Sophomore undecided major Sasha Genereau is among the students faced with a hidden obstacle in the classroom.

Genereau had a hard time focusing throughout middle school and high school, but was able to work through it. After a year of college, her inability to focus became a big enough issue that she went to a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“I believe I did have it before college but I didn’t find out until after my first year,” Genereau said. “It definitely was an issue after I started college.”

Dr. Thomas Kirts, psychiatrist at DeKalb Clinic Chartered, said it is not uncommon for ADHD or ADD (attention-deficit disorder) to be diagnosed in college-level students.

“Usually it surfaces in junior high or at least in high school,” Kirts said.

For some, the change of environment may contribute to a student’s inability to focus.

“It is harder to pay attention in an auditorium rather then a small classroom,” Genereau said. “There is less structure here to stay on track and be organized.”

The change of difficulty in schoolwork may also contribute to students having a delayed diagnosis.

“A significant number of students can compensate for it with their intelligence in junior high and high school,” Kirts said. “When they get to the university level and are expected to do a lot more work, their inability to focus and concentrate tends to become more problematic.”

Students with ADD or ADHD have the opportunity to seek help from the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on campus.

The purpose of the CAAR office is to see that qualified individuals who request services are provided with appropriate accommodations.

“We’ve been running between 95 to 105 students,” said CAAR Director Nancy Kasinski. “We know there are a lot more students that have ADD or ADHD on campus that don’t need our services.”

Both Kirts and Kasinski said they have seen an increase of students with ADD or ADHD throughout the years.

“The percentages have increased in the last 20 years,” Kirts said.

The majority of college students with ADD or ADHD were diagnosed before going to college.

“Many students that I see from NIU were diagnosed when they were younger,” Kirts said.