Moving Out

[MotherMay]

My daughter was just recently diagnosed at 19 and for a long time I didn't know what I was doing wrong. She is supposed to move into her dorm next month and honestly I don't think she can handle it. I'm scared and don't know what to do. Help.

Our objective is to better understand the struggles our child faces and to learn the skills to improve our relationship and provide a supportive environment and also improve on our own emotional responses, attitudes and effectiveness as a family leaders

[pursuingJoy]

How far away is she moving?

Can you connect with the college/university's office that supports students with disabilities? It might be a good idea to have documentation on file should she need support. My daughter's school offered 3-4 free therapy sessions on campus. When that didn't work, I was able to find her a counselor in the area that accepted our insurance.

Are there specific concerns you have so we can better help you brainstorm? Is it just the emotional upheaval that comes with moving and how it impacts her mental health, or is there anything specific, like managing finances or relationships?

[KBug]

Joy is right on! You should contact the disabilities office at her university and to make a support plan. They can help with academic and housing issues. The disabilities office will contact her professors with accommodations that they must provide and if the professors don't, your daughter can get the office to intercede on her behalf. The office won't tell the professors the nature of the disability to protect her privacy. She can get accommodations like the ability to turn in assignments late, more excused absenses, and the possibility for taking an incomplete in a class for a semester and completing the work over the next semester.
I would also find a therapist that she can see when she's away at school.  Ideally, her regular therapist will do online sessions. This is a huge transition for her and she's likely to struggle with making friends, time management, getting too anxious to attend class, and having to juggle multiple demands.  At least some online classes might help because she won't have to overcome as much anxiety about going to class. I would also encourage her to take a lighter load of classes. 12 credit hours is usually considered a full load but most students take 15-18 hours a semester.  I would encourage your daughter to take 12 hours.