# Keep a conversation with school

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/talk-with-the-school/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 47 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#talk-with-the-school

Share what your child experiences and hear what teachers notice.

**The number:** With consent, the clinician contacts the school after diagnosis ([NICE, public HSC Northern Ireland copy, 2018](https://cypsp.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/ebpp/reports/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-1837699732933.pdf))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Guideline advice, not formally graded. Measured in people with ADHD.
- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- Basis: NICE NG87 1.4.12 clinician-school liaison recommendation, carried as a step; CDC guidance on family-school collaboration. No isolated communication effect.
- 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.

## 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

1. Start with your child: what would they like the teacher to understand?
2. Ask your child's ADHD clinician to contact the school, with your consent, and explain the diagnosis and its likely effects.
3. Bring one concrete worry and one thing that's going well.
4. Settle who talks to whom, what useful feedback looks like and when you'll check in again.

## Talk to a clinician first

Agree what information may be shared and involve your child in a way that fits their age and understanding.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 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.

### What it looks like

- 'My child says lunchtime feels lonely. What do you notice at school?'
- Ask for feedback that includes successful moments as well as difficulties.

### Common mistakes

- Talking only about problems can make school contact daunting, so include what is working.
- Leaving the child out can miss the central concern, so ask for their perspective first.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [ADHD in the Classroom](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/treatment/classroom.html), CDC
- [ADHD in children and young people](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-children-teenagers/), NHS

## Sources

- [ADHD: diagnosis and management, NG87, information and support](https://cypsp.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/ebpp/reports/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-1837699732933.pdf), NICE, public HSC Northern Ireland copy, 2018 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [ADHD in the Classroom](https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/treatment/classroom.html), CDC, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [ADHD in children and young people](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-children-teenagers/), NHS, 2025 (Tier 1 guideline)

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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.

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