From the moment that a student struggling with ADHD or any other learning disability sets foot in a classroom, it can feel like a prison cell.  Textbooks are placed in front of them as a teacher peers over their shoulder. They are placed in assigned seating arrangements and expected to be engaged, active, and successful students throughout their sixteen years of schooling.  Commonly diagnosed in early childhood, teen hood, or even young adulthood, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a chronic condition that causes difficulty in sustaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (Wilens).  Traditional classroom settings often fail to accommodate the unique, individual needs of each student.  Countless students that are struggling with a learning disability have formulated the opinion that education holds a certain destructive power.  Many admit that education possesses the ability to devalue a student’s intuitiveness, originality, and scholarly potential when their unique learning environments stray beyond the traditional classroom setting (Robyn).  Though it may appear to value individualism and cooperation, it is all too often that ADHD students find themselves in a standardized class style, suffering through long lectures and futile study strategies.  Adversely, observing the success beyond college of those granted a unique educational environment serves to prove that universities should place priority on offering individualized learning strategies and engaging educational opportunities.  Due to the sheer prevalence of this learning disability, an ADHD student’s success throughout college and beyond is dependent upon learning methods and environments that are tailored to their needs.

Before developing this individualized classroom setting for ADHD students, it is important to fully understand the disability.  Specifically, universities must understand the ways in which ADHD affects college students differently than those in grade school.  ADHDis the most common neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescents, as well as the most recognized genetic-based disorder in all of psychiatry (Wilens).  Most commonly, the symptoms and treatment of ADHD become evident in childhood, upon children entering school.  Diagnostic symptoms include difficulty sustaining attention, forgetfulness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity (Wilens).  The disorder, as a whole, is more easily understood when explained biologically.  When a child or adolescent develops ADHD, it is a genetic abnormality of the brain’s dopamine receptors (Warren).  Due to this abnormality, the receptors cannot efficiently receive messages in a timely, complete manner (Warren).  Because these messages are not being received fully, the person will experience lapses in attention and missed information (Warren).  Under the so-called “umbrella” of ADHD, there exists three subtypes: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, or a combination of both (Wilens).  These subtypes are diagnosed based on a medical assessment of symptoms, severity of impairment, possible comorbidity alongside another chronic psychiatric disability, and psychosocial stressors (Wilens).  Consequently, research has proven that 50% of individuals with ADHD simultaneously suffer from anxiety or depression, and 22% suffer from bipolar disorder (Wilens).  Among college students, ADHD is manifested differently than younger students.  Indisputably, universities have different expectations and environments than grade schools.  College classes, being far less interactive than grade school classes, are often very standardized and place much of the success burden on the students (Wilens).  Though it is important that students foster responsibility and independence upon entering college, this can make a four year education plan seem immensely daunting to a student struggling with ADHD.  Because there is no teacher or parent close by keeping an eye on the student, it is essential that the university offer alternate options to excel in college.  Research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy is proven to be very effective in adults with ADHD, as well as social skills remediation for improving interpersonal interactions (Wilens).  When a university or higher education system makes these processes and strategies readily available to students with ADHD, success is within reach.  Understanding the disorder of ADHD as a whole is crucial in order to develop unique, individualized methods to foster a student’s success throughout college and beyond.  

