Guest guest Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 I worry about post HS for my OCD son also. He is a freshman and I don't see him being able, at this point, to go to a big university on his own. He may surprise us. My hope is that he will try attending a small community college close to home to " start with " . What I'm " trying " to do is ask him, when he tells me he is nervous or full of anxiety about something, " what's your plan " ? If I try to solve it for him, he doesn't get empowered and I'm full of anxiety about fixing everything. You could start by asking your son, with his therapist' help, to come up with a " plan " for college. It may be to live at home to start with and comute and then move on. Baby steps. It's soooo hard to see them struggle. I feel your worry!  Christie  To: Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 4:36 PM Subject: post HS  I have a question about success for students with OCD, post HS, specifically college: recommended course load, recommended majors, recommended living arrangements (dorm, apt., stay at home), small or large university. Also, my son is down hearted about the life long aspect of OCD and his ability to work if he gets through college. He is 17, a junior, thinking of game design (graphics aspect) but concerned about intensity, need for perfectionism, and inability to finish his many creative ideas. Works well with his hands. He is a B student at best with high expectations. Is struggling alot right now with OCD interfering with homework, school, general pleasure with life. Said he is not suicidal but feels he is headed that way. Was on 24 hour watch 2 years ago. Now is an 8-9 out of 10 as far as level of anxiety/OCD. Is on Fluoxetine 40 mg., Busbar just started 20 mg., Adderral XR 30 mg. Not seeing huge dif. with the Busbar but supposed to wait 2 weeks I guess to see affect. His diag. is anxiety, depression, ADHD-inattentive mainly. Has a 504. Goes to weekly therapy.Has had trouble with all diag. since 8 yr. Thank you for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 Hi! Well in my OCD son's case, he also has Aspergers. By the time he started college (he's 22 now), his OCD presented with bad thoughts/scrupulosity OCD (scrupe relates to religion) and he just refused to try meds again. This type of his OCD started in...11th grade. He did have a 504 Plan in high school to use when needed regarding his schoolwork, etc. And as to Aspergers, it gives you difficulty socially, re having friends, etc. So - he started at our community college. Got his AS degree there and transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill and lived on campus then. He just graduated this August with a B.S. in Biology. Still wants to get into medical research he says (no job yet, I will be nagging on that after Christmas, lol, not looking very hard). His OCD did interfere in college. We did get a Plan for him at the community college, but he didn't use it (could have a few times but refused). He joined Science Club there and Student Gov't, had a wonderful time, made A's.... Transfer to UNC - boy, workload is much more there. No longer A's. BUT because he'd been so smart in previous years, he'd never really learned how to STUDY! And now needed to. His OCD distracted him a lot with thoughts and I think he still suffered some from it not letting him study on Sundays, things like that. BUT - he graduated, was close call on passing some classes but (stubborn) refused to take advantage of a lot of things on campus like study groups that weren't disability related, or declaring a disability (they had help with tutors, studying due to that) -- so there is help there on campuses if you will take advantage of them. But I do suggest starting with local community colleges to transfer later if OCD is causing some struggling in high school. Another argument for that is less $$ owed in student loans after 4 years! Some quick thoughts. Your son will get to where he wants to be, may have to take it slower. should have finished last May but needed another class that he didn't bother getting in before! He loved both community college and the university. We've had some discussions here in the group about meds for ADD/ADHD and for OCD, having trouble finding a balance and treating both. Do you feel his are working well in combination? single mom, 3 sons > > I have a question about success for students with OCD, post HS, specifically college: recommended course load, recommended majors, recommended living arrangements (dorm, apt., stay at home), small or large university. Also, my son is down hearted about the life long aspect of OCD and his ability to work if he gets through college. He is 17, a junior, thinking of game design (graphics aspect) but concerned about intensity, need for perfectionism, and inability to finish his many creative ideas. Works well with his hands. He is a B student at best with high expectations. Is struggling alot right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 You must be so proud of him graduating from college. I found this book on Aspergers that I like by Attwood- A Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. Maybe you already read it. I think the ADD/OCD medicine combo is working. It is hard to tell because the anxiety/OCD takes center stage. Our family is ADD central, with constant talking, interruptions, and random thoughts from my husband and daughter. He is more inattentive and does still have trouble with his working memory. Hard to tell if it is the ADD or the anxiety when he can't concentrate on his homework. Also unit tests are not good. The last couple of days have been really tough with his OCD and anxiety and of course, resultant depression. So now I am thinking prob. his best option will be to go to the tech school in town or maybe the university in town, if things get better. He is following 3 high achieving siblings, with a teacher father, and I think that plays havoc on his mind. Doesn't want to settle for the tech school. We don't really have community colleges around here. Anyway, thanks for your help.. > ** > > > Hi! Well in my OCD son's case, he also has Aspergers. > > By the time he started college (he's 22 now), his OCD presented with bad > thoughts/scrupulosity OCD (scrupe relates to religion) and he just refused > to try meds again. This type of his OCD started in...11th grade. He did > have a 504 Plan in high school to use when needed regarding his schoolwork, > etc. And as to Aspergers, it gives you difficulty socially, re having > friends, etc. > > So - he started at our community college. Got his AS degree there and > transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill and lived on campus then. He just graduated > this August with a B.S. in Biology. Still wants to get into medical > research he says (no job yet, I will be nagging on that after Christmas, > lol, not looking very hard). > > His OCD did interfere in college. We did get a Plan for him at the > community college, but he didn't use it (could have a few times but > refused). He joined Science Club there and Student Gov't, had a wonderful > time, made A's.... > > Transfer to UNC - boy, workload is much more there. No longer A's. BUT > because he'd been so smart in previous years, he'd never really learned how > to STUDY! And now needed to. His OCD distracted him a lot with thoughts and > I think he still suffered some from it not letting him study on Sundays, > things like that. > > BUT - he graduated, was close call on passing some classes but (stubborn) > refused to take advantage of a lot of things on campus like study groups > that weren't disability related, or declaring a disability (they had help > with tutors, studying due to that) -- so there is help there on campuses if > you will take advantage of them. > > But I do suggest starting with local community colleges to transfer later > if OCD is causing some struggling in high school. Another argument for that > is less $$ owed in student loans after 4 years! > > Some quick thoughts. Your son will get to where he wants to be, may have > to take it slower. should have finished last May but needed another > class that he didn't bother getting in before! He loved both community > college and the university. > > We've had some discussions here in the group about meds for ADD/ADHD and > for OCD, having trouble finding a balance and treating both. Do you feel > his are working well in combination? > > > single mom, 3 sons > > > > > > > I have a question about success for students with OCD, post HS, > specifically college: recommended course load, recommended majors, > recommended living arrangements (dorm, apt., stay at home), small or large > university. Also, my son is down hearted about the life long aspect of OCD > and his ability to work if he gets through college. He is 17, a junior, > thinking of game design (graphics aspect) but concerned about intensity, > need for perfectionism, and inability to finish his many creative ideas. > Works well with his hands. He is a B student at best with high > expectations. Is struggling alot right now > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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