04/29/2026
What Schools Are Required to Do for Students with ADHD (But Often Don’t)
There’s a huge gap I see all the time—not just in understanding ADHD, but in understanding the law.
There is one document every parent should know about:
The U.S. Department of Education’s Dear Colleague Letter on ADHD (2016).
https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-and-resource-guide-students-adhd-2016-35074.pdf
It clearly outlines what schools are required to do under Section 504—and it addresses many of the misconceptions parents run into every day.
Here are the most important takeaways (in plain language):
1. Schools must evaluate when ADHD is suspected
You do NOT need:
• a failing child
• a crisis
• to “wait and see”
If your child is struggling, that is enough to request an evaluation.
2. Good grades do NOT disqualify a child
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings.
A child can be:
• bright
• on grade level
• even doing “well enough”
…and still qualify for support.
Because the real question is NOT:
“Are they passing?”
The real question is:
“How hard is it for them to function?”
3. ADHD impacts more than academics
The law is clear—schools must consider major life activities like:
• concentrating
• thinking
• regulating behavior
• managing tasks
• communicating
This is executive functioning.
So when a child:
• melts down
• avoids work
• can’t get started
• loses track of time
• struggles with transitions
** That matters.
4. Schools must look at FUNCTION, not just performance
A child might:
• finish the work
• get the answers right
• keep up academically
But if they are:
• exhausted
• dysregulated
• needing constant adult support
• falling apart at home
That is NOT the same as “fine.”
An important piece many parents don’t realize:
These protections apply to public schools.
Private schools may offer support—and many do—but they are not held to the same legal requirements in the same way.
This isn’t about one setting being “better”—it’s about understanding what is guaranteed so you can advocate effectively.
What this means for younger children
For younger kids, parents are often told:
• “They’re young”
• “This is developmental”
• “Let’s wait”
Sometimes that’s appropriate. But often, what’s really happening is this:
Your child is already showing a mismatch between what’s expected and what they can manage.
At ages 5, 6, 7… that can look like:
• difficulty with transitions
• impulsivity
• emotional outbursts
• trouble following routines
• needing significantly more support than peers
**The law still applies.
The real question becomes:
Is your child accessing the classroom in the same way as other students?
Here’s the truth:
Most schools are not intentionally withholding support.
But they often:
• don’t fully understand ADHD
• rely on outdated assumptions
• focus on performance instead of process
Which is why parents hear:
• “They’re doing fine”
• “Let’s wait”
• “They’ll grow out of it”
This guidance exists to correct that.
If you take one thing from this:
You do NOT need to prove your child is failing.
You can say:
“My child is struggling to manage the demands of the school day, and I’d like us to look at what supports would help.”
That’s the conversation.
And when that conversation is grounded in understanding—not just paperwork—everything starts to shift.
If you’re unsure what to say, how to advocate, or what your child actually needs—you don’t have to figure that out alone.
I help parents understand:
• what’s actually driving their child’s behavior
• how to respond in the moment
• how to advocate clearly and effectively with schools
• and how to create real, meaningful change
Suzanne Donohue, LCSW
Child & Adolescent Psychotherapy Services (CAPS-NJ)
📞 Contact Suzanne at 973-658-7767 to schedule a parent consultation
