I have had many students cross my path over the 15 yrs I taught and I have met some students that were truly ADHD. The ones that needed medication were severe and with the integration of a good behavior modification plan and quality one to one instruction, those students would begin to thrive. I was also given students that were being labeled as such and I found them precocious, and sometimes in need of behavior modifications, but far from ADHD/ADD. I can honestly say that this is where things can get subjective. I am a parent and an early childhood specialist but more importantly I am ADHD and have been as long as I can remember. What I considered to be ADD/ADHD behavior compared to that of a teacher without the actual symptoms seems to be vastly different.

When early childhood students enter a classroom it could be a few years before they are properly diagnosed if at all, unfortunately by the time the diagnosis comes the student is already behind academically and more than likely frustrated and even angry. If in a public school, the student is really at the mercy of a poorly-run special education system.

Unfortunately even when students are serviced, the actual time they spend learning new strategies that will help them in the classroom is meager at best. The responsibility often falls squarely on the shoulders of over-worked and under-paid teachers. Most teachers are skilled at finding resources to handle almost any student with a disability, however with ADHD/ADD the symptoms often spill over into the behavior category which will get the student flagged as a having a problem or being an “at-risk” student.

What does this mean to students and parents? If the student is flagged at-risk this is supposed to be a way to provide the student with extra one-to-one instruction in order to help the student make progress in the areas they are lacking, however, with the classrooms bursting at the seams it is not likely a student that is diagnosed with ADHD/ADD will get more than the bare minimum!

When parents get ADHD/ADD inferences from teachers or caregivers, it’s important to consider the source, to ensure it’s not just a case of your child not being a cookie cutter kid. Is the behavior just part of their character or something more that requires medication? Often this is subjective from teacher to teacher, do you know what your options are?

The other thing that can happen that is very frustrating is if a student is not just as content to sit, focus or stay on task as long as the others, teachers will sometimes encourage parents to have them seen by a doctor. Parents already overloaded and unsure of why their child isn’t doing well may go ahead with having the student seen. In almost every case the doctor then gives the teacher a form to fill out asking for their professional opinion on the student’s behavior. If the student is more than a cookie-cutter kid and requires more re-direction and constant interventions; the teacher will cite examples of students having the symptoms of ADHD/ADD then they get diagnosed and medicated all because they may have a different learning style. I am not by any means saying to not get your child seen by the doctor, it’s just important to look at all the ingredients before adding the label.

So what can parents do to help their child be themselves, avoid misdiagnosis, and get the academic support that they need?

• Parents first have trust their gut instincts; if you know that your child is the happy-go-lucky type that is perhaps a bit more active than others their age or shy and likes to day-dream, communicate your concerns to the teacher. Don’t let the fear of your child failing or getting into trouble intimidate you into going along with what you know inside.
• If your child’s not doing well, is always getting notes in their folder and unhappy with school, ask for your child to be moved for a trial run to another classroom and see how they work with that teacher. In many cases it makes all the difference in the world.
• If the school is not supporting what you think is best for your child, go beyond the school. Don’t settle for an end of the year answer because by that time the damage will be done, and your child will already not want anything to do with school. Go to the district, to get the ball rolling!
• If things still don’t change think about moving to a charter school or private school. There are lots of private schools that take state funding and offer affordable payment plans.
• There is another option that you will start to see more and more of and that is home-schools run by other qualified parents or teachers. They offer one great value compared to that of any large school and that is the specialized attention your child will receive. Most take only a handful of students, and some specialize in students with special needs.
• Get your child a good tutor that is qualified to work with students with special needs. This will help set clearly defined goals for your child and tutors can customize the curriculum.
• The last option is online-classrooms. There are so many options now however this takes some work on the part of the parent, so consider your schedule before committing to this option.

The point is don’t give up! If your child is truly ADHD/ADD then most teachers will go above and beyond to meet the educational needs of your child, but there are teachers that are just way too over-loaded and find it easier not to deal with the behavior at all. Just get a second opinion and a third if the teachers are in the same school and be very clear about your expectations for your child’s education. Parents have the loudest voice in the schools; they often just don’t know it.