Keep a conversation with school
Share what your child experiences and hear what teachers notice.
Guideline advice, not formally gradedADHD evidence
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Write down the question about school you most want answered.
5 minutes
Draft a brief message asking the teacher for a conversation about one concern.
15 minutes
Prepare your child's view, your observation and one question for a teacher or school support lead.
How sure the science is
Guideline advice, not formally graded, ADHD evidence
Recommended by ADHD clinical guidelines, but nobody has pooled the trials and graded how sure they are. Guideline advice is a considered judgement, not a measured certainty. Measured in people with ADHD.
NICE NG87 1.4.12 clinician-school liaison recommendation, carried as a step; CDC guidance on family-school collaboration. No isolated communication effect.
The number, drawn
With consent, the clinician contacts the school after diagnosis
Why it matters
NICE recommends that when ADHD is diagnosed, when symptoms change and at school transitions, the clinician obtains consent and then contacts the school to explain the diagnosis and how ADHD is likely to affect school life. CDC also emphasises close collaboration between school, parents and healthcare providers. This item concerns communication and shared understanding; it does not claim that a conversation alone improves attainment.
How to do it
- Start with your child: what would they like the teacher to understand?
- Ask your child's ADHD clinician to contact the school, with your consent, and explain the diagnosis and its likely effects.
- Bring one concrete worry and one thing that's going well.
- Settle who talks to whom, what useful feedback looks like and when you'll check in again.
Agree what information may be shared and involve your child in a way that fits their age and understanding.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- 'My child says lunchtime feels lonely. What do you notice at school?'
- Ask for feedback that includes successful moments as well as difficulties.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeTalking only about problems can make school contact daunting, so include what is working.
- Common mistakeLeaving the child out can miss the central concern, so ask for their perspective first.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- A Moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- The number
- With consent, the clinician contacts the school after diagnosis (NICE, public HSC Northern Ireland copy, 2018)
- Benefit
- 55/100 The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Some effort
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD: diagnosis and management, NG87, information and supportNICE, public HSC Northern Ireland copy, 2018
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD in the ClassroomCDC, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD in children and young peopleNHS, 2025
General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.