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If you're the parent of a school-aged child, do you feel your child's teacher understands your child's executive functioning deficits, attention problems, and/or need to move?
Be an advocate for your child so they can thrive in school.
Learn about Accommodations
Learn about the various types of accommodations that are available and consider what might help your child. Students with ADHD, learning disabilities, executive functioning deficits and other challenges that interfere with learning may qualify for an IEP or 504Plan.
Both Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans can offer formal help for K–12 students who are struggling in school. (College students and adult workers can also get accommodations through the ADA.)
IEPs and 504 Plans are similar in some ways but very different in others. Learn what these differences are and which is most appropriate for your child. Ask in writing to the school if your child would benefit.
Even if your child's teacher is helpful and makes appropriate accommodations, getting them in writing can help. This provides consistency and documentation over the years, which helps over time.
Communicate with the Teacher
Communicate with your child's teacher(s) regularly - not just at conference time. The frequency of communication should be determined by how well your child is doing.
If your child's school has a way to monitor grades and assignments, use that tool to help you support your child in remembering assignments. As your child advances though, try to give them more ownership so they can learn to use tools themselves and become independent. By high school your child should be able to at least initiate conversations with the teacher to resolve issues.
Before Parent-Teacher Conferences, take some time to prepare with the tips on Understood.org’s Parent Teacher Conferences resource pages.
Help your teacher(s) understand ADHD
School is hard for parents as well as students. It can be challenging for parents of students with ADHD to help educate teachers about ADHD and how it impacts students.
CHADD can make this easier. Through their emails, webinars, teacher training, and award-winning Attention magazine, CHADD helps to educate teachers about the nuances of ADHD from an evidence-based perspective.
If you’re really wanting the teacher to join, gift them a membership. See below for a few quick tips on how to fill out the membership form from the button below. This is a $53 cost that is worth much more than the typical token gift to teacher. We’re also including a link to a customizable gift card you that you can print and share with your child's teacher.
How To Gift Your Child's Teacher a CHADD Membership
Click here to visit the membership page and complete the registration.
Use your teacher's first and last name, their school email address, and the physical mailing address of the school (important so they receive their Attention Magazine subscription).
For Local Chapter, select "ADHDKC".
For birthdate, you can simply use 12/12/1985.
For the “ADHD and You” and “Professional Title” sections, answer as the teacher would - they are educators.
For login and password, use your teacher's email address as the login and their school name as the password. Don't forget to give them this information! You can use this printable card (shown below) to provide them with information about their gift and membership.
Share your experiences with our other parents at our next ADHDKC Parent Group meeting!
