Typing and handwriting lecture notes are equally effective methods for helping students with ADHD learn and recall information presented in class, and each one is far superior to taking no notes, finds a new study conducted by researchers at Indiana University. In addition, researchers found that both slower handwriting speed and worse sustained attention were related to higher ADHD symptoms.¹

In the study, 152 college students (46 with an ADHD diagnosis, 105 without) were divided into three groups: one cohort was instructed to handwrite notes, one was instructed to type notes, and one was instructed not to take notes. The students then watched a 15-minute TED talk and were given a free response quiz with no opportunity to review their notes. In addition to grading the assessment, researchers measured the participants’ handwriting speed, typing speed, fine motor dexterity, sustained attention, and severity of ADHD symptoms.

The learning benefit associated with both handwriting and typing notes was greater for students with higher ADHD symptom severity, causing researchers to conclude that, “active notetaking facilitates significant encoding gains in individuals with higher ADHD symptoms, critically suggesting that not taking notes is especially detrimental for those with higher symptoms.”

Challenges of Note Taking with ADHD

Previous research has demonstrated that students with ADHD face considerable challenges taking effective notes because of issues with working memory, transcription fluency, handwriting speed, and listening comprehension.^{2, 3}

Because of this, many postsecondary students with ADHD receive academic accommodations that allow them to receive copies of notes, either from a designated notetaker, a speech-to-text software, or an artificial intelligence note-taking program.

While notetaking accommodations offer students with ADHD access to good, quality notes they might not be able to produce themselves, the process of note-taking itself offers benefits that student with notetaking accommodations may be missing, the study’s researchers explain.

“The in-the-moment, active process of transcribing lecture information via notetaking facilitates learning, independent of studying, coined as the encoding effect,” ⁴ write the study’s authors. “It is theorized that encoding benefits arise from the sensorimotor engagement notetaking affords through transcription, as well as the cognitively demanding nature of the notetaking process.”

The study’s authors point out the dearth of research exploring whether notetaking accommodations actually reduce academic impairment related to ADHD, and they urge educators and providers supporting students with ADHD to consider that, “not taking notes may prevent individuals with higher ADHD symptoms from benefiting from initial learning gains active notetaking affords.”

Handwritten and Typed Notes Equally Beneficial

While notetaking’s cognitively demanding nature is precisely what gives rise to its benefits — including helping students with ADHD sustain attention — it is also why students with ADHD avoid or struggle to take notes.

Susan Kreuger, M.Ed., offers more detail about why notetaking is so taxing, in an ADDitude article titled “Notes on Taking Notes:” “Taking notes should be more than writing down information as a teacher is lecturing. A student needs to pay attention and try to understand what the teacher is teaching. He should be able to distinguish the big picture from insignificant details.”

For some, notetaking is particularly draining because of its fine motor demands. The study found that students with ADHD exhibited slower handwriting speeds than did neurotypical students, which slowed their transcription speed. By contrast, no differences in typing speed were found between the ADHD and non-ADHD groups.

The researchers urge students with handwriting challenges to explore the use of a keyboard which, “may free up cognitive resources during the notetaking process and provide opportunity for in-the-moment encoding benefits.”

Sources

¹Shimko, G. A., & James, K. H. (2025). The effects of notetaking modality and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on learning. Educational Psychology, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2025.2493257

²Vekaria, P. C., & Peverly, S. T. (2018). Lecture note-taking in postsecondary students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 31(7), 1551–1573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9849-2

³Gleason, J. D. (2012). An Investigation of the Note-Taking Skills of Adolescents with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): An Extension of Previous Research (Doctoral dissertation, Columbia University).

⁴Di Vesta, F. J., & Gray, G. S. (1972). Listening and note taking. Journal of Educational Psychology, 63(1), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0032243

The Trump administration said it plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DoE), the federal agency responsible for enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). About 7.5 million students from kindergarten through grade 12 receive special education and related services under the IDEA, and nearly 2 million others receive accommodations through 504 Plans.

IEPs are protected by law. As long as the IDEA remains intact, the rights of students with disabilities to IEPs will remain protected. However, the DoE is the primary watchdog for both IDEA and Section 504, so enforcement of IEP and 504 Plan violations could be affected.

Though no IEPs and 504 Plans exist in higher education, both Section 504 and the ADA prohibit discrimination from colleges and universities, and require covered institutions to provide accommodations that will allow students with disabilities to compete on a level playing field.

Parents and educators are worried and asking: What happens if plans to restructure or eliminate the Department of Education are successful?

In this webinar, you will learn:

• About the role of the Department of Education as it relates to special education and higher education issues, with a focus on IEP and 504 Plans for students with ADHD and learning disabilities
• How the Trump administration’s DoE developments would likely or potentially impact students’ accommodations
• How IEP and 504 Plans would be enforced if the DoE is eliminated
• About the recourse parents would have if IEPs or 504 Plans were not followed
• How parents and teachers can advocate for their children during this tumultuous and uncertain time

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

ADHD Accommodations and Educational Rights: Resources

• Free Download: Your Child’s Legal Rights at School
• Read:  “Is My Child’s IEP in Danger?”
• Read: When Schools Resist Evaluating & Addressing Learning Disabilities
• Get the eBook: The Complete IEP/504 Guide

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on April 23, 2025, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Speaker

Mary J. Goodwin-Oquendo, Esq., is an established and respected disability civil rights attorney and adjunct professor of law at Fordham University School of Law. Her passion for disability advocacy was ignited when she was a child and witnessed how hard her mother had to fight to make sure that her younger brother received appropriate special education placement and services. Mary was later diagnosed with a disabling chronic condition as a young adult, so she understands the importance of accommodations and equal access in post-secondary and professional settings, as well as the unique challenges that people with “invisible disabilities” face when asserting their rights.

For more than 15 years Mary has advocated for individuals with cognitive, physical, and psychiatric disabilities who have experienced discrimination in school and/or require accommodations on high stakes admissions and licensing examinations. Prior to starting her own practice, The Goodwin-Oquendo Law Firm, P.C., she worked closely with her mentor and friend, a highly esteemed activist, attorney, and NYS Assembly Member, Jo Anne Simon, Esq. At the beginning of her career at Jo Anne Simon P.C., she collaborated with various affinity groups to submit vital feedback to the United States Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that was incorporated into the agencies’ final rules enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008.

Mary is a member of the New York State Bar Association, and an appointed member of the association’s Committee on Disability Rights. She has developed continuing legal education (CLE) coursework for attorneys and currently serves as one of the editors of the New York State Bar Association’s disability treatise. She is also a member of the Disability Rights Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and previously served on the executive board of the New York Urban League Young Professionals and the National Urban League Young Professionals Programs Committee.

Mary has had the honor of speaking before several impactful organizations, including the Annual Stanford Conference on Disability in Healthcare and Medicine, the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, The Docs With Disabilities Podcast, The Coelho Fellowship Conference Panel, The Society of Directors of Academic Medical Physics Programs, and The Headache Alliance. She has also been invited to speak at several universities and colleges.

Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Amazon Music | RadioPublic | Pocket Casts | iHeartRADIO |

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March 4, 2025

As the Trump administration moves to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies in the public and private sectors of the United States, my thoughts turn to one of our country’s largest minority groups: people with disabilities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 4 Americans — or 70 million individuals — live with a disability. This diverse group spans all age groups, racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and religious beliefs. Disability doesn’t discriminate.

DEI programs and initiatives designed to encourage diversity and promote fairness in education and in the workforce benefit people with disabilities, including those with ADHD. And with the dismantling of these programs, we are witnessing a surge in discrimination toward people with disabilities. The full impact of the Trump administration’s dismantling of DEI policies on people with disabilities is difficult to measure but impossible to discount.

Disability In Dire Straits

I have served as a disability advocate for the past 25 years; 15 of those years were in higher education as a professor, program coordinator, and director of disability services. I have a graduate degree in rehabilitation sciences and am a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor. This is not a field I chose; rather, it chose me.

You see, I am also a mom to three children with disabilities and a fierce advocate for many more. In recent years, I have seen a gradual erosion of the services and protections available to individuals living with disabilities. I have been hesitant to voice my concerns over these changes because, by nature, I am a people pleaser. I stay in my lane, keep my head down, and get my work done. But that all changed two years ago.

[Free Resource: Classroom Accommodations for Children with ADHD]

In April 2023, as an assistant professor and rehabilitation counselor, I was offered the opportunity to train more than 500 rehabilitation counselors on multicultural competencies in counseling, among other things, under Florida’s Vocational Rehabilitation program. Cultural competencies help us, as counselors, support our clients by taking into account their backgrounds and acknowledging our own internal biases. I was excited about this collaboration — until Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the training was no longer permitted under the state’s new DEI policies.

Soon after, DeSantis signed a bill into law banning the state’s public universities from spending funds on DEI initiatives. This included training counselors on their ethical obligations as professionals. I explained that people with disabilities are from all demographic backgrounds and that counselors who understand cultural differences can more effectively support their clients’ vocational and mental health needs. I even offered to do the workshops for free. I was shut down.

Colleges and universities live under the threat of having funding withheld if they do not comply with political mandates to eliminate courses, programs, student organizations, support services, and other initiatives with DEI components.

[Read: “Here’s What Happened When I Revealed My ADHD on LinkedIn”]

The Escalating Attack on DEI

Florida’s assault on DEI initiatives two years ago foreshadowed what is happening today in American politics, and the threats to public and private institutions alike is real. I fear that President Trump is setting a national agenda and tone that does not value people with disabilities and their vital contributions to society. The evidence of this is everywhere:

1. The standard Accessibility Statement on the White House website was removed by the Trump administration. This lack of visibility and accessibility underscores a lack of concern for Americans with disabilities, who had visible accessibility statements under Presidents Biden and Obama.
2. The U.S. government has eliminated DEI efforts in all federal agencies and is pressuring private companies to do the same.
3. The Trump administration aims to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).
• The DOE oversees federal funding for K-12 schools servicing students with disabilities and handles discrimination complaints in education, including non-compliance, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Roughly 7.5 million students, or 15 percent of the student population, receive special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides $15 billion to support students with disabilities. Without the federal DOE, funding for students with disabilities would be eliminated, as well the ability to enforce allocation of services to these students.
• The DOE provides protection. Seventeen states are actively working to eliminate 504 Plans in their education systems. The absence of strong federal oversight would leave millions of students vulnerable to discrimination and lacking the resources needed to be successful in school.
• The DOE provides funding to Title 1 Schools. Federal dollars target schools in low-income areas to “provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps by allocating federal funds for education programs and services,” according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
• The DOE oversees federal student aid to college students. Students could lose untold dollars in loans, grants, and federal student aid if the DOE is eliminated.

Disability rights are human rights. Disability rights are civil rights. Disability rights matter.

We must not turn a blind eye to the strategic maneuvers at play in our national politics. America’s leaders are making calculated decisions that threaten to upend the lives of thousands of Americans with disabilities. We must speak out.

What can we do today?

1. Take a stand. Educate yourself and those around you. Advocate for disability rights.
2. Call or write to your local, state, and federal legislators, your local news organizations, and to President Trump and Vice President Vance. Write op-eds explaining these harmful policies.
3. Organize grassroots efforts in your community to support people with disabilities.
4. Check in on people who are affected by these changes. Let them know they are not alone.
5. Boycott businesses that do not value diversity, equity, and inclusion.
6. Practice self-care. Go for a walk. Have dinner with a friend. Dance. Laugh. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We all need to take care of ourselves.

What Does DEI Mean: Next Steps

• Free Download: 40 Winning Accommodations for Your Child with ADHD or LD
• Read: “DEI – and Neurodivergence – Are Under Attack”
• Read: “Justice for All: What We Lose When the Country Abandons DEI”

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

1. Student Accessibility Services

Colleges’ offices of Student Accessibility Services (SAS), also known as Disability Services, ensure that qualified students with disabilities can take advantage of all that colleges have to offer, academically and beyond, without threat of discrimination. That said, SAS accommodations and services vary widely among colleges. When you’re visiting colleges, make an appointment with SAS and ask these questions:

• Is peer or professional tutoring offered and is there a fee?
• Do coaches or other professionals work one-on-one with students to support executive functioning?
• Do you offer programming like workshops and training seminars?

To get a sense of the college culture, ask questions such as: If I had a professor who gave me a hard time about an accommodation, how would your office handle that?

[Read: How to Prepare Your ADHD Teen for College, According to Research]

2. Counseling and Health Services

It’s common for students with ADHD to experience anxiety and/or depression, so it’s wise to ask each campus counseling center these questions:

• What kind of counseling services are offered?
• Is there an annual limit on counseling sessions per student?
• Is there a pharmacy on campus and assistance with medication management?

3. Size of Classes and Campus

Many students with ADHD report that smaller classes are more conducive for learning. Classes of 15 to 30 students aid engagement by providing more accountability and opportunity for active participation than you’ll find in a giant lecture hall.

[Read: How Can We Improve Outcomes for College Students with ADHD?]

Smaller student populations, in general, allow colleges to offer more opportunities to connect with faculty, deans, and staff at resource centers. Frequent check-ins, no matter how casual, can provide an academic and emotional safety net for neurodivergent students.

Also keep in mind that a smaller physical campus may be easier to maneuver for students with executive function challenges. Students expend mental energy each time they walk across campus to a dining hall, library, or for laundry services. That cognitive load is lightened with those facilities are nearby.

4. Course and Club Offerings

Review course catalogs to be certain a college offers courses of study that align with your student’s passions. Explore which classes are required for graduation; some colleges have extensive requirements, while others offer more choice or flexibility.

Student organizations, clubs, and sports allow students to come together to participate in shared interests that naturally facilitate connections. Make sure the colleges you’re researching offer these opportunities in areas that ignite your student’s passions. Also ask: How competitive or easy-to-join are these groups or teams?

