In my clinical practice I see many students in higher education with developmental disorders, especially ADD / ADHD. Poor management and treatment of developmental disorders is likely to be a major cause of high (up to 30%) drop-out rates from UK universities. The key issue seems to be the additional need for students to be self-organised academically, in comparison with the A level years, at a time when they are often new to living independently. They may also be working part-time. As a result:
Previously undiagnosed developmental disorders may present for the first time
Students with ADD / ADHD may over-estimate how well they are performing academically in the first few weeks and months, and continue without medication. They may have been influenced by the previous assumption that older teenagers largely “grow out of” the disorder, or feel they have coped well off medication in the holidays or “gap year”
ASD features may worsen, as a result of quite small reductions in support from the family
Dyslexia or a related “learning difficulty” such as dyspraxia, might have been previously diagnosed. The transition to university might reveal that problems with disorganisation and attention are sufficient to justify an additional diagnosis of ADD / ADHD
