Dec. 9, 2021
Elena Silva shares with US News & World Report the intricacies of Special Education and how it relates to students with ADHD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder represents a special case when it comes to obtaining support and services at school. ADHD is not identified as one of the 13 federal disability categories that are guaranteed services, though there are ways that children with ADHD can receive help.
When the child has severe ADHD that leads to performing two grades below their level, the disability can be classified as “otherwise health impaired” and the student can be eligible for services under federal law. Less severe cases of ADHD, and other disabilities, can obtain special education services through something called a 504 Plan, which provides accommodations such as preferential seating or extended time on tests.
“Both medically and educationally, our understanding of ADHD continues to improve, but there is still tremendous confusion about what constitutes ADHD,” Elena Silva, director of PK-12 education at New America, a policy organization in Washington, D.C., wrote in an email.
Read the full article here.