ADHD on Campus: How Can Student Accessibility Services Help?

Once your student qualifies for disability services, SAS will schedule an intake appointment to discuss reasonable accommodations, in and out of the classroom. For example, colleges can grant housing accommodations to ease executive function challenges associated with independent living.

Many accommodations common in high school won’t be relevant for college. Be prepared to consider new accommodations that are specific to a college setting. These include:

College Accommodations

Academic accommodations

• Priority registration for classes
• Reduced course load
• Access to recorded lectures and class notes
• Flexible deadlines

Housing accommodations

• Single room (or double, max)
• Dorm with dining hall/laundry
• Centrally located dorm
• Emotional support animal

At the start of every semester, students should work with SAS to determine which accommodations they need for each class and request that SAS notify the professors. Students should then meet with each professor to figure out how these accommodations will be structured.

Coaching in College

College academic resource centers offer students writing assistance and tutoring, by peers or professionals. These centers often provide coaching to students with disabilities, either individually or in small groups. Students with executive functioning deficits get help with planning prioritization, and time management. Coaches can help students break down projects into manageable chunks, prioritize a to-do list, and devise a plan of attach for midterms, finals, and more. The scope, frequency, and cost of coaching varies by college.

Programming in College

Many SAS offices provide programming in the form of workshops, seminars, or study sessions. Connecticut College, for example, offers a workshop called “What the EF?” that helps students before midterms and finals, when stress causes weak executive functioning skills to wobble. The workshop teaches students how to schedule their days, carving out time for studying, writing papers, eating, taking breaks, and sleeping.

What if your student is denied services?

If your student’s request for accommodations is denied, you must go through the college’s formal grievance process, which is usually explained on its SAS webpage.

Securing College Accommodations: A Timeline

At Connecticut College, where I work, these are the deadlines to keep in mind when considering accommodations. Timelines vary among colleges.

May 1:

Typical deadline for college deposit

• Contact SAS to assess required documentation
• Meet with providers to complete documentation
• Submit paperwork through college portal
• Schedule intake appointment to discuss accommodations

June 15:

Typical deadline for housing selection

• Register for pre-orientation program, if offered

August 1:

Typical deadline for academic accommodations

• Register for classes (possibly with priority registration)
• Request facility notification letters be sent to selected faculty

“What College Should I Go To?” Next Steps

• Read: “How Can My Teen Find an ADHD College Coach?”
• Watch: “College Accommodations for Neurodivergent Students”
• Read: “How Do I Measure College Readiness for My Teen with ADHD?”
• Read: 29 Accommodations for College Students with ADHD

Jillian Heilman, Ph.D., CRC, is the Director of Student Accessibility Services at Connecticut College.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

What is Texas v. Becerra?

Texas v. Becerra is a lawsuit filed by 17 states against the United States government that could effectively end 504 Plans for millions of students across the country.

The lawsuit was filed in late 2024 by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the Biden administration, which changed Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to include gender dysphoria as a protected disability. Notably, the lawsuit also argues that “Section 504 is unconstitutional.” The lawsuit says that “Section 504 is coercive, untethered to the federal interest in disability, and unfairly retroactive” and it asks for “permanent injunctive relief” that would block enforcement of Section 504.

What is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act codified the civil rights of persons with disabilities and protected them against discrimination while ensuring their equal access to education, employment, healthcare, and public services. It established rules regarding the treatment of people with disabilities by any entity that receives federal funds, including all public schools.

What is considered a disability under Section 504?

The most common disability covered by 504 plans is ADHD, which can significantly impact a student’s ability to learn and regulate attention and emotion in the classroom.

According to Section 504, an “individual with handicaps” includes anyone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, such as seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, or working. This includes everything from learning disabilities and anxiety to food allergies.

How many children have a 504 Plan?

Approximately 8.5 million public school students across the U.S. have a 504 Plan designed to ensure they can access a free and appropriate education. 504 Plans support students who may not qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) but still need support to fully participate in school.

What is typically included in a 504 Plan?

Accommodations for students with ADHD include extra time on assignments, preferential seating, movement breaks, written and verbal instructions, and organizational tools like planners and daily report cards. These low- or no-cost accommodations are designed to help students with disabilities learn to the best of their ability.

What could happen if the 17 states win Texas v. Becerra?

If the 17 states prevail, and Section 504 is ruled unconstitutional, then all of its protections against discrimination for people with disabilities can be halted across the country. Individual states would be freed from their legal obligation to provide students with aids, services, and protection from discrimination. Millions of students could lose access to their school accommodations.

What’s more, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education is in charge of receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints from parents regarding discrimination and 504 Plan compliance at schools. The OCR is at risk for significant budget and personnel cuts by the Trump administration, which said it plans to dismantle the Department of Education entirely.

What happens next?

The first round of legal briefs is due to the courts next Tuesday, February 25. Prior to that deadline, advocacy groups are encouraging residents of the 17 states involved in the action to petition for withdrawal from the lawsuit. The 17 states include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

What can you do?

Contact your senators and representatives to voice your support for Section 504, for 504 Plans, and for protections for students with disabilities. If your state is one of the 17 named in the lawsuit, contact your state attorney general to demand your state’s withdrawal. If your state is not involved in bringing the case, contact your state attorney general and ask the office to submit an amicus brief on the importance of retaining 504 protections for people with disabilities.

Find suggested language for a letter to your attorney general on the Council for Exceptional Children website.

Find sample language provided by the National Down Syndrome Society here.

The National Council on Independent Living also offers sample language for contacting elected officials.

If you would like to share your thoughts, opinions, or story regarding 504 Plan accommodations, contact ADDitude at submissions@additudemag.com.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

The U.S. Department of Education (DoE) is now sustaining a rapid-fire succession of cuts and changes spearheaded by President Donald Trump and a team within his administration dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and led by billionaire Elon Musk. Significant news this month includes the following:

• February 3: The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is working on an executive order to shut down all functions of the DoE and/or move them to other government departments and entities. According to CNN, the executive order will direct the secretary of Education to create a plan to diminish the department through executive action, and also seek Congressional legislation to end the department.
• February 6: According to The Washington Post, at least 16 DOGE team members have gained access to the Education Department directory and have fed sensitive personal and financial data — including federal student loan data containing Social Security numbers, birth dates, and driver’s license numbers — into artificial intelligence software. Some were also granted administrator-level status in the department’s email system, allowing them access to the back end of ed.gov.
• February 7: Members of U.S. Congress were barred from entering the Education Department building for a meeting with Education Secretary Denise Carter.
• February 9: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump is weighing “options and how to reduce the size of the Department of Education if not abolish it completely.”
• February 10: The White House ordered an abrupt halt to 89 contracts and 29 grants for research projects underway within the Institute of Education Sciences, an independent research agency within the DoE that is a main source of funding for education research. The agency studies the efficacy of daily report cards for students with ADHD and interventions to improve on-task behaviors, attention, and academic outcomes for students with ADHD, among other things.
• February 11: A federal judge has agreed to hear a lawsuit filed on behalf of The University of California Student Association that accuses the DoE of violating the Privacy Act of 1974 by sharing sensitive data with DOGE staffers. The group has asked the judge to temporarily block the Education Department from continuing this practice and to retrieve any information already transferred to DOGE, according to Higher Ed Dive.
• February 12: Trump announces at a press conference that he wants the Department of Education “closed immediately.” CNN reports that mass firings have started with the termination of probationary (typically new) employees of the DoE “across the agency from the general counsel’s office, to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services that supports programs for children with disabilities, to the Federal Student Aid office.”

