My son is currently a HS junior. Since 8th grade, his education has been significantly impacted by anxiety and depression. During that time he's missed a lot of school, and his grades have suffered. He's also got a number of irregularities on his transcript, such as courses that he withdrew from, and online courses from periods when he was too sick to go to school.
I think we finally might have found the right combination of medication and therapy, and he's starting second semester with some optimism. Assuming that things continue to go well, and we think he's ready to go to college after graduation (not a sure thing at all), I'm not sure how we explain or handle the irregularities on his transcript. He only completed 4 courses his sophomore year, (7 is typical in our district), and did not earn a math credit. This year he'll likely earn 6 credits, although one may be through summer school. He also has 7 classes from the fall of sophomore year listed as "withdrew failing".
I attended a workshop on the college process for students with disabilities, and the message that I received was that it's good to be upfront about learning disabilities or ADHD, but mental illness should be hidden because it freaks colleges out. When I asked for advice about our situation, they suggested that my son send a letter stating that he was "ill" but not specifying the illness. I am skeptical. I think a college would see right through this.
In addition, there are questions I'd like to ask in the admissions process. I think we'll need to choose a school that has some specific disability supports, but how can I ask about supports without giving a reason?
Does anyone have any experience?
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