During the academic year, school-age kids spend at least six hours a day at school. Add in extracurricular activities beyond the regular school day, and those six hours can easily become eight or 10.  This means that kids spend 25% or more of their time with adults other than their parents—mostly teachers. As every parent…

Parents, schools, and teachers should work together to make sure that children learn all they can. Communication and collaboration between home and school is very important when a child needs extra help at school.  The National Resource Center on ADHD suggests that parents who think their child might require services or accommodations do the following:…

You can submit a written request for an academic evaluation for your child attending a public school to determine which type of academic accommodations plan would be most helpful.  A completed evaluation is required to see if a child is eligible for special education under IDEA. The school must have written authorization (informed consent and…

Section 504 is a federal civil rights statute that says schools cannot discriminate against children with disabilities. It says that schools that receive federal dollars must provide eligible children with disabilities with an equal opportunity to participate in all academic and non-academic services the school offers. The school must also provide appropriate accommodations based on…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that provides special education and needed related services for an eligible child with a disability to benefit from the child’s education. Services received under IDEA are often referred to as “special education.” An Individualized Education Program (IEP; sometimes called an Individualized Education Plan) is…

ADHD can affect learning and development from a very young age. Child Find, public school systems, some private schools and even colleges and universities are required to help students with ADHD and other disabilities rise to meet educational challenges. Children with all three presentations of ADHD, predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, and combined presentation, may face many challenges in a…

Want to learn more about substance use disorder, misuse, and diversion information for parents of teenagers and young adults with ADHD? Take a look at CHADD’s free on-demand course here. When properly prescribed and administered, medications approved for the treatment of ADHD have been shown to be highly safe and effective. Parents of children and…

Your Teen and Driving When your teenaged son or daughter starts driving, it will be the greatest risk to your teen’s health and safety is a motor vehicle. Of all possible risks—including illness, substance use and violence—none has the greater potential to cause serious injury or even death to a young person than a motor vehicle…

Unfortunately, no cure currently exists for ADHD. Therefore, treatment focuses on symptom management. Although the symptoms of ADHD may change with age, teens with ADHD still require treatment to target these symptoms and may require treatment into adulthood. Education is a necessary component to any treatment and provides teens and families with the tools to…

Some teens with ADHD were not diagnosed in childhood and may begin to struggle more as demands increase in adolescence. You or your teen’s teachers may suspect that ADHD symptoms are contributing to these struggles. For teens not diagnosed in childhood, obtaining a diagnosis of ADHD in adolescence can be complicated for several reasons. First,…

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, almost 12 percent of teenagers are diagnosed with ADHD. Teens in general can face academic challenges, social difficulties and problems at home, however, having ADHD may make these issues more difficult to deal with or more severe. Teens with ADHD are at risk for potentially serious problems…

There is no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to finding the right child care provider. In general, parents usually look for providers that are conveniently located, affordable, properly certified and licensed, and have a good emergency plan.   While all parents want to find the best child care for their child or children, parents of…