How Can ADHD Affect Your Child at School?

It is understandably a worry to be a parent of a child with ADHD, countless questions may be running through your head, even more so if they are on the brink of starting school. How will they settle in? Will they make friends? Will teachers be responsive to their needs? Your child may be used to the comforts and routines of home life and settling them into a new setting with routines and rules can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Just as every child is different, every child’s ADHD is different and their strength and resilience to change is admirable. In this article, we aim to help with your understandable worries and pinpoint some of the areas children with ADHD can be affected in the school environment, that way you can be as prepared as possible when your little one enters this exciting new phase of life.

What is ADHD and How is it Diagnosed in Children?

ADHD is a neurological condition that impacts the brain's executive functions, making it difficult to control behaviour, plan, focus and execute tasks. It currently affects around 2.6 million people in the UK, including around 5% of children. Symptoms tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more prevalent when a child's circumstances change, such as when they start school. Often, children start school before their ADHD is diagnosed and teachers are often the first to notice possible signs of ADHD. An ADHD assessment and diagnosis usually consists of physical examinations, a series of interviews with the child, and reports from parents, carers, and teachers. The NHS state that a child must display 6 or more symptoms of inattentiveness, or 6 or more symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsiveness, continuously, for at least 6 months and display them in at least 2 different settings, before the age of 12.

You can take the NHS route for ADHD assessment and diagnosis, however, NHS waiting lists are notoriously long, another option is to use a private ADHD clinic, which can help you on the road to childrens ADHD assessment and possible diagnosis much quicker.  

How can ADHD Affect Children at School?

It is understandable to worry about your child being affected by ADHD in the school setting, and the negative impact it may have on your child's education, chance of “fitting in” and ability to behave like their peers. School teachers are often the first people to pick up differences in a child's behaviour compared to others and may approach you to talk over their behaviour.

Possible ways ADHD may affect your child in the school setting are:

• Inattention and Poor Concentration – children with ADHD can quickly tune out of a task they find boring and may find it difficult to focus and stay on track, which may make them bounce from one task to another.

• Difficulty Listening and Paying Attention – getting distracted and finding it hard to pay attention to detail are common traits of ADHD in children, which can result in careless mistakes being made in their work.

• Lack of Awareness – often late to school and they may lack awareness around their grades and progress.

• Constantly Moving and Difficulty Remaining Quiet – talking excessively and fidgeting is an obvious sign of ADHD and often when asked to be quiet or sit still, it is almost impossible for the child to do this. 

• Difficulty Controlling Impulses – children may often interrupt conversations, appear to ask irrelevant questions, and seem to act without thinking. 

• Difficulty Regulating Emotions – having strong outbursts of emotions can often happen due to the nature of their environment, being surrounded by children that are “different” to them, tirelessly trying to fit in and keep up with them, and comparing themselves. 

How Can Your Teacher Help?

Keeping your teacher informed is imperative to ensure your child’s support in the classroom. Your child's teacher will be able to advise whether they need an individualised educational program or changes to their learning environment. Regularly discuss your child’s progress and ask for updates or face-to-face meetings.

Other ways your teacher can help your child are:

• Making assignments as clear as possible and checking they understand instructions.

• Provide shorter assignments where possible.

• Allow more breaks than usual.

• Minimise distractions.

• Provide simple classroom routines and rules.

• Provide helpful organisational tools.

• Allow extra time for work completion. 

Private ADHD Clinic: Help with Your Child’s ADHD Assessment.

It’s important to remember that ADHD is not an illness, it means that an ADHD brain works differently from most neuro-typical people. ADHD can absolutely be seen as a superpower, especially among children at school who are able to utilise their innovation and creativity, their resilience, and their ability to hyperfocus to their advantage.

If you suspect that your child may have ADHD or has an ADHD diagnosis, it is important to keep lines of communication open with their teachers. To gain an ADHD assessment as quickly and efficiently as possible, it is advisable to use an ADHD clinic, such as Beyond, a private ADHD clinic in Manchester.

At Beyond, we are founded and run by people who have walked the path and have full understanding and compassion for you and your child and what you may facing at present. With school days looming, the long NHS wait lists may not be serviceable to you, our private ADHD clinic in Manchester can provide you with a comprehensive path from ADHD assessment through to possible diagnosis, treatment, and beyond.

If you would like to speak to one of Beyond’s friendly and personal team about obtaining an ADHD assessment for your child, you can get in touch here.