So what does all of this change mean for the 7.5 million U.S. school children (15% of that population) who have special needs and whose public schools receive billions of dollars in funding for services and resources from the U.S. Department of Education?

The impact on special-education programs that fall under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as all Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) do, remains unclear. But here is a rundown of what we know.

[Download: Your Free Guide to the U.S. Education Laws Protecting Students with ADHD]

What does the U.S. Department of Education do?

The U.S. Department of Education, created in 1979, develops and enforces federal education laws; funds special-education programs; administers financial aid programs; and conducts research on schools, students, and educational issues.

The Education Department serves public school students across the United States by:

• Providing funding to support Title I grants for nearly two-thirds of public schools serving 26 million vulnerable students in pre-K through Grade 12
• Funding special-education programs for students with disabilities covered by IDEA, including dyslexia, autism, and ADHD, which falls into the act’s ‘Other Health Impaired’ category if symptoms impact educational performance
• Administering loans and Pell Grants for low-income college students. The DoE distributed approximately $27.2 billion in Pell Grants during the 2022-2023 academic year, and 43 million people have federal student loans
• Enforcing civil rights laws like Title IX, which protects against discrimination based on gender or disability
• Supporting school improvement programs to boost education outcomes
• Funding programs to promote mental health and after-school activities

“The department currently oversees federal student loan programs, distributes financial aid, and enforces policies meant to protect borrowers from predatory lending practices. Eliminating the DoE could introduce uncertainty into loan servicing, possibly delaying repayments, altering forgiveness programs or making it harder for students to access federal aid,” according to Newsweek.

What does the U.S. Department of Education NOT do?

The Department of Education does not set or enforce curricula, or determine state education standards.

State and local school boards decide curriculum, textbooks, and what’s taught in history or science classes. Educator salaries, hiring, and qualifications are determined by state laws and local school boards. Each state adopts its own education standards. Private and religious schools operate independently, and they determine their own tuition prices. Public universities are funded by state governments; the Education Department only provides federal aid and loan programs.

[Quiz: How Well Do You Know U.S. Education Law?]

How big is the Department of Education?

In 2024, the Education Department employed roughly 4,425 people and had a budget of $79 billion.

What is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

IDEA is a law governing how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 8 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

IDEA guarantees the right of students with qualified disabilities, such as ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and more, to participate in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that provide special education and related services and accommodations designed to improve the student’s ability to receive academic instruction.

IDEA also authorizes formula grants to states and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other non-profit organizations to support research, demonstrations, technology and personnel development, and parent-training and information centers.

What role does the Education Department play in the IDEA?

The Education Department enforces the IDEA through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by doing the following:

• Developing and communicating federal policy for IDEA
• Monitoring and enforcing state implementation of IDEA
• Helping states implement early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities
• Investigating complaints and conducting compliance reviews
• Working with schools to address issues when rights are not upheld
• Protecting the rights of people with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

What is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?

“Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education,” according to the DoE.

What role does the Education Department play in Section 504?

OCR, a division of the department, enforces Section 504 by ensuring that public schools provide a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district’s jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. “OCR receives complaints from parents, students or advocates, conducts agency initiated compliance reviews, and provides technical assistance to school districts, parents, or advocates,” according to the DoE.

Any student with a 504 Plan is covered by Section 504. If a school district is out of compliance with Section 504 by failing to provide “education in regular classes with supplementary services, and/or special education and related services,” the OCR may initiate administrative proceedings to terminate DoE financial assistance to the school or refer the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings.

How does the DoE financially support students with ADHD?

According to available research, the DoE spends a significant amount on students with ADHD, with estimates ranging from $5.6 billion for younger children to between $9.36 and $19.75 billion for older children and teenagers on educational costs including special education, therapies, and counseling, all related to managing ADHD in the school setting.

How much of any state’s special-education funding comes from the DoE?

Since IDEA was enacted, federal funds have covered approximately 13% of the cost of special-education services. States supplement federal IDEA funding with funding formulas for special education that vary widely from state to state. The remainder of funding comes from state and local tax revenue.

In a study of 5,694 districts in 24 states, serving nearly 3 million students with disabilities, Bellwether found that special education services cost $13,127 per student per year, on average. Funding from the DoE covered $1,578 of that cost, or 12%. The districts received dedicated special-education state revenue totaling $3,388 per pupil, and the remaining $8,161 in funding was generated through taxes.

Will Trump likely be able to shut down the DoE?

By law, the Education Department can be shut down only by an act of Congress. According to Time magazine, “In January, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, re-introduced a bill that would terminate the Department of Education. The bill has 30 Republican co-sponsors thus far,” but would require 60 votes to pass.

If the Department of Education is shuttered, will my child’s IEP be impacted?

IEPs are protected by law, as spelled out in IDEA. So long as IDEA law remains intact, the rights of students with disabilities to IEPs will remain protected. However, the DoE is the primary watchdog for both IDEA and Section 504, so enforcement of IEP and 504 Plan violations could be impacted. It is also unclear how federal government funding cuts could impact local school districts across the country that rely on DoE funds to “support disabled students, pay special education teachers and therapists, and buy the materials and equipment that students need,” according to The Century Foundation.

If the Department of Education is shuttered, who will enforce IDEA law?

Another federal agency, such as the Department of Justice, would likely take over enforcement of IDEA if the Education Department were abolished. This would include conducting compliance reviews, investigating complaints from parents, and enforcing penalties for schools that fall out of compliance. It is unclear how any change in enforcement may impact parents’ ability to secure special-education resources or pursue complaints against schools for providing inadequate resources under IDEA.

Department of Education & IEP Law: Next Steps

• Submit: Email your questions about IEP law and how DoE changes might impact your child to customerservice@additudemag.com
• Read: 10 Myths About School Laws and Services for Students with ADHD
• Know: Your Child’s Educational Rights

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This isn’t about playing hooky. School refusal, also called school avoidance, is a serious matter. An acute case can last from two weeks up to a year; a chronic case might persist for a year or two. School refusal may stem from underlying struggles associated with ADHD, learning disorders, or separation or generalized anxiety. A student might be overwhelmed by academic challenges, bullied at school, rejected by peers, and/or troubled by family distress at home.

School refusal has grown worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. When schools reopened and resumed in-person learning, experts say, many students didn’t return to the classroom. Generally, school refusal affects 5 to 28 percent of students at some time in their lives, according to the School Avoidance Alliance.

What School Refusal Looks Like

Elementary-age children cling to their parents and resist entering the school building. At home, they complain of stomachaches, headaches, nausea, or vomiting. They have tantrums when talking about homework or express worry about school. Sometimes, they run away from home to avoid going to school.

A child’s teachers might report a change in their behavior, or their mood might shift unexpectedly in school and at home. The child generally starts to worry about things unrelated to school.

[On-Demand Webinar: School Avoidance & Refusal Strategies for Parents and Educators]

School refusal looks different in adolescents and teens. Many of them leave school early, skip class, or avoid certain parts of the day by going to the nurse. Some have sleep problems and complain of stomachaches and other ailments. Some experience panic attacks.

Older students can’t always communicate their feelings or anxieties. Instead of saying something like, “School is really hard and I’m struggling,” they become defiant, irritable, and angry toward peers and family members. Older kids also become more self-conscious about their academic performance, how they think others perceive them, and their physical appearance.

Identifying Underlying Fears of School

Distractibility, sensory overload, poor working memory, disorganization, and time blindness can make school challenging for students with ADHD. Those with anxiety may seek to escape the pressure of classroom tests, quizzes, and social situations. Others may avoid school to gain access to rewards at home, like video games or screen time.

Addressing school refusal is critical — and achievable. Many therapists recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) because it can help kids identify their underlying fears and support a gradual shift in their behavior.

Children with ADHD commonly struggle with anxiety, which brings a fight, flight, or freeze response. Avoidance, an example of the flight response, is common for kids who have anxiety and ADHD. To improve anxiety, you must address avoidant behavior.

Think of it this way: A boy is scared of his neighbor’s dog. When he steps out of his house and sees it, his heart races and he thinks, “The dog is going to bite me.” He runs back into his house and calms down, but only temporarily.

When he sees the dog again, his anxiety grows in intensity because avoiding the dog only confirmed his anxiety. His urge to run away is even greater.

[Download: Social Anxiety Facts and Falsehoods]

So how does the child conquer his fear of dogs? By not avoiding them. The more children are exposed to what they fear — in safe, incremental doses — the more they teach their bodies to understand: “I can do this, even though it’s really hard.” This helps build a tolerance for things that are uncomfortable.

This process is called exposure therapy: It means exposing an individual to the fear that triggers their anxiety in gradual, increasingly challenging steps. This is a critical part of the treatment plan for school refusal. When kids confront their fear, and ride the wave of anxiety that builds, crests, and subsides, they learn that their anxiety will pass and that they can tolerate the feeling while it’s happening.

An effective school refusal treatment plan, called a hierarchy, requires a nuanced understanding of a child’s specific situation. The hierarchy should include motivating rewards upon completion of each step. But keep in mind: It’s important to break down the hierarchy into very small steps. Practice the first step until a child’s anxiety level drops from a rating of 8 out of 10 to a 4 or 5. Then move to the next step.

Below is a sample hierarchy plan:

1. Drive to school
2. Walk to school door
3. Walk through school door
4. Walk to selected location in school
5. Walk to classroom, sit outside for 5 minutes
6. Walk to classroom, sit outside with a friend for 10 minutes
7. Walk into class, sit in“safe spot” for 5 minutes
8. Stay in school 1 (2, 3, 4) period(s)
9. Stay in school until lunch
10. Stay all day

Working with Your Child’s School

An effective partnership between parents, the school, and a therapist may look like this:

• The child goes to CBT once a week or more. The therapist works on exposure therapy as well as cognitive reframing tools and coping strategies.
• The child’s parents meet with the therapist regularly to learn how to provide support.
• The school collaborates with the parents and the therapist on creating and implementing a re-entry plan.

Schools can offer supports and accommodations to ease the intense anxiety caused by attending school. This could include reducing the homework load, changing deadlines, moving the child’s seat, or having the child start their day in the therapist’s office.

If the child’s anxiety is so impairing that none of these interventions help, consider medication, or an alternate school setting, such as a therapeutic school with more robust supports.

[Download: 30 Great Accommodations for Children with ADHD]

Staying Home from School

If you allow your child to stay home from school, consider the following:

• Keep everything as boring as possible, including meals.
• Turn off the Internet. Remove devices until after school hours.
• Direct your child to do schoolwork and chores.
• Do not allow playdates, outsides activities, or rewards.

Make sure to prepare your child for their return to school the night before and the morning of.

The night before:

• Help your child engage in a relaxing activity.
• Use supportive statements and positive self-talk together.
• Practice strategies that will calm your child.

The morning of:

• Calmly state that you understand how your child is feeling. Say, “I can see this is really hard for you.”
• Express confidence in their ability to cope. Say, “I know you can do this.”
• Review rewards and consequences.
• Keep calm. Refrain from emotional reactions.

Reader Insights

ADDitude magazine asked readers whether their child ever refused to go to school for an extended period. Forty-three percent responded yes. Of this group, 41% said that school refusal lasted for days, 20% said weeks, 11% said months, and 28% said it lasted for a year or longer. Some shared their experiences.

“In kindergarten, it was hard for my oldest to leave the comfort of home. His ADHD made it hard to adapt to new expectations and routines. He ran away from school often, hid from his teachers, and just plain refused to leave the house in the mornings. When his teacher started preparing a card with a new word and definition for him each morning, inspired by his hyperfixation on words, he suddenly became excited to go to school. He kept those cards in a collection. Now he’s in fifth grade and absolutely loves school and his teacher.”

“It was too hard for my child to sit all day and the teachers didn’t understand. We sent him to a school that understood ADHD better. Now he gets up early and goes happily.”

“My son was willing to go to school, but not to stay in class. Health issues, peer bullying, and lack of educator support made him feel lost in the middle school classroom. We found private tutors who could work with him daily at home to rebuild his academic skills and confidence. After four months, he was ready to return to a new school.”

“My daughter hated middle school. She had a hard time socially, the school felt too big, and one day she announced she was never going back there. But, true to form for ADHD people, she had already thoroughly researched her options and found an online school that would give her academic support while allowing me to be her teacher. The program fit her learning needs, and when high school started, she was ready to return to a conventional school environment. It was a lot of work for me, but I admired her for articulating the problem and finding a reasonable solution on her own at the age of 14.”

School Refusal & Avoidance: Next Steps

• Download: The Top 6 Learning Challenges Associated with ADHD
• Sign Up: ADHD @ School — A Free 10-Part Class for Parents
• Read: Why School Stress Is Toxic for Our Children
• Read: 6 Good Reasons to Change Your Child’s School
• eBook: How to Teach (and Inspire) Students with ADHD

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

An approach called the Life Course Model could significantly improve outcomes by keeping parents informed on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions and by ensuring consistency between home and school strategies.

