Advocacy
CHADD is part of a social movement that seeks to shape the conversation on how society treats, accommodates, and views people affected by ADHD. Our movement is made up of countless people affected by ADHD, their families, teachers, friends, and leaders in the fields of ADHD research, education, and mental health. We realize the most effective way to accomplish our goals is through sustained and strategic outreach to policymakers on the state and federal levels.
We are making a difference for families and adults affected ADHD. And we need your help! We want you to be equipped with information to make a difference in your own life, whether that means dealing with issues in the classroom, the boardroom, or your living room.
CALLS TO ACTION
We urge you to contact your senators to ask them to support the at least 17 million individuals in the United States with ADHD, along with their families, by increasing funding for ADHD research and education.
CURRENT ISSUES
Leading the Way The First Guidelines for the Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult ADHD in the United States Healthcare providers in the United States are not taught how to diagnose and treat ADHD in adults. The absence of clinical practice guidelines for adults has created a significant gap in mental healthcare across the country.…
As October marks National ADHD Awareness Month, we stand at a critical juncture to address the public health concern posed by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We urge you to contact your senators to ask them to support the at least 22.6 million individuals in the United States with ADHD, along with their families, by increasing funding…
Featuring Dr. Peter Jensen, MD Download Slides Dr. Peter Jensen, founder of the REACH Institute, is the director of a coalition of organizations that are developing adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment guidelines for use in the United States, a joint effort of CHADD and APSARD. For more information on the development of adult guidelines, read…
Featuring Max Wiznitzer, MD, Co-chair of CHADD’s Professional Advisory Board Download PDF Learn more about ADHD before the lunch and learn: About ADHD – Overview The Science of ADHD Diagnosing ADHD Treatment of ADHD Frequently Asked Questions Have questions? Email the public policy co-chairs at PublicPolicyLiaison@CHADD.org. The CHADD Public Policy Lunch and Learn is…
Urgent action is needed to encourage the US Department of Education to release updated rules on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which provides educational accommodations for children who have ADHD. The process for this release has currently slowed due to a complication at the US Department of Justice, and time is running…
ADHD Medication Shortages: What to Know and Do By Andrew Adesman, MD, and Anna Krevskaya, MD Attention, October 2023 In recent years, many new stimulant medications have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of ADHD. These new formulations vary in their duration of benefit, and many offer new ways…
ADVOCACY PARTNERS
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ADULT ADHD GUIDELINES DEVELOPMENT
The recent surge in adults seeking care for ADHD, coupled with a steady increase in ADHD medication prescriptions, has underscored the pressing need for diagnostic and treatment guidelines.
To address this issue, CHADD has partnered with the American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) to develop and distribute guidelines in 2025. APSARD is leading the charge in developing the guidelines for review. CHADD is taking the lead in developing resources and toolkits for healthcare providers across the United States to implement the new diagnostic and treatment guidelines.
WEBINARS
The Importance of Adult ADHD Guidelines
Dr. Peter Jensen, founder of The REACH Institute, is the director of a coalition of organizations developing adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment guidelines for use in the United States, a joint effort of CHADD and APSARD.
For more information on the development of adult guidelines, read The Quest for Clinical Practice Guidelines for ADHD in Adults.
Previous Lunch and Learn Webinars
What Is ADHD? How It Affects Children and Adults
Max Wiznitzer, MD, discusses the medical science of ADHD and how it is expressed in children and adults. ADHD impairs many aspects of life, and it is important that the public and policymakers have an understanding of the disorder when addressing laws and policies regarding ADHD and its treatment.
RESOURCES
WHITE PAPER
The Adverse Health Outcomes, Economic Burden, and Public Health Implications of Unmanaged Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Call to Action to Improve the Quality of Life and Life Expectancy of People with ADHD
Proceedings of the ADHD Public Health Summit
Washington, DC
October 7, 2019
Presented by Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)