Back to school help when your child has ADHD

Having a child with ADHD can be a struggle for parents.  One of the biggest challenges is the ongoing accommodations necessary for your child to do well in school.  I found that communicating with teachers and school administration is essential for parents of students with ADHD.  As parents prepare for another school year, I wanted to share this sample letter  to teachers as a resource.  

Sending a letter like this to your child's teacher at the beginning of a new school year is a great way to establish positive communication.  Feel free to copy and edit this letter to suit your child's individual needs.    

My child Name is scheduled to be in your class this year.  I would like to share some pertinent information regarding my child as you begin the new academic year together.  Name is a very bright student and s/he is extremely friendly and outgoing (or whatever pertinent details you wish to share about your child).  Name has been identified as having mild/moderate/severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  Name also has (list any other medical conditions such as asthma, allergies. seizures, migraine headaches, etc).  At this time Name is/is not on any medications for ADHD. 

Name may require some accommodations to improve her/his classroom behavior and academic performance.  S/he works best with a teacher who utilizes a daily or weekly checklist for classroom work/assignments. Name works very well if s/he can follow a list and check off the items that s/he has completed.   S/he may need additional reminders to turn in her/his work and may need extra supervision for overall planning and organization.  I will do my best to make sure that s/he completes her/his assignments if I have a way to access daily assignment info.  In the past teachers who have utilized class room websites or daily planners that require a parent signature have worked very well.

 Name is very motivated by reward systems, and s/he responds extremely well to teachers who utilize humor and creative classroom instruction techniques(or whatever technique works well for your child).  Name needs visual and other stimulation, as s/he will frequently ‘tune-out’ during auditory instruction.  I believe that for Name to be the most successful s/he will need teachers that can effective motivate and focus her/his gifts and talents, while making it very clear what is required and expected of her/him.    Name is capable of doing honors-level work.  I would be happy to provide any additional information necessary in order to help both of you have a successful year.  Please feel free to contact me at any time.