Every student learns and reaches their goals in a very unique way.  ADHD students will undoubtedly succeed when placed in a learning environment that is individualized to meet their specific needs.  However, many universities foster a generalized, traditional classroom environment, failing to consider the uniqueness of each student.  In order to understand why this is a shortcoming among universities today, one must first understand the difference in each student’s learning ability.  There are eight different types of intelligence: naturalist, musical, logical-mathematical, existential, interpersonal, kinesthetic, linguistic, intrapersonal, and spatial (DuPaul, 237).  Identified by brain processing, environmental preferences and requirements, sociological inclinations, and perceptual strengths, these types of intelligence define the environment and methods that are ideal to a student’s success (Dunn, 138).  Additionally, studies show that the majority of school curricula is centered around linguistic and logical learning, while more than 50% of college students with ADHD exhibit natural and spatial learning (DuPaul, 237).  Unquestionably, students with ADHD have reported lower academic performance rates simply because their cognitive strengths lie outside the realm of linguistic and logical learning (DuPaul, 237).  In order to teach effectively, education systems must be aware of these varying learning styles in students, and commit to creating an environment that is unique and multifaceted.  Scott Thomson, the former executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said, “The ability to map learning styles is the most promising development in curriculum and instruction in a generation… It is the most scientific way we know to individualize instruction (Dunn, 139).”  In 2005, Allsopp, Minskoff, and Bolt completed a study on individualized strategy instruction in ADHD college students at universities that did not previously possess a specialized program for individualized instruction (Allsopp, 103).  Prior to the study, students completed a self-assessment of their learning strengths and weaknesses surrounding time management, organization, and test taking (Allsopp, 107).  In the semester that followed, students attended between one to three “strategy sessions” that suited their unique needs (Allsopp, 108).  In these sessions, strategy instructors used systematic, explicit instruction to teach multisensory tools within the context of each student’s particular courses (Allsopp, 108).  After the semester had ended, students reported to have a higher GPA and general course grades, as well as greater self-confidence and sustained improvement throughout upcoming semesters (Allsopp, 110).  Overall, this study serves to prove the value in one-on-one, individualized instruction and the immense academic potential that ADHD students possess when they are given educational tools and strategic support (Allsopp, 114).  One example of a university successfully putting this method into practice is the University of Arizona’s SALT Center (Katz, 6).  SALT, standing for Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques, is a center put in place at the university to provide students with unique educational support (Katz, 6).  In this program, students work individually with a Strategic Learning Specialist that is specifically matched with them (Katz, 7).  Throughout these one-on-one meetings, the two work together to develop an individualized learning plan surrounding their academic goals, tutoring needs, and time management techniques (Katz, 7).  These plans are reviewed and maintained on an ongoing basis, and have yielded substantial improvements in students GPA and sustained academic strategies (Katz, 7).  Robyn Modly, former board of directors chair of CHADD, agrees that having a solid support system throughout education is imperative to the success of an ADHD student (Robyn).  A former CHADD Parent-to-Parent course instructor, Modly says that mental fatigue and frustration make it nearly impossible for ADHD students of any age to stay motivated (Robyn).  She says, “It’s critical to have people in place to assist with organization, time management, and curriculum planning” and that, despite frequent setbacks, consistent one-on-one interactions will ensure progress in the right direction (Robyn).  College students with ADHD deserve individualized, supportive learning opportunities that will enable them to effectively display their educational strengths and foster self-confidence in the classroom and beyond.   

Enabling ADHD students to display their educational strengths through individualized learning opens up a world of opportunities.  By giving ADHD students the unique teaching approach they require, they become more willing and ready to take the knowledge they have grasped and delve deeper.  When these students are given self-confidence through academic success, they allow themselves to engage in experiential and active learning opportunities that will foster a foundation for a successful career (Eyler).  David Kolb, American organizational psychologist, developed the Experiential Learning Theory in 1984, in order to present a way of structuring and sequencing a course’s curriculum so that each student, regardless of learning difficulties, can optimize their educational experience (Healey, 185).  Kolb’s theory essentially works in a cyclical pattern (Healey, 187).  First, the student has a concrete experience with the information, actively experiencing an activity through laboratory sessions or field classes (Healey, 187).  Next, the learner enters the reflective observation stage, consciously absorbing the new information (Healey, 187).  Then, the student is given the task of conceptualizing a certain theory or model, presenting the information in an unfamiliar format (Healey, 187).  Finally, the learner performs an active experimentation to test the model or theory before the cycle begins again with a new set of information (Healey, 187).  When asked about the potential long-term benefits of this teaching method, Kolb said this theory enhances creativity and development:

“The aim is to make the student self-renewed and self-directed; to focus on integrative development where the person is highly developed in each of the four learning modes: active, reflective, abstract, and concrete.  Here, the student is taught to experience the tension and conflict among these orientations, for it is from these tensions that creativity springs.” (Healey, 189)  

