The school says my child has ADHD; now what do I do?
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ADHD is a medical condition and the educational staff of a school are not qualified to diagnose ADHD. If you or other adults in your child's life (e.g. teachers, grandparents, other caregivers) believe your child may have symptoms of ADHD, then you should consult with your family doctor, your child's pediatrician, or other licensed medical/mental health professional who is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD (for more detailed information on how a diagnosis is made, see the section on Diagnosis & Treatment).
Teachers and other school personnel can play an important role by evaluating your child's learning ability and determine educational deficits. This information should be part of the comprehensive evaluation done by the medical/mental health professional.
Although the medical condition of ADHD can only be diagnosed by a qualified professional, the school is most likely telling you this because they are seeing the impact of ADHD symptoms on your child's education or behaviors at school. See the section on Educational Issues for more information.
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