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
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…
We have heard the frustrations many members of the ADHD community are experiencing when they go to refill their ADHD medications, the disappointment and worry when the pharmacy is unable to fill a prescription because of the ongoing shortage. CHADD’s public policy committee is pursuing all appropriate channels to bring this to the attention of…
The challenges today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate. And the effect these challenges have had on their mental health is devastating. Recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges. We know that mental health is shaped by many…
In 2022, CHADD received funds from a generous donor to sponsor and support the development of national guidelines in the U.S. for the diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD. This milestone has been achieved due to the sustained efforts of our Public Policy Committee and builds on the committee’s published recommendations emerging from a national…
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
Developing Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult ADHD Guidelines: DaTAA Project
In 2022, CHADD received funds from a generous donor to sponsor and support the development of national guidelines in the U.S. for the diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD. This milestone has been achieved due to the sustained efforts of our Public Policy Committee and builds on the committee’s published recommendations emerging from a national CHADD summit held in 2019 (see “The Adverse Health Outcomes, Economic Burden, and Public Health Implications of Unmanaged ADHD,” Journal of Attention Disorders, 2022 Apr;26(6):807-808). The group has been named the “DATAA Project” (Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult ADHD) and consists of a coalition of organizations focused on this goal, including the American Psychiatric Association, The American Psychological Association, The American Academy of Neurology, The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and The National Alliance on Mental Illness. In 2023, CHADD signed an agreement to coordinate efforts on the project with The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD). Working together with APSARD, the coalition expects to launch guidelines in 2025 and develop resources and toolkits for providers across the U.S. to implement these new diagnostic and treatment guidelines.
WHITE PAPER
Proceedings of the ADHD Public Health Summit
Washington, DC
October 7, 2019
Presented by Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
TOOLKITS
CHADD Advocacy ManualADVOCACY PARTNERS
- CDC-National Center Birth Defects & Developmental Disabilities External Partners Group
- Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
- Mental Health Liaison Group
- IDEA Partnership
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
- Alliance to Prevent Restraint, Aversive Intervention & Seclusion
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Mental Health America