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.

CURRENT ISSUES

UPDATE: CARES Act And Protecting Educational Rights of Students With ADHD

April 29, 2020

CHADD is pleased to report that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will not seek changes to the central tenets of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. In her report, the Secretary is “not requesting waiver authority for any of the core tenets of the IDEA or Section…

CARES Act And Protecting Educational Rights of Students With ADHD

April 21, 2020

Read the update to this post. Dear Parents, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, PL 116-136, directs Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to report back to Congress no later than April 26, 2020, on any waivers needed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section…

Q&A: Providing Services to Children with ADHD & Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak

April 8, 2020

The CHADD Public Policy Committee is sharing the document Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak. This document addresses questions on IDEA and Section 504 educational plans, along with meeting the needs of children with disabilities who may also be affected by COVID-19. The Centers for…

CHADD Responds to FDA Request for Comments on ADHD Medications

November 21, 2019

The US Food and Drug Administration recently asked for comments on making stimulant medications more difficult to abuse and how those changes could affect the millions of people who include medication in their ADHD treatment plans. The Federal Register notice states that stimulant medications can be open to abuse but that reformulating them can potentially…

WEBINARS

What Is ADHD? How It Affects Children and Adults

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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.

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

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)

TOOLKITS

ADVOCACY PARTNERS

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT