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Your ADHD Youth / and or / Teen and School
You
are your child's best advocate. To be a good advocate for your child,
learn as much as you can about ADHD and how it affects your child at
home, in school, and in social situations.
If your child has
shown symptoms of ADHD from an early age and has been evaluated,
diagnosed, and treated with either behavior modification or medication
or a combination of both, when your child enters the school system, let
his or her teachers know. They will be better prepared to help the
child come into this new world away from home.
If your child
enters school and experiences difficulties that lead you to suspect
that he or she has ADHD, you can either seek the services of an outside
professional or you can ask the local school district to conduct an
evaluation. Some parents prefer to go to a professional of their own
choice. But it is the school's obligation to evaluate children that
they suspect have ADHD or some other disability that is affecting not
only their academic work but their interactions with classmates and
teachers.
If you feel that your child has ADHD and isn't
learning in school as he or she should, you should find out just who in
the school system you should contact. Your child's teacher should be
able to help you with this information. Then you can request—in
writing—that the school system evaluate your child. The letter should
include the date, your and your child's names, and the reason for
requesting an evaluation. Keep a copy of the letter in your own files.
Until
the last few years, many school systems were reluctant to evaluate a
child with ADHD. But recent laws have made clear the school's
obligation to the child suspected of having ADHD that is affecting
adversely his or her performance in school. If the school persists in
refusing to evaluate your child, you can either get a private
evaluation or enlist some help in negotiating with the school. Help is
often as close as a local parent group. Each state has a Parent
Training and Information (PTI) center as well as a Protection and
Advocacy (P&A) agency.
A diagnosis of ADHD alone will not
necessarily qualify your child for special education services, but it
may qualify your child for accommodations under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act. Accommodations can be physical, instructional or
behavioral, and can include such techniques as color coding schedules,
breaking down long-term assignments into segments, or developing an
incentive system to guide behavior. Talk to a teacher or administrator
about creating a 504 Plan for your child so that he receives the
support to help him learn in the school environment.
Never forget the cardinal rule – you are your child's best advocate.
I Teach To Reach is a Non- Profit Organization
Dr.Anders Osborne Ph.D.
10700 Pendragon Pl.
Raleigh,NC .27614
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