ADHD awareness at school- is anyone else frustrated??

[dancingcs]

Hi all,

My son is in Year 9 at an independent school, has ADHD (on medication since Dec 2023), and is doing exceptionally well ; 9s and 8s in exams, and part of the school rugby team. He’s clearly capable and thriving academically and in extracurriculars.

Despite this, he’s struggling socially and with some school routines. Many of his peers don’t really understand his ADHD, and some teacher responses; like sanctions for behaviours linked to ADHD, can actually make things harder for him rather than supporting him. He’s not neurotypical, so standard approaches don’t always work.

What’s frustrating is that ADHD isn’t really covered anywhere in school, not in PSHE, assemblies, or lessons. So staff and students may not know how to help him manage his behaviour or emotional regulation. I really feel that awareness could make a huge difference.

Has anyone else noticed this at their independent or state school? How do they raise awareness or support children with ADHD, both socially and emotionally?

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

I think it comes down to the school and I went out of my way to ensure my children went to supportive ones, even though it’s inconvenient to me from a transport perspective.

No, if anything my (younger) kids school talks about it A LOT.

I am really struggling with his school. It’s been ADHD awareness month and I don’t think they’d touched on it at all.

Schools need to recognise that strong grades do not always mean a child is coping socially or emotionally. Better ADHD awareness among staff and pupils could help schools respond with understanding rather than sanctions that make things harder. Resources such as ADHD Certify may also help families understand assessment and support pathways alongside proper school input.

Some teacher responses; like sanctions for behaviours linked to ADHD, can actually make things harder for him rather than supporting him

You want the school to let him off with bad behaviour because of his ADHD? School is supposed to be the place that helps children prepare for adulthood. If the workplace won't accept a behaviour, why should school teach him that it is permissible? A neurodevelopmental diagnosis doesn't remove the need to behave well, or work appropriately with your peers...

students may not know how to help him manage his behaviour or emotional regulation.

thats not a task for students to do.
whats your expectation of children to manage his behaviour and regulate his emotions?

It's massive at DSs Indie.

DS is ASD and has a pupil passport. All his teachers are aware of how he works, what his challenges are and how to help him.

They regularly talk about ND in assemblies. Fully supported by SLT to the extent that DS was allowed to wear trainers for several years as he couldn't cope with school shoes.

All ND is supported. It's such a wonderful inclusive school.

Very much this. The other kids are there to learn. It is the job of the staff to help your son manage his behaviour.

One problem with 'raising ADHD awareness' is that it can end up pathologising perfectly normal behaviours. So an assembly about how children with ADHD struggle to concentrate or whatever can end up with the adverse effect of causing a whole bunch of kids to think they have ADHD. I think, as a teacher, I would avoid it for that reason.

ADHD is not a settled science - it'll be very controversial to teach something like that

This happens every year during Anti-Bullying week in my primary school.

DD had asd and adhd and there are strategies teachers can use that help children with these conditions.

Attention is often problematic (obviously) and working memory deficits are common even in very bright children (that’s when you hold and manipulate several pieces of information in your mind at the same time).

It means a teacher saying something like
‘Okay, I need you to do w, x and y before we can do z, Johnny’ simply doesn’t work.

‘Johnny’ probably hasn’t registered anything before his name is said and four instructions are too much for him anyway. It’s better if the teacher says ‘Johnny’, waits a couple of seconds to make sure he’s paying attention, and then splits up the tasks into something manageable for him.

This differentiation for (probably) multiple students is difficult for teachers I know and why extra help in the classroom is often needed.

What often happens otherwise is that Johnny hasn’t a clue what he’s been asked to do and then gets scolded for not completing the tasks and falling behind. The situation escalates and it’s not really his fault.

Sometimes sanctions are genuinely unfair as the kids are more or less set up to fail.