ADHD and what I learned

After teaching for 37 years, I have experienced schools systems and special education guidelines change the criteria for ADHD and label children without any input from a medical professional. Even today, our special education department labels children ADHD without a medical or health professional evaluation and write IEP’s that do not reflect any behavioral concerns or offer methods for remediation.

Many parents do not want their children on medication, but this article stresses the need for counseling, psychotherapy, and a plan for teachers and parents to utilize they strive for improvement . In my experience, the children are labeled, have an IEP designed to improve academic skills, and no goals to address the actual disability-ADHD. Also, the diagnosis never designates whether it is hyperactive intensive, predominantly inattentive, or combined hyperactive intensive and inattentive.