ADHD: What is a School's Responsibility? Continuation..

Know the Laws

"First, educate yourself, learn the laws and know what your rights are as well as the responsibilities of the school district," says Brandi Valentine, parent of a child with ADHD in Marysville, Calif. She recommends that parents read "Special Education Rights and Responsibilities," a manual that addresses special education rights and services for children.

"Create a paper trail – a history of documents and diary entries showing times and dates when any dealings take place between you and the school or your child and the school," says Steve Metz, father of a child with ADHD in Manalapan, N.J. "It should show who was there, when it happened, who said what and to whom and his or her response."

Document meetings, phone calls, conversations with teachers, principals and school authorities. You may be asked to explain the requests you've made, the interventions you've tried and the instructions you've given to a teacher.

Fight for Your Child's Rights

If issues become muddied and parents feel they have hit a brick wall, it may be time to enlist the help of an advocate. This can be a professional or a lay person who has a solid knowledge and experience with special education and legal issues. You can locate an advocate through the National Information Center on Children and Youths with Disabilities.

"Advocates can be very effective because they understand the legal machinery, and they can remain calm and objective, which can be more effective than parents who are upset and stressed over their child's situation," Matlen says. The cost varies depending on the advocate's experience and professional background.

In a worst case scenario, you can seek legal counsel.

Metz's experience with his son's school quickly developed into a legal issue. "A private psychologist, who we hired ourselves, demanded testing be done without delay," he says. "We had to threaten the school with a lawsuit before they complied."

For students to assume more responsibility for themselves, they need to understand the nature of their condition. This is especially important as a child leaves middle school and enters high school. Help your child to learn about his or her disability and teach your child how to explain his or her required learning style and needs to teachers. Supply your support wherever possible.

"[A child] may need to work with the school guidance counselor to help her get over some of the emotional baggage she's acquired from her failures of the past," Schultz says.

The counselor can help your child understand ADHD and its impact on learning. Support at this time can teach children how to be an advocate for themselves, and empower them for lifelong independence.



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Children with ADHD should go to school because it will help minimize and prevent the symptoms of the disease. It's better that parents should make sure that the school is giving the right knowledge for your children.

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