Research abstract

New US ADHD Guidelines from Department of Education OCR – Schools

Did you hear about the new ADHD guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights? They have a lot of interesting, specific information about the rights and privileges of students with ADHD. Read more about this here! By Fernette Eide

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A long-awaited letter released by the US Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights promises significant changes in the way schools must treat students with ADHD and/or ADD with Dyslexia. The letter reports consistent problems encountered by such students and their families. Such problems include students not being assessed for learning deficits and, therefore, not receiving appropriate instructional modifications.
The letter offers guidance and directives to school districts to ensure that students with ADHD or related issues are eligible for services under specific designations and should not be labeled with general health impairment. The letter further directs school personnel to explore offering services under a 504 designation to student who do not qualify for an IEP. An important change highlighted in the letter is the guidance for schools not to ignore needed services for students who are diagnosed with ADHD, but are also performing at high levels academically. Perhaps, most importantly, the letter directs school districts to not delay assessment of eligible students and, further, to ensure that teachers and staff are appropriately trained to identify and advocate for such students.

Key takeaways

  1. There are new guidelines from the department of education.
  2. These guides address various learning challenges.
  3. Some of these guide lines affect students with ADHD.
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