"I applaud the CWU Disability Support Services Program in instituting TMMAT for college students with ADHD. Innovative programs such as this are sorely needed to help our students with ADHD succeed at college and fulfill their life dreams." Lisa Weyandt Ph.D. ADHD Researcher
TMMAT is an interventional program for students with ADHD in postsecondary education. Students with ADHD often lack the internalized structure required to be successful in the highly demanding college environment. This lack of structure manifests itself through a lack of ability to manage tasks, time, and priorities. Through the establishment of a mentoring relationship based on Palm organizational technology students are able to internalize the mechanisms necessary to compensate for these weaknesses.
The primary objective of TMMAT is to equip students with the skills necessary to be successful in academics and co-curricular activities. The uniqueness of our one-of-a-kind program lies in balancing technological training with one-on-one membership.
TMMAT was designed for students with ADHD, but has also been successful with students with learning disabilities and depression.
Symptoms include:
inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity
Inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity contribute to lack of organization, task completion and time management. These symptoms also contribute to a lack of success in the college environment, both academically and in co-curricular activities.
Do you find yourself fidgeting, interrupting conversations, losing things, and being forgetful? This happens to everyone at one time or another. However, if these behaviors have existed since childhood, it may be a sign of Adult ADHD. These behaviors can often create problems at work, at home and in the college environment. According to the CDC, ADHD has been named the most common childhood behavioral disorder that can persist through adolescence and adulthood.
Palm technology is the conduit through which we are able to connect to the lives of our students, but the connection itself is the most important part of our program. Palm technology provides the structure through which students organize their lives. Instruction on how to create this organizational structure is a product of guidance and mentorship through a one-on-one relationship.
This one-on-one mentoring relationship creates a special bond between each individual student and the mentor. The mentoring relationship helps each student to internalize the organizational skills and structures learned through the use of Palm technology.
Many students with ADHD find it hard to focus, be organized and tend to lose things more often. It was suggested by Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorde (CHADD) to keep a daily planner which will assist in time-management, remembering responsibilities and remain organized.
By providing eligible students with hand held palm-pilots they will have the ability to:
- Keep a color-coded calendar
- Have a daily agenda
- Create a running task list of priorities
- Upload dictionaries, glossaries and encyclopedias
- Record lectures to assist in note taking
- Record personal messages
- And more
The Center for Disability Services (CDS) was established to ensure that students with documented disabilities at CWU have equal access to all of the University's educational programs and services as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Beyond the basics of ADA compliance, the CDS program and its staff are committed to the University's goals regarding the retention of it's students and is dedicated to assisting students with disabilities to complete their educational goals.
Students with ADHD are the largest population served by the CDS office, and historically, these students are at risk for failing, dropping out of college and not completing their educational goals. The Disability Support Services Office offers students with ADHD the TMMAT program as a way to intervene into these predictable at-risk behaviors and to help students with ADHD to become more independent and more empowered as they progress towards the completion of their educational goals.
TMMAT is a component of the CDS Office's adaptive technology offerings and helps students to internalize skills which, in turn, can help them to proactively organize their work and their lives. These students become more focused on specific tasks and manage their time more effectively and more efficiently.
"This program has helped me get and stay focused on my schedule with school. The pilot reminds me to keep important dates and to finish homework. The support I get has and will help me be successful."- Rita Yates, CWU Student
"It (Palm pilot) organizes everything and it frees up my head to think about school. I don't think it (school) would have worked without the weekly TMMAT meetings."- Michael Prothman, CWU Student
"It (TMMAT Program) gave me a realistic perspective on what I could get accomplished in one day. I have seen some pretty incredible advances in life skills. For me to be successful in my career this program will be an intricate part of my success."- Dean Duby, CWU Graduate/TMATT Alumni
"My son has attended Central Washington University for two-and-a-half years. His mentor helped him organize his time better so he could structure his academic day through the use of a Palm Pilot. I also feel that the organizational system of the Palm pilot has also contributed to his increasing scholastic success."- Parent of a CWU Student
