The countdown to move-in day has begun, and for families of students with disabilities, ADHD, or mental health conditions, the transition to college can bring both excitement and anxiety. As a parent, you’re likely wondering: Is my student really ready for the shift?
This post kicks off our 12 Week Guide to Summer College Transition Planning designed specifically for students with hidden disabilities. Each week, we’ll walk through key topics to help your family go from overwhelmed to confident—one step at a time.
Let’s dive into the 5 steps to college preparation you can take now to help your student prepare for college with clarity, confidence, and the right support.
Step 1: Transfer Your Knowledge of Their Disability
You know your child’s learning profile inside and out. But do they?
Too often, parents are the keepers of all the IEP details, accommodations history, and understanding of how their child’s disability impacts daily functioning. In college, that knowledge needs to transfer—to your student. After all, your student cannot advocate if they don’t know what they are advocating for.
Here’s why it matters:
Studies show that 70% of students with an IEP or 504 Plan in high school stop identifying as disabled after graduation. That disconnect prevents them from seeking accommodations or support—sometimes until it’s too late.
What You Can Do Now:
- Review your student’s disability documentation together.
- Talk through how the disability shows up in different areas—academic, social, emotional.
- Practice naming their diagnosis and explaining how it impacts learning.
- Connect the dots between their needs and the types of supports colleges offer.
This is where my book Self-Advocacy for Higher Education comes in. It’s right from the first step. It will help guide you and your student through this process of becoming a great, independent, self-advocate step-by-step.
Step 2: Teach Self-Advocacy—A Skill They’ll Use Every Day
Once students understand their disability, they need to learn how to speak up for themselves.
Self-advocacy in college isn’t just about asking for extra time on a test. It includes:
- Scheduling their own doctor appointments
- Communicating with professors and staff
- Managing medications and health needs
- Navigating support offices and disability services
- Making decisions without someone advocating for them
It’s not about perfection—it’s about building confidence through experience.
Read more in this blog post for real-life scenarios to build self-advocacy: How to improve self-advocacy skills at home.
How to Build Advocacy Skills:
- Start small: Have them email a teacher or set up a meeting on their own.
- Role-play common conversations they may need to have.
- Use my book and as a guide—it’s built to walk students through every step of advocating in college environments.
Step 3: Understand How College Is Different
The shift from high school to college is dramatic—and if you’re not prepared for the differences, it can be overwhelming. There is a lot that’s different, like everything.
In college:
- Parents are not part of the process unless the student gives permission.
- No one checks in on missing work or attendance.
- Accommodations must be requested, not automatically provided.
- Mental health support is available, but not always easy to find or has limitations that may not fit with what they need.
Set Accurate Expectations:
Start by walking your student through:
- What their daily routine might look like
- What support services exist on campus (and how to access them)
- How responsibilities shift entirely to them
This 12 week Summer College Transition Planning Guide helps parents and students prepare for these differences and builds a shared understanding of how college actually works for students with disabilities. It will help both parent and student be on the same page with realistic and accurate expectations.
Step 4: Build Time Management Skills (Before They Need Them)
If your student has ADHD, executive functioning challenges, or simply hasn’t needed to manage time independently, college will expose those gaps quickly.
A senior recently shared online that he underestimated time management his freshman year and regrets it deeply. He’s not alone.
Polls from Inside Higher Ed show that time management is the #1 skill students wish they had mastered.
Teach Time Management Proactively:
- Use a digital calendar or planner together and walk through scheduling a typical week.
- Block time for meals, breaks, classes, and study time.
- Encourage Sunday planning sessions to map out the week.
My Time Management Essentials course was designed for this very reason. It includes video lessons I use with students in therapy sessions and a weekly planner module to help them reset and organize every Sunday.
It’s like having a built-in coaching session every week—without the price tag.
Step 5: Prioritize Mental Wellness from Day One
Mental health is one of the top reasons students drop out of college—second only to health issues. That’s not a scare tactic. It’s reality.
And much of it is preventable.
Students with anxiety, depression, trauma histories, or even just high stress are especially vulnerable in their first semester. Time management issues, isolation, academic pressure, and social adjustment problems can add up quickly. The added stress and pressure have a negative impact on academics.
Support Mental Wellness with Intention:
- Help your student identify what keeps them grounded: sleep, meals, routines, hobbies.
- Talk about what helps when stress is high—and when to ask for help.
- Build a plan for staying well before challenges arise.
For more on this, listen to Episodes 69 & 71 which dive into practical tools for mental wellness in college.
Mental health routines are also built into the Time Management Essentials course, because wellness isn’t extra—it’s essential.
A Quick Recap: The 5 Key Steps
Let’s recap the five essential steps to help your student with a disability transition to college successfully:
- Transfer your knowledge of their disability to them.
- Teach self-advocacy skills they’ll use every day.
- Set accurate expectations for how college is different.
- Practice time management before they arrive on campus.
- Prioritize mental wellness and build routines to stay grounded.
The earlier you start, the more confident your student will feel—and the more peace of mind you’ll have as a parent.
Next Steps for Families
Download the Free College Accommodations Checklist
This resource walks you through the documentation and steps needed to request accommodations in college. It’s also your entry point into our email community packed with weekly support.
Grab your copy of Self-Advocacy for Higher Education
This book empowers your student to ask for what they need—starting day one.
You’ve got this—and I’m here to guide you through every step.
Stay tuned next week as we dive into how to request disability accommodations in college.
Until then, be well and be kind.
