The best IEP is the one with accommodations designed for your child’s very specific symptoms. Here are some of our favorite solutions for addressing common ADHD challenges at school.

Students with ADHD often benefit from special accommodations. When teachers and parents spend thoughtful time pinpointing problematic ADHD symptoms and work together to devise classroom accommodations, they create effective solutions to those problems.

Following is a list of common academic challenges faced by students with ADHD, and the accommodations that can help bring success at school.

Classroom Setup Accommodations for ADHD

If your child: Is easily distracted by classroom activity or by activity visible through door or windows
Try: Seating the student front and center, away from distractions

If your child: Acts out in class to gain negative attention
Try: Seating the student near a good role model

If your child: Is unaware of personal space; reaches across desks to talk to or touch other students
Try: Increasing distance between desks

[Quiz: How Well Do You Know Special-Ed Law?]

Assignment Accommodations for ADHD

If your child: Is unable to complete work within given time
Try: Allowing extra time to complete assigned work

If your child: Does well at the beginning of an assignment but quality of work decreases toward the end
Try: Breaking long assignments into smaller parts; shorten assignments or work periods

If your child: Has difficulty following instructions
Try: Pairing written instructions with oral instructions

Distractibility Accommodations for ADHD

If your child: Is unable to keep up during classroom discussions and/or take notes effectively
Try: Providing peer assistance in note taking and asking the student questions to encourage participation in discussions

If your child: Complains that lessons are “boring”
Try: Seeking to involve student in lesson presentation

If your child: Is easily distracted
Try: Cuing your student to stay on task with a private signal

If your child: Turns in work with careless mistakes
Try: Scheduling five-minute period to check over work before turning in homework or tests