In my private practice, I see a teen struggling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who lamented feeling misunderstood during one of our sessions. "I wish my teachers really understood ADHD," my client told me. "It's painful to feel this way on the inside." This client, like millions of other kids, knows what it’s like to have to sit still, pay attention for long periods of time and have people question whether the condition is "real."
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ADHD is without a doubt a real condition, and the number of kids and teens who have it is increasing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 11% of school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD. In 2016, approximately 6 million children in the U.S. were diagnosed with the condition – an increase of more than 40% from 2003.
Before jumping to the conclusion that ADHD is overdiagnosed, it’s important to point out that ADHD has been around for years. But today it's better recognized and more common. We have comprehensive assessments that aid in identifying and diagnosing ADHD. With advances in medical technology, we are also more aware of ADHD and better able to treat it. As a nation, we're doing a better job of destigmatizing mental health, which may lead to more parents accepting help for their children.
According to the latest edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to be eligible for a diagnosis of ADHD, a person's behaviors must be characterized by at least one or both of the following:
These symptoms need to be present before a child turns 12, occur in multiple settings (like at home and school) and significantly interfere with the child's ability to function socially or in the classroom.
Challenges in the Classroom
School can be a difficult place for many children with ADHD. These children struggle more than most kids their age to sit still, pay attention for long periods of time and stay organized. As a result, these youths are often misunderstood, and their behaviors are frequently associated with being lazy and not meeting their potential.
When I worked in schools, I often heard educators say kids with ADHD had the ability to do well but didn't seem to care enough to pay attention, which is not the case. A parent of a child with ADHD once told me, “I wish his teachers knew that the struggle is real, and these behaviors don’t just happen at school; we deal with them at home too.”
As parents, we must advocate for our kids and help teachers who work with them daily understand the challenges they face. ADHD is not a choice, it’s a condition.
Here are six ways you can advocate for your child in school:
1. Know your child’s rights. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, children with ADHD may be eligible for special education services via an Individualized Education Program, or IEP. The customized plan is developed by a team that's often made up of a special education teacher, counselor, school psychologist, the child, parent and an administrator, and it's tailored to meet the child’s academic needs.
If ADHD is determined to cause significant impairment in school – for example, if a child is constantly interrupting the teacher and other kids, or needing to get up and move around – that child may be eligible to receive special accommodations as well.
Some children with ADHD who don't qualify for an IEP but need additional support may meet the criteria for a 504 plan under the Rehabilitation Act. This law prohibits discrimination against a person with a disability.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act grants children access to classroom accommodations, such as small group testing, breaking assignments into more manageable pieces or frequent breaks during class. This helps level the academic playing field for those who struggle with ADHD.
If you feel that your child would benefit from one of these services, contact a school official to discuss options.
2. Work collaboratively. Most educators want your child to be successful. In order to advocate for your kid, take a team approach. State your concerns, find out what the teachers are seeing in class, and be open to brainstorming solutions. Open communication is vital to build these collaborative relationships.
3. Identify challenges. You are the expert on your child. Take inventory of his or her strengths and the challenges your child faces before meeting with the child's teachers. If you're advocating for a teen, have your teen lead the discussion.
Here are some examples of challenges a child with ADHD may face:
Kids with ADHD have a knack for butting into conversations and cutting people off. Their brains process things so quickly that they have a difficult time filtering their thoughts, or they have already finished the conversation in their mind and are moving on to the next item.
Kids with ADHD often fidget more than their peers as well. Although many people would love to bottle up some of their kids' excess energy, that squirming and constant need to move can also be annoying. That's especially true if you’re a teacher of 20-plus kids and one is bouncing all over the place. Use fidget items, such as therapy putty or kneaded erasers, to help them focus that energy on something more productive and less distracting.
Kids with ADHD get bored easily, too. And when kids aren't engaged, they're not able to pay attention. Kids can learn to recognize when their attention is wavering, and making small adaptations, like going to get a drink of water or walking to the restroom, can give them the time they need to adjust and refocus their attention to the task at hand.
4. Capitalize on strengths. Children with ADHD may also have strengths they can use to their advantage in the classroom. Here are a few you might notice:
Some kids with ADHD have the ability to focus intensely on something that interests them for extended periods of time. Encourage them to hone this skill at school.
Many children with ADHD are very creative. These kids live outside the box and see things that others don’t see and have innovative ideas.
Children with ADHD are quick thinkers and can process information at lightning speed. They are also good at juggling many tasks at once.
5. Know what works. Think about strategies and rewards that are successful at home and how those can be adapted to school. Approach things similarly in the classroom to maintain consistency and bolster your child's academic success.
6. Monitor progress. Meet periodically with your child’s teachers and monitor your child’s progress. If something isn’t working, make adjustments. Even when things are going well, there may be ways to improve your child's experience in the classroom so your child can flourish.