40mg qd and Adderall 20mg at 2pm; dexedrine spansule 30mg bid; and now Concerta 72mg qd. Also on Wellbutrin 200mg bid and klonopin 1mg bid and prn. Besides med mgmt I also have weekly sessions with a therapist.
I have continued to struggle with symptoms that are sometimes severe and have been at times disabling, and have difficulty completing reading assignments and completing papers on time. So far I have only had to repeat one course but have an F in a spring course because I could not complete all the assignments. Even so, I have a 2.7 GPA.
The Dean of Students wonders that any accommodation may give me an advantage over other students or will enable me to be late with all my assignments which would not promote positive patterns of behavior including time management and organizational skills.
What can I tell him and what accommodations could I reasonably request?
How much can I expect from medication? What other meds can I try? The Concerta does not seem to be any better than the Adderall. In fact, I'm beginning to think that the Adderall was more helpful now that I've tried others. The dexedrine actually seemed to make the symptoms worse, so that trial did not last long.
I realize this is a lot to ask and leaks over into multiple areas, but any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Kate
Hi Kate,
First, bravo to you for returning to school and challenging yourself with such a rigorous program.
Let's start with the accommodations. The Dean is 100% wrong in his take on this whole thing and obviously doesn't understand 1. ADHD and 2. The legal rights of students with disabilities. I'm hoping your school has a disabilities or support office with staff that understands your needs and what your rights are for securing support so that you can succeed in school.
If you have a document stating your have been diagnosed with ADHD, you are covered under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) so that you are eligible for receiving reasonable accommodations. Some schools will go out of their way to help out students with ADHD, whereas others might only offer the minimum.
You can read more about your legal rights and possible accommodations at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwrld/BORWEB/accommodations.htm#question16
As for the medications..this is a very common question/dilemma. It can take quite a while to find the right medication and/or the right dosage. You'll need to work closely with your doctor to find which works best for you, as it's pretty much trial and error. Just don't give up!
Hope this helps-
Terry
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I have been on Dexedrine for over 15 years, one thing I have noticed is that the brand name of the drug works differently than the generic. The generic did almost nothing for me. I now only take the brand name of the drug. Just something to think about.
MelissaH
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Mark
Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 07:04 AM
MelissaH
Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 09:00 AM
Mark,
I took the tablets for years before I found out about the spansules. Both are good. Wth the tablets though, I found that at times I would forget to take my next dose and then it would be too late in the day to take it when I would finally remember. I now take the spansules in the morning and I don't have to worry about taking a next dose during the day. The spansules also eliminate the highs and lows that you can get with the tablets at doseing times and in between. I also do not have to carry pills with me all day now that I am using the spansules. If you are going to go with the spansules, go with the brand, I tried the generic and there is definately a difference between the two in my opinion. Ultimately, you should go with what your doctor recommends though, they may want to put you on the pills first and then graduate you to the spansules when they find the correct dose for you.
Good luck
MelissaH
I am going to see my psychiatrist in about a month and if I have a choice am considering dexedrine IR or spansules. I am 55 and would like to know what you think. My therapist has add and she said she likes the dex IR 4-5 tabs daily.