The model’s primary aim is to foster collaborative family-school partnerships. Through meetings with the child’s academic and/or IEP team, parents can help make decisions regarding the best behavioral interventions to address the child’s needs.

[eBook: The Teacher’s Guide to ADHD and Classroom Behavior]

Daily communication about a student’s progress may also allow the teacher to advise on implementing interventions at home. However, successful student outcomes still rely on professional development and teacher training around ADHD interventions and strategies.

Life Course Model Implementation

These practice guidelines were created to help teachers address disruptive or noncompliant behaviors among students with ADHD by providing supports that build skills for independence and self-regulation. Interventions that reduce symptoms (e.g., medication) and accommodations that don’t necessarily build skills are given lower priority in the treatment plan sequence.

Life Course Model, Part 1: Services and Sequencing

Life Course Model, Part 2: Principles for Service Delivery

Behavioral Interventions for ADHD: Next Steps

• Free Download: Classroom Accommodations for Children with ADHD
• Sign Up: Free ADHD Teacher Training Program!
• Read: Could a Behavior Intervention Plan Help Your Student with ADHD? 

Marsha Ariol, M.S., is a third-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

George J. DuPaul, Ph.D., is a professor of school psychology and associate dean for research in the College of Education at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

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Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Sources

¹ Hustus, C.L., Evans, S.W., Owens, J.S., Benson, K., Hetrick, A., Kipperman, K., & DuPaul, G.J. (2020). An Evaluation of 504 and Individualized Educational Programs for High School Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. School Psychology Review,49, 333-345.doi: 10.1080/2372966X.2020.1777830

² DuPaul, G.J., Chronis-Tuscano, A., Danielson, M.L., & Visser, S.N. (2019). Predictors of Receipt of School Services in a National Sample of Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23, 1303-1319.doi: 10.1177/1087054718816169

– How to improve executive function by developing “domino” habits
– How to foster a positive learning environment that leans more heavily on praise
– How to design a neurodivergent-friendly classroom
– How to model good planning and prioritizing skills for your child
– How to capture wandering attention without embarrassing students with ADHD
– How to use a daily report card system effectively
– How to manage multiple students’ accommodations efficiently
– How to spot and avoid burnout in twice-exceptional students who are gifted and have ADHD
– How to reduce screen-time battles and use music to spark focus

Get all of these resources and more in this concise, practical, 12-page guide to building stronger executive functions in children with ADHD.

Print it, share it, use it, and start off the new school year smart!

NOTE: This resource is for personal use only.

Q: How can I, as a teacher, more effectively and efficiently implement many Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 Plan accommodations for multiple students with learning differences in one classroom?

Many students with learning differences benefit from classroom accommodations, but managing them all can challenge any educator. This is especially true today, as the number of students requesting accommodations has increased dramatically. In fact, it’s one of the top reasons cited by educators for burnout.

If I teach 100 students, about 30 will have an IEP or 504 Plan, with two to three accommodations for each student. Teachers are tasked with figuring out how to implement and track these, while also covering all the course content, engaging young minds, and maintaining rigor. It’s a lot to manage.

To tackle multiple accommodations at once, take the time to carefully organize your online classroom portal. By uploading your notes in advance, for example, you can knock off several accommodations, such as “provide notes to students” and “offer different instructional strategies.”

[Read: 27 Classroom Accommodations That Target Common ADHD Challenges]

Along those lines, set clear due dates in advance for students who are given extra time to complete assignments. Doing so offers a clear structure, which is comforting and motivating for students; for teachers, it streamlines an otherwise unwieldy process.

Q: I see my students with ADHD struggling to focus. How can I help them pay attention without embarrassing them in class?

When teachers tell students with ADHD to pay attention,” most of the kids don’t know what that looks like. This is where we can turn to the SLANT model, developed by Doug Lemov, author of The Coach’s Guidee to Teaching.

[Free Poster: What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD]

The SLANT strategy details the behaviors necessary for students to pay attention:

• Sit up
• Listen or lean forward
• Ask or answer questions
• Nod your head
• Track the speaker with your eyes

The benefits of this approach are twofold. First, these behaviors enhance the ability of the student to really engage. Second, the student who adopts them looks respectful, which sets a positive tone in the classroom.

Accommodations for ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: The Educator’s Guide to Executive Functions
• Read: Positive Teaching Strategies to Uplift Students with ADHD
• Free Download: Easy Accommodations for Kids with ADHD

Brandon Slade is the founder and CEO of Untapped Learning, an executive function coaching organization. He is a former special education teacher.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

These strategies will help your teen tap into their “grit.”

Teachers and parents can take advantage of these strategies for training focus, combatting procrastination, and prioritizing effectively to achieve the success that drives future motivation.

When we create learning environments and activities that help students feel safe and confident, we reduce their chances of experiencing failure and increase their chance at success.

Does delayed executive function maturity make it hard for your child to achieve his goals? Here, tips for practice, patience, and perseverance for children and teenagers with ADHD.

Traditional carrots and sticks don’t motivate students with ADHD – that much is clear. But these strategies do.

Why do adults and children with ADHD or ADD have strong motivation and executive function for some tasks and never find the cognitive spark to do others? Learn more.

Learn about seven important executive function skills, their relationship to motivation, and how to improve each skill. Learn more.

Foster Friendships & Regulate Emotions

Required reading for any parent whose child has felt excluded — or whose child has excluded others.

Students with ADHD thrive in a positive classroom environment, and peer interactions and relationships play a big role in shaping that learning experience.

While your child has strengths, it is the weak executive functions — the management system of the brain — that affect their social skills.

ADHD can cause specific immature behaviors, causing kids to be an outcast amongst peers. Learn how praise and getting involved in activities can help.

How to help your child make friends (and keep them) this year. Learn more.

Teach your child how to deal with a bully and become an upstander for other neurodivergent kids with these strategies.

Children and teens with ADHD may lose friends because of deficits in social executive function skills – the underlying processes that are involved in social skills ranging from perspective-taking to reciprocity and cognitive flexibility. Learn how to help them.

Initiate & Complete Homework

Research suggests that the soundtrack to your child’s homework should comprise these 21 songs, proven to change the electromagnetic frequency of brain waves for optimal focus.

Learn ways to treat dysgraphia – a disability that impacts writing abilities – and to improve handwriting for a lifetime.

With these homework routines, teachers and parents can replace after-school tantrums with higher grades..

Hurdles with writing trace back to executive functioning — our brains’ ability to absorb, organize, and act on information. Learn more.

12 ADHD-friendly strategies for creating calm, avoiding burnout, and staying organized during homework time.

Spare your family drama and fights by following this homework system designed for children with ADHD and learning disabilities.

Kids with ADHD often struggle with homework, but each one struggles in a unique way. Here are specific solutions that really work for kids with ADHD.

Secure Accommodations & Self-Advocate

These academic and organizational tips are designed to help high school students with ADHD finish homework, execute long-term projects, manage their time, earn high grades, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

“Daily report cards are among the most powerful evidence-based tools that educators have to encourage better behavior in students. A strong report card system has a few key elements that make or break its effectiveness.”

