How much do teachers know about ADHD, and how much should parents be providing information to teachers? What should teacher training and ADHD look like?

Elaine:
So one of the questions we've gotten recently is, "How much training do teachers really get about ADHD in particular? And how much of it is my job as a parent to provide that information for teachers?" We hear this a lot: do teachers get training for ADHD?

Diane:
Yeah. So, the first thing I would say is that it absolutely is part of your job.

Elaine:
It's your job.

Diane:
And part of that is just because you know your kid better than anybody else does, and every kid's different. And part of it is that our teachers have a lot of kids to deal with, and a lot of kids with a lot of different kinds of challenges. And so, you're the best person that's equipped to help your teacher understand your child and the issues that they have.

Elaine:
So, BUT here's what I would add to that. Because there's this larger issue of understanding ADHD or dyslexia or anxiety, or all of these complex issues our kids face. We assume, as parents, that our teachers are educated on all of these things because they're teachers. But the truth is many, many, many of them don't get this kind of education. And so they really do rely on other resources like informed parents – to help them get that information. I mean, that's why we created Sanity School for Teachers because we were realizing how much teachers were not as prepared as they wanted to be. And they really do want to be. They want to partner with you, and they want to team with you. So when you can provide resources, have some compassion for what they're struggling with as teachers, and help them be as well-informed as you are, I think it works for everybody. Teachers want training for ADHD, but they often won’t get it without your support.

Bottom Line:
Teachers may have some ADHD training, but many don't, and since challenges with ADHD can be unique, parents are often the best equipped to help teachers understand the challenges your child has and how to meet them.