ADHD & Education
For children with ADHD, "school too often starts with failure … and goes downhill from there." With failure rates double to triple those of other children, about 50 percent repeat a grade by adolescence. Thirty-five percent eventually drop out of school and only 5 percent complete college. One study found that, by age eleven, 80 percent were at least two years behind in reading, writing, spelling, and math. Even children with normal to superior intelligence show "chronic and severe underachievement."
Unusually high suspension and expulsion rates further compromise school achievement and completion. A long-term study found that 46 percent of children with ADHD had been suspended and 11 percent had been expelled. Taken together, expulsion and dropout rates approach 50 percent – an alarming statistic, since children with ADHD compose up to seven percent of the population.
The three main characteristics of ADHD – inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity – can interfere with academic performance. Children with ADHD pay attention to what is novel or stimulating and may have trouble focusing on important information rather than on extraneous details or background noise. They may be unable to sustain attention, especially during repetitious, rote, or prolonged tasks, or in situations of decreasing novelty. Hyperactivity – motor and verbal – will probably be seen as misbehavior when children are expected to sit quietly. Finally, impulsivity causes difficulty in any task requiring a delay: raising hands to answer questions, reading or listening to directions, asking questions to clarify information, planning, and organizing.
Deficiencies in executive brain functions tied to motivation, analysis, goal-setting, and problem-solving can seriously impair academic performance among children with ADHD. In addition, up to 50 percent of children with ADHD have coexisting learning disabilities, especially in spelling, reading, writing, and math.
From LD Online's ADHD: Building Academic Success
ADHD & Education Resources
25 Bits of Edubabble You Need to Know
83 Accommodations That Can Help Students with Attention Deficit Disorders Perform Better in School
Accommodating Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder PDF
ADHD: Building Academic Success
All Done! Consistent Routines Help Replace Meltdowns with Mastery PDF
Disabilities that Qualify Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth for Services under IDEA - HTML or PDF
Educational Rights for Children with ADHD PDF
Evaluation: What Does It Mean for Your Child? PDF
Frequently Used Educational Terms: Learning and Attention Problems
Helping Your Adolescent with ADHD Get Homework Done
IDEA ( The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) PDF
Meds at School PDF
Organizational Problems and the Beginning of the School Year
Raising a Teacher’s Awareness about LD and ADHD - Parents as Educators
Using a Home-School Report Card with Your ADHD Child HTML
Wrightslaw: Section 504 Coverage of Children with ADD HTML
Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder represent 3-5% of America's school-age population. They frequently display disability-related behaviors that arise from impulsivity, hyperactivity or inattention. It is critically important that adults recognize that positive interventions can help them change these behaviors. The following curriculum was developed to help educate parents, teachers and others about ADHD.
What is ADHD? - This section explains how the diagnosis of ADHD is made - who can make the diagnosis, who can prescribe medicine and who can counsel or provide therapy.
ADHD & Education - This section explains several of the various disability categories under which a child with ADHD may receive services in public schools.
ADHD - What Parents Can Do - This section provides suggestions for parents to help their children learn to manage their own behaviors.
Tips for Teachers - This section provides specific instructional strategies for teachers, although many parents will find them useful in understanding how to advocate for appropriate interventions for their child.