Know your rights if the school refuses to evaluate your student for learning differences.

8 straightforward steps — from requesting a school evaluation to monitoring accommodations — to help parents develop the best IEP or 504 Plan possible for kids with ADHD.

Learn how to help a student with ADHD understand and communicate their learning needs to teachers and parents.

Here are some of our favorite solutions for addressing common ADHD challenges at school.

Here are some of our favorite solutions for addressing common ADHD challenges at school.

Remember Not to Forget

A working memory deficit could explain his difficulty working out math problems in his head or with reading retention. Take this self-test.

Improve working memory in children with ADHD by using these 10 exercises that lighten the mental load by externalizing reminders.

Learn faster. Retain more. Perform better on tests. Yes, really. With these research-based techniques for studying with ADHD .

Educators must do more to support students with learning differences for whom working memory is an area of need. The following are a few strategies and pointers for educators.

Research shows that students with ADHD don’t need to study harder or longer to conquer exams — they just need to study differently. Here’s how.

Weak working memory impairs a child’s ability to follow multi-step directions, tap into old information, or quickly recall lessons. These 15 exercises and strategies can help.

Verbal and non-verbal working memory are two essential batteries powering what Dr. Russell Barkley calls your brain’s GPS system — the one that keeps you on track, on time, and in control. Learn how to keep them charged.

Build Self-Confidence at School

Responding to bad behavior with neurotypical parenting techniques is counterproductive because it ignores the root problem. Here is a better way.

When teens with ADHD feel less than adequate, parents should use these strategies to help them bolster their self confidence, make healthy choices, and develop a positive perspective on the future. Here’s how.

Daily challenges and corrections at school can demoralize a child and trample her confidence. How to end the cycle.

These ADHD teaching strategies will help all students — but especially those with ADD — learn to the best of their ability in any classroom. Get started.

No child with ADHD can succeed at school if he believes he is less smart or less capable than his peers. Here is a better way.

Many children with ADHD, battered by daily criticisms and admonitions, have low self-esteem as early as second grade. Make a powerful difference with these reframing strategies.

Chronic stress at school can make kids (particularly those with ADHD or LD) dread going — and change their brains for the worse. Learn more.

Organize & Manage Time

The most critical tool for building these executive functions? The right planner. Here it is.

Want to make sure that your child gets his homework done every night — and learns about planning and how to prioritize? Teach them to use a homework planner.

11 tips for cementing your family’s routine.

Here, learn how to use calendars and clocks to teach your child the value of strong priorities and to help him be on time more often.

Paper planners outperform digital ones for ADHD brains. Here is what makes a great planner.

Chaotic desk? Forgotten homework? Missed deadlines? Your child needs these ADHD organizing tips.

Reliable schedules for mornings, after school, and bedtime make a tremendous difference in setting expectations, building good habits, and improving ADD-related behavior. Learn more.

Resist Distractions and Focus

dopamine menu lists an assortment of pleasurable, healthy activities — from appetizers like yoga poses to main courses like a HIIT class to sides like white noise — from which ADHD brains can choose when they need stimulation. Learn more.

Research shows that physical activity — even a little foot-tapping or gum chewing — increases levels of the neurotransmitters in the brain that control focus and attention. Learn more.

“Procrastivity” is a self-defeating ADHD time-management habit can be helped by cognitive behavioral therapy approaches that teach patients how to prioritize tasks. Learn more here.

You can’t train away executive dysfunction. But you can more consistently get things done by creating systems in your life that support these brain processes. Get started here.

Soothing, effective fidgets for students with ADHD who focus best when they are chewing, squeezing, picking, or — yes — spinning. See our picks here.

Children with ADHD experience a lower level of brain arousal, which means they are easily distracted by internal and external stimuli. Use these school and home strategies to improve focus and comprehension.

For inconsistent focus, use these teacher-approved accommodations to put some real muscle behind his 504 Plan and put the attention back on learning. Get started.

Control Impulses and Behavior

Back-to-school supplies for students with ADHD — from erasable pens and highlighter tape to wiggle seat cushions, and more — that improve focus, organization, and classroom engagement. See the list.

Educators share their top tips for developing stronger executive function skills and independence in students with ADHD and learning differences here.

The Good Behavior Game is one of many classroom behavior interventions — backed by research — that inspires better behavior from students with and without ADHD. Here is how to play.

Is your child experiencing behavior problems at school? Use this step-by-step guide.

Time-outs and lectures won’t magically cure the impulsive tendencies of kids with ADHD. But these real-world tips for teachers and parents just might.

Lack of impulse control may be the most difficult ADHD symptom to change. Medication can help, but kids also need effective behavior management strategies in place — clear expectations, positive incentives, and predictable consequences — if they are to learn to regulate their behavior. Get started here.

Teach students to regulate their emotions with these ADHD strategies.

Forge Stronger Executive Functions

Executive function deficits may look like absentmindedness or forgetfulness. Learn more.

Learn about your child’s seven executive functions — and how to boost them.

“Executive dysfunction is ubiquitous in children with ADHD, which helps to explain why so many students with attention deficit are reprimanded for forgotten homework, disorganized projects, running out of time on tests, and more.” Learn more.

Martial arts help build self-control, discipline, and persistence. Learn how.

Symptoms of inattentive ADHD are often mistaken for apathy or laziness. Learn the truth.

ADHD intentions don’t always translate into action. Learn how to align them here.

90% of kids with ADHD have an executive function deficit. Learn how to strengthen executive functions here.

Moving on to college is a big transition, especially for students with ADHD who receive IEP accommodations that end with a high school graduation. There are no IEPs in higher education. However, accommodations for academics and, in some cases, housing, are available for neurodivergent college students — but the process for attaining these is unlike the process in high school.

First, students must disclose their disability with the college and advocate for the accommodations they need. For example, some colleges provide free tutoring, allow for extra test-taking time, or provide a one-on-one executive function coach. Some colleges allow students with executive function challenges to live in a dorm building with a cafeteria to ease time-management challenges like planning enough time to eat between classes.

This webinar will serve as a critical resource for parents and students seeking to understand the process of getting needed disability services.

In this webinar, you will learn:

• About the disability laws and services that apply to neurodivergent college students
• About the kinds of services, academic and beyond, that most colleges offer for neurodivergent students
• About the responsibilities of college students in disclosing a disability to seek services
• About the role and responsibilities of the Student Accessibility Services office
• About the process for applying for disability services, including what documentation might be needed

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the  symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO; YouTube 

College Accommodations: More Resources

• Download: What Are Your Teen’s Weakest Executive Functions?
• Read: 5 Steps to College Accommodations
• Q&A: “504 Plan vs. IEP — What’s the Gateway to College Accommodations?”
• Read: 10 Myths About School Laws for ADHD Services
• Read: 13 Survival Tips from College Graduates with ADHD

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on July 17, 2024, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Jillian Lillibridge Heilman, Ph.D., CRC, is a disability expert with more than 20 years of experience in disability education and advocacy. She is the Director of Student Accessibility Services at Connecticut College and provides training to other colleges and private organizations that seek to better serve individuals with disabilities.