Kolb’s theory of experiential learning presents teachers and institutions of all levels with crucial insights into cognitive and behavioral psychology, highlighting the importance of active education in every student’s educational development (Healey, 193).  In conjunction with this theory, previous information indicates that the vast majority of students suffering from ADHD learn naturally and spatially.  Spatial learners are very imaginative, relying on visual methods and mental models to retain information (Eyler).  Natural learners benefit from the study of relationships, learning by making connections and observing patterns (Eyler).  Being spatial and natural learners, ADHD students thrive in educational settings that enable them to utilize creativity, problem-solving techniques, and active lessons to put their classroom knowledge to practical use (Eyler).  Experiential learning connects students to the community, bridging the gap between classroom study and life in the real world.  Through such programs, students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong intellectual and practical skills that can be transferred to other areas of life (Eyler).  Once students reach universities, they are expected to apply their knowledge into appropriate new contexts.  Experiential learning provides students with a broad knowledge of the world, as well as an in-depth knowledge in their specific area of interest (Eyler).  In university systems today, it is all too often that programs like this, designed to develop students’ personal, social, and economic capacities, are separated from the core academic experience (Eyler).  Once students enter the “real world”, they are expected to already have these experiences under their belt.  Given this common divide between experiential programs and core curriculum, ADHD students find themselves juggling difficult courses that do not align with their learning needs, while attempting to engage in career-focused experiences (Eyler).  Opportunities such as internships or service-oriented learning programs engage students and enable them to process information actively, making students more likely to bring a “strategic learning orientation” to real-world challenges (Eyler).  When given opportunities that are engaging, personally interesting, and actively educational, ADHD students possess the ability to thrive academically.  Experiential learning opportunities engage the natural and spatial learner, enabling students who struggle in the classroom to problem-solve and process information effectively and gain a deep understanding of the subject matter.  Helping ADHD students thrive in engaging settings will inevitably boost their self-confidence, sparking their passion for learning that will overflow into their career.

Modern educational systems are shifting, changing, and developing more everyday, becoming increasingly flexible to accommodate every students’ needs.  As previously stated, ADHD is the single most common neurobehavioral disorder seen in children and adolescents (Wilens).  Without the mention of the multitude of other learning disabilities in classrooms today, educational systems must grow as the learning abilities of its students grows.  Cooperative learning is a method of teaching and instructional strategies that employs peer interaction and academic cooperation (Robinson, 9).  This method has proven to be effective in promoting a deeper understanding of subject matter, particularly in those struggling with learning disabilities similar to ADHD (Dunn, 139).  Still, many educational professionals hold fast to traditional methods of learning, convinced that it is the most effective and fair way of obtaining information.  Ann Robinson, former president of the National Association for Gifted Children, argues that cooperative learning is an unjust method of education (Robinson, 9).  Her research has concluded that most cooperative learning models include explicit guidelines outlining that each group should be composed of high, medium, and low achieving students (Robinson, 10).  Additionally, Robinson argues that groups are graded on assignments as a whole, regardless of amount of individual effort or knowledge (Robinson, 10).  Robinson’s research lies in defense of traditional education methods, referring to any sort of peer cooperation in the classroom as “educational abuse” toward higher-achieving, academically gifted students (Robinson, 20).  She, along with various colleagues, argue that nontraditional education methods are exploiting talented students in order to help those that are behind (Robinson, 19).  Due to her work with the National Association for Gifted Children, it is evident that Ann Robinson views cooperative learning as limiting and disadvantageous to gifted students, used to justify the lower achievements of the academically challenged (Robinson, 21).  Just as traditional, rigid education systems are being defended today, many people stand in skepticism to students with ADHD as a whole.  In 1999, a court case emerged between Nicholas Panagopoulous and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts after the plaintiff was asked to withdraw from Phillips Academy in the fall term of his senior year (Aggeler, 459).  Despite his efforts, Nicholas was unable to convince the judge that his academic difficulties stemmed from his untreated battle with ADHD rather than just a “willful lack of effort” (Aggeler, 459).  Nicholas argued that, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, resources were not made available to him for diagnostic testing and unique learning strategies (Aggeler, 459).  The presiding judge over this case, Judge Harrington, was presented with a testimony proving that ADHD greatly affected Nicholas’s ability to organize, memorize material, and sustain attention, yet he still viewed the ADHD diagnosis as a “handy excuse” (Aggeler, 459).  Harrington argued that re-admitting Nicholas would relay a detrimental message to all school systems, that effort and scholastic achievement is less important than a handy excuse to not do your work (Aggeler, 459).  Judge Harrington’s bias against ADHD stems from the common general belief that ADHD is severely overdiagnosed, allowing parents to place the blame of their uncontrollable children on a disorder rather than themselves (Aggeler, 460).  However, the cynicism surrounding ADHD does not just stop at judicial bias.  Many people have developed an opinion of doubt towards ADHD, saying that the disorder enables children and young adults to abandon responsibility for their own behavior and conduct (Aggeler, 464).  Furthermore, ADHD has been viewed as an excuse for uncontrollable impulses, teaching children to solve their problems by taking medication (Aggeler, 464).  For years, ADHD has been wrongfully viewed as a convenient excuse for a lack of effort and organizational ability.  While many educational systems are appropriately adjusting to the sheer prevalence of students with various learning disabilities, there are still professionals across the country who cling to traditional institutions and an ignorance of varying learning strengths and weaknesses.  

