Launching into Young Adulthood with ADHD ... Ready or Not!

Book Synopsis: The quantum leap from high school into young adulthood and the work world can be especially challenging for teens with ADHD. Scientific evidence indicates that ADHD can result in up to a three- to five-year delay in brain maturation and executive functioning skills, which means that many young people with ADHD may not be developmentally ready to meet the demands of this transition. Without continued support, young people can become overwhelmed and risk failure.

Authors Chris Dendy and Ruth Hughes are ADHD experts and parents of adult sons who are now successfully established in their careers. They offer parents guidance and strategies to help their preteens and teens develop the key life skills necessary for the adult world and identify potential vocational interests and career paths before graduation. An important theme is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to life planning for young people with ADHD. The authors therefore caution against assuming attending a four-year college right after high school—or at all—is the best path to a successful, fulfilling adulthood. Instead, they advocate for nurturing natural talents, exploring careers that “work” with ADHD (sales, business owner, chef), using available services (transition planning, vocational testing and counseling), trying out work experiences (volunteer work, internships, summer jobs), and perhaps taking a gap year before getting additional education (college, community college, technical training).

The book offers plentiful advice on building a strong, positive parent-child relationship and recognizing and addressing anxiety and depression and low self-esteem. With a hopeful and personable message, the authors share their own and other parents’ insights about avoiding common missteps and mitigating the impacts of ADHD. Don’t miss this top-notch guide to helping young people define and prep for the future with its very specific ADHD strategies and collaborative approach to launching teens into their life’s journey.