Dr. Heilman also serves as an adjunct instructor at both Connecticut College and the University of South Florida in the areas of disability sciences and rehabilitation counseling. Her expertise led to the development of an online master’s program at the University of South Florida that trains professionals to work with people with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. Read more about Dr. Heilman here.

Listener Testimonials

“Having done this with one of my children, I still learned new information and considered things we’d never even thought of (e.g., access to food via housing). Thank you for sharing your experience!”

“Thanks so much! We will be sending our daughter to college this fall, and this information will help her and us so much!”

“I teach high school special education. Today’s webinar was fantastic. It was so informative for teachers trying to support students in building independence skills at school to help them be ready to navigate college. I would love more of this type of content!”

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is….

Landmark College exclusively serves students who learn differently, including students with learning disabilities (such as dyslexia), ADHD, autism, or executive function challenges. The College offers associate and bachelor’s degrees as well as short-term programs on its Putney, Vermont campus, online dual enrollment courses for high school students, and a fully online A.A. in General Studies. Learn more at www.landmark.edu.

ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.

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Episode Description

School refusal and avoidance have grown more prevalent and problematic since the quarantine of 2020. The reasons behind school refusal and avoidance are different for every student, but the goal is typically the same: to stay at home and miss tests, class work, and homework. From elementary school through high school, absenteeism is growing — and pushing students further and further behind.

Underlying anxiety often propels and compels this behavior, which can present differently in different students — from stomachaches and headaches in some to signs of depression in others. For some students, this anxiety may stem from academic struggles. Students with ADHD may feel overwhelmed if they’re unable to keep up with teacher instruction, class work, and homework. They may also be worn down by years of criticism and correction at school. For others, social difficulties, such as bullying or peer rejection, may cause anxiety and the desire to avoid school.

It’s important for caregivers and educators to understand the underlying causes for each student’s school avoidance and absenteeism so that their individual needs can be addressed, and they can return to school feeling hopeful in a positive environment.

In this webinar, you will learn:

• About the underlying factors that contribute to school avoidance and absenteeism
• How these factors may affect students with ADHD, in particular
• How symptoms of school avoidance can look different across elementary school-age children and teens
• How to identify and meet the needs of struggling students
• About the evidence-based strategies that parents and educators can utilize to support students with school refusal behaviors
• Therapy options to help students transition back to the academic environment

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the  symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO; YouTube 

School Avoidance & ADHD: More Resources

– Download: The School Avoidance Alliance’s Free Guide to Working with Your School
– Enroll: The School Avoidance Alliance’s Master Class for Parents (use discount code: Additude)
– Share: The School Avoidance Alliance’s Course for Educators (use discount code: Additude)
– Read: Why School Stress Is Toxic for Our Children
– Sign Up: Free Back-to-School Master Class from ADDitude
– Read: 6 Good Reasons to Change Your Child’s School
– Download: Social Anxiety Facts and Falsehoods

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on July 9, 2024, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Alana Cooperman, LCSW, is a senior social worker for the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. She has extensive experience delivering evidence-based treatment to children and families with a range of anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, selective mutism, and phobias. She also works with individuals with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and those struggling with emotion dysregulation. Mrs. Cooperman has provided individual and group therapy to children and adolescents in school settings for over 15 years.

Mrs. Cooperman has received training in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), functional behavior assessments (FBA), parent-child interaction therapy for selective mutism (PCIT-SM), and exposure and response prevention (ERP).

Mrs. Cooperman’s experience includes working on a multidisciplinary team, alongside school administrators, teachers, families, and other clinicians, to create student goals and individualized behavior plans. She has led numerous workshops for both teachers and families, teaching strategies to support children struggling with emotion regulation, anger, and anxiety. Mrs. Cooperman also has experience conducting comprehensive family intakes and child and adolescent risk assessments.

Listener Testimonials

“Great presentation – she was very knowledgeable.”

“This was a terrific webinar with a good amount of information presented in an understandable format without being overwhelming. Thank you!”

“I like how reasonable, manageable, and relatable the presenter was. It was motivating to access the cycle of interventions that she suggested. This will be very useful for my client in the upcoming months!”

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1. Use Tracking Tools

Create a system to track college application deadlines. If you’re a paper person, try a big wall calendar, whiteboard, or use a weekly/monthly planner. If you prefer digital apps, use an e-calendar that’s accessible from different devices, like Microsoft Outlook or Google. Also consider using sticky notes, phone alerts, spreadsheets — whatever system works for you.

Check each school’s website for application deadlines. In your task tracker, build in cushions by scheduling each task’s deadline one week before it’s truly due. More than 1,000 colleges use the Common App program, wherein you apply to many schools with one application. Other schools use proprietary applications and requirements. Check the “Admissions” link on each college website to confirm its methods and dates. Ask someone you trust to double-check the deadlines in your tracker to ensure accuracy.

[Free Download: Securing ADHD Accommodations in College]

2. Give Thought to Essays

Determine how many essays you need to write and the topics allowed for each. Enter due dates in your tracker for each essay’s outline, first draft, second draft, review by a trusted adult, revisions, and final draft. Use graphic organizers, mind maps, or templates to organize your thoughts. Body doubling with a friend can increase motivation and accountability while you work.

3. Schedule Admission Exams

Many colleges are now “test optional,” but standardized admission exams are still required at other institutions. Don’t discount these exams since colleges may use SAT or ACT scores to award merit or other scholarships. Schedule and take any required exams as soon as possible in case you want to retest later. If you need testing accommodations, request them.

4. Request Recommendations

Decide which teachers, counselors, or other mentors you’ll ask to write letters of recommendation and provide them with early due dates when you make the requests. Offer suggestions to make it easier for them to write about you (e.g., list your clubs, activities, sports, internships, jobs, and volunteer work) Check-in if needed before the due date. Send thank-you notes when the recommendation letters have been completed.

5. Gather Transcripts

Ask your guidance counselor how to request transcripts and complete the college admissions process.

[Self-Test: Could My Teen Have an Executive Function Deficit?]

6. Search for Scholarships

Research scholarships that are available from your school as well as from local and national organizations. Track requirements and deadlines and apply for applicable ones.

7. Consider Financial Aid

Check federal and state FAFSA deadlines (studentaid.gov) and track them. Gather financial records and complete the forms.

The application process can seem overwhelming but breaking big tasks into smaller steps can help. Review tasks weekly, track your progress, ask for help when needed, and celebrate each task you complete!

College Applications: Next Steps

• Read: The College Survival Guide for Students with ADHD
• Watch: “The College Application Guide for Neurodivergent Students”
• Read: Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Choose A College
• Download: What Are Your Teen’s Weakest Executive Functions?

Elizabeth C. McCarron, M.Ed., ACC, is a certified ADHD life coach.

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