Despite public criticism and skepticism, ADHD is a learning disorder that when embraced and treated properly, can lead students to success.  Countless stories exist portraying the positive effects that individualized learning systems and engaging scholarly activity can have on students with ADHD and other learning disabilities. Jonathan Mooney and David Cole, co-authors of Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution, graduated from Brown University in 2000 (Lucchesi).  Mooney, a student struggling with Dyslexia, and Cole, a student struggling with ADHD, overcame educational failure by straying from the mold of traditional education and accepting their unique strengths to foster their success (Lucchesi).  Both Mooney and Cole attest to the fact that, since elementary school, the school system possesses the ability to make students feel shame and emotional distress when their strengths do not align with the curriculum (Lucchesi).  From the beginning, students are taught that reading and writing are the gatekeepers of intelligence and that, without mastering these, success is impossible (Lucchesi).  Attributing much of their success to Brown University, Mooney and Cole were given the opportunity to mold their curriculum to fit their academic strengths (Lucchesi).  The two mixed and matched study methods, creating a curriculum that emphasized oral, social, kinesthetic, and multisensory learning approaches (Lucchesi).  Mooney and Cole’s curriculum was very “purpose driven” as well.  Nearly three quarters of their classes were independent studies, giving them the flexibility to focus on their main interests and abandon the “broadcast” style of learning (Lucchesi).  Because of Brown University’s individualized approach, Mooney and Cole graduated with impressive academic distinctions, founded a mentorship program called Project Eye-to-Eye for the learning disabled, as well as become best-selling authors (Lucchesi).  Through the self-acceptance of their differences and a supportive educational community, Mooney and Cole used their learning disabilities to propel them to success.  Another example of a successful ADHD student relates to Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer, Michael Phelps.  Michael Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of nine when his inattentive, uncontrollable behavior was noticed by one of his teachers (Rohman).  Despite his consistent difficulties in the classroom, Phelps used the swimming pool as an outlet for all of his pent-up energy (Rohman).  Michael’s mother, Debbie Phelps, remained consistently involved in her son’s struggle with ADHD (Rohman).  However, her positive outlook and supportive attitude toward Michael is what fostered his success.  She knew that Michael’s hyperactive mind could retain focus, so long as he was engaged in something he enjoyed (Rohman).  It was not long before Debbie took Michael out of traditional school and taught him at home, giving him more time to focus on activities and less time being restrained in a classroom (Rohman).  Inevitably, Debbie’s decision to teach Michael in a unique way built a foundation of self-confidence and passion in her son (Rohman).  In order to foster success in a student with ADHD, a parent must find a learning style that suits the student best, maintain a positive attitude, and provide an outlet for them to engage in something they enjoy (Rohman).  Public skepticism has labeled ADHD as a justification for unruly behavior and academic shortcomings.  Evidenced by the stories of Jonathan Mooney, David Cole, and Michael Phelps, ADHD students have ample capability to thrive when their educational system is adjusted to their unique learning style.

Traditional school systems can be incredibly daunting and seemingly insurmountable to students that have been diagnosed with ADHD.  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder causes an inability to sustain attention and impulsive behavior in children and adolescents.  Asking these students to sit attentively in their seats, listen to hour-long lessons, and absorb the necessary information is in contradiction with the foundational way their brain receives and processes information.  Ranging from elementary school to universities, institutions of every grade level often disregard the importance of having flexible educational methods to accommodate individuals with unique learning styles.  Failing academically due to a school’s lack of learning individuality debases a student’s self-confidence, transforming education into an enemy.  Despite the sheer prevalence of ADHD, many people still cling to traditional classroom settings, opposing cooperative learning and remaining skeptical to diagnostic testing and medication.  However, by witnessing the various accounts of post-schooling success of those given an individualized educational environment stands as a testament to the importance of unique learning strategies and engaging educational opportunities.  Being the single most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder, students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder demand and deserve learning methods and environments that will foster their unique road to success.       

       