Concentration Issues - Aspergers student in College

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Hi all,

I am an 18 year old NT girl dating a 19 year old AS boy who is currently studying his diploma in IT in order to get into the workforce and later on he can begin his bachelors in Computer Science at university. We're currently having troubles with concentration issues and that breaks my heart because this is something he is very passionate about. We have spoken about medication for concentration but his mother insists that medication such as Ritalin does not work and makes him feel like "superman" he has recently been stressed to the point where he wants to drop his course because the class is going too fast for him and the course itself is very very fast paced. I'd love some suggestions or advice on this situation and it can be improved.

Thanking you all,

-B

since he is 19, he can make medicine decisions himself. mom's opinion is important, but not the deciding factor.

I'm not sure ritalin is the answer. It would help, but stimulants aren't exactly a first line of defense. I've struggled with this too, and so do many, many aspies. It doesn't matter how smart you are, if you can't focus on your work you won't get anywhere.

1) Routine, routine, routine. Routine is by far the MOST important aspect of staying focused and stress free. Deviations from routine can cause stress. Sometimes we don't even stick to routines very well, but we do work best on them. That means going to bed at the same time every day, getting up at the same time every day, filling your day in the same pattern, etc. For example my schedule for college looks like

4 AM: - Wake up, go running, then breakfast/coffee.
-> Read chapters.
7 - 11 AM: Classes (Extends to 1 PM on lab days).
Noon - 1: Lunch (late on lab days).
-> Do homework.
5 PM: Supper.
-> Papers/studying/extra homework.
7 - 8 PM: Bed.

Varying from this isn't really advised for me, and although it takes some self-discipline to follow, leaves me with very little stress. On weekends I'll sleep-in an hour or two (whenever I wake up, really), but I'll still go to bed at the same time. I'll also leave my weekend afternoons/evenings open and do coursework during the morning.


2) Limit distractions. It can be extremely difficult to focus with many distractions around you. That's why I like regular old fashioned textbooks. You can work/read them without getting distracted by the internet or anything that you can with tablets/laptops. Usually sitting away from the computer will help quite a bit. While working on papers or studying I'll give myself breaks periodically, though. I'll also switch subjects every 30 - 40 minutes to retain interest. After around a long time of a single subject your interest can wane and so can your performance. Interweaving subjects can lead to superior retention (taking out and going over medical flashcards every five math problems or so).

3) No working while eating/taking lunch/supper breaks. I take my breaks pretty seriously and surf the web etc. When I'm eating or taking a break the last thing I want to be doing is stressing my brain with crap. Leaving it all behind during these periods helps to relax.

4) High quality sleep. Sleeping in a dark, comfortable room with no sounds (I wear earplugs) is essential to high quality sleep. With a routine your work is cut out for you already. I am a bit of an insomniac so I have to use sleeping pills, but keeping the same sleep schedule every day is extremely important. I'll sleep in on the weekends or go to bed early to make up for any sleep debt. No caffeine ten hours before you go to bed. This will not only lower exactly how many hours you need to sleep, but ensure that you're at peak performance throughout the day.

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I don't know, it's really really hard to do all this. College is just plain hard for aspies and takes some serious self-discipline. Really I recommend if nothing else just maintaining a proper sleep schedule. You definitely DO NOT want to be sleeping at just whatever time or floating around the clock. This will lead to very, very bad things like missing classes, lack of motivation, and an inability to focus.

I was fortunate enough to do quite well in college. The key for me was to follow a regime very much like Sacrieur outlines.

I am a slow studier, so I had to allocate lot of time for alone studying. I picked a quiet library carrel to do this. I allocated enough time to study that I was always kept pace with assignments, with ample time to study for exams. My stop time each day was 8pm. At that time I went home from the library and did not touch a book while at home.

Great stress relief came from knowing that my study schedule always allowed me time to keep up. That stress relief, in turn, improved the quality of my study time. I became a rather nice upward spiral.

Sticking to the study regime (sufficient time, conducive study environment, etc.) was not difficult at all. The positive results made it self-reinforcing, and I enjoyed it.

(p.s. May also want to evaluate eating habits. Sugar crashes from eating sugary foods, and post-meal sleepiness from eating too much, can make concentration impossible.)

Was diagnosed with ADHD at 13. They gave me Ritalin. Ritalin made me really shaky...its really bad for you.
Diagnosed with ASD/HFA. They gave me Concerta. (time-released Ritalin) ...hell no! never again! (I was 20 at this time)
I went to "better" psychiatrist and I really opened up to her. I also found I was bipolar. They gave me Depakote. No complaints since. I feel like a million bucks. (I'm 27 and I was finally diagnosed correctly at 6 months.) Concentration is way better!

Aside from the typical questions the psychiatrist asked me, I also "volunteered" more info...things that were bothering me, etc.

You need to tell your bf if he does go to a psychiatrist, that he needs to be 100% honest, tell em what's up. The more clear he is with them the better diagnosis.