Unlocking Potential: College and Other Choices for People with LD and AD/HD [Paperback]

Juliana M. Taymans (Editor), Lynda L. West (Editor), Madeline Sullivan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

This is thoroughly updated edition of the groundbreaking guide to post-secondary school options for young people with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). This revised edition is written by new authors whose knowledge and experience is based on their work in the Transition Special Education Program (TSE) at The George Washington University in Washington D.C. This book is especially useful to those who plan on a college or technical school education. However, it can also help students interested in apprenticeship, remedial life skills programs, and employment after high school. The book begins with an explanation of what it means to have LD or AD/HD and the characteristic strengths and weaknesses of each. There are specific strategies for developing self-advocacy and problem-solving skills and how to use them to pursue the most suitable option after high school. Extensive guidance is offered about what criteria to look for in an educational program, how to find the right match between student and school, and how to navigate the admissions process. Course selection, special education law, study aids, and remedial supports are all discussed. And the book details a step-by-step approach to finding a job after college or straight out of high school. Each chapter includes charts, helping readers to stay organised and resource lists directing them to additional help. This is a complete, indispensable tool for anyone exploring post-secondary education or employment. It is also useful to high school guidance and college admissions counsellors, and post-secondary professionals working with students with LD and AD/HD.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A Review...

"Unlocking Potential is a comprehensive resource guide of postsecondary education, skill training, and employment opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). A thorough overview is provided of key transitional issues to include: assessment and diagnosis; career planning; goal setting; academic and skill training options; decision-making, time management, and study skills; job search; and special education laws. Information is presented in several easy-to-read formats (i.e., text, charts, tables, and lists) to accommodate varying learning styles and comprehension levels of the reader. A valuable listing of additional resource books, video and audio materials, fact sheets, and support organizations is provided at the conclusion of each chapter. Unlocking Potential is a useful compendium of information for young adult readers with LD or AD/HD, as well as family members, counselors, and other professionals that may work with them as they prepare to make a successful transition from high school to the workplace. It should prove a welcomed enhancement to any resource room setting that endeavors to address the diverse needs of its customers." --Advantage (January 2001; publication of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals)

About the Author

Juliana M Taymans and Lynda L West, Editors

Product Details

• Paperback: 386 pages
• Publisher: Woodbine House; 1st Woodbine House ed edition (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933149948
• ISBN-13: 978-0933149946
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,947,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Children's Health > Learning Disorders

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life beyond high school for students with A.D.D. or L.D., December 31, 2000

By 

Linda Schmitmeyer (Valencia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unlocking Potential: College and Other Choices for People with LD and AD/HD (Paperback)

I have a son who is a junior in high school. He has a learning disability and an attention deficit disorder. While the classroom hasn't always been an easy environment for him, it has at least been a predictable one. But with college or possibly the work force just ahead, I worry about the supports that will be available to him as he transition to life beyond high school.

"Unlocking Potential" helps alleviate a lot of that worry by offering sound, practical advice as I help prepare our son for the next stage of his life. Advice includes informtaion on helping your child whether he is obtaining a 4-year degree or entering the military, becoming an apprentice or getting a job.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this well-organized, easy-to-read book and would recommend it to anyone dealing with A.D.D. or a learning disability.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical, creative approaches for life after high school., May 3, 2001

By 

Carol Watkins "Psychiatrist" (Parkton, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unlocking Potential: College and Other Choices for People with LD and AD/HD (Paperback)

This book is a useful resource for older high school students and young adults dealing with the transition between adolescence and adulthood. Each chapter is laid out so that the important information is easy to find. The sections dispense with long details. For those who want more information on a particular subject, the end of each chapter has a list of relevant resources.

The book shows how individuals with learning disabilities and AD/HD can plan constructively for college or work. There are chapters on legal issues, psychological testing, educational strategies and job choices.

Often high school students are made to feel that traditional college is the only choice. This book takes a positive, affirming look at all the alternatives.

I have only one criticism of this excellent book. There should have been some medical input on the section on AD/HD. The brief section on medication was clearly not written by a psychiatrist.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical, creative approaches to career planning, May 3, 2001

By 

Carol E. Watkins, M.D. (Baltimore, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unlocking Potential: College and Other Choices for People with LD and AD/HD (Paperback)

This book is a useful resource for older high school students and young adults dealing with the transition between adolescence and adulthood. Each chapter is readable and dispenses with long details.

At the end of each chapter is a list of resources relevant to the issues addressed in the chapter. The book addresses how individuals with learning disabilities and AD/HD can deal constructively with college and work. There are chapters on legal issues, psychological testing, educational strategies and job choices.

Often high school students are made to feel that traditional college is the only choice. This book takes a positive, affirming look at all the alternatives.

I have only one criticism of this excellent book. There should have been some medical input on the section on AD/HD. The brief section on medication was clearly not written by a psychiatrist.