Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, impulse control, activity levels and executive functioning.
Every child or young person with ADHD is different. Some may mainly experience inattention, others hyperactivity and impulsivity, while many experience a combination of both.
Children with ADHD can thrive in education when their strengths are recognised, barriers are understood and appropriate support is put in place.
Schools have duties to identify and support Special Educational Needs (SEN) and, where ADHD meets the legal definition of disability, to consider and make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
This guide provides practical information for children, young people, parents, carers and professionals about ADHD in education, legal rights, evidence, advocacy and support.
Important — this guide primarily relates to England
SEND, EHCP, school attendance, disability discrimination and exclusion arrangements differ across the United Kingdom.
The education-law information on this page primarily explains the system in England.
SEN Support Should Respond to Need
The SEND framework is based on identifying educational needs and responding to barriers to learning.
Schools should not simply leave a child without educational support while they are waiting for an ADHD assessment or diagnosis.
Needs may already be visible through
- Difficulty sustaining attention
- Organisation difficulties
- Working-memory difficulties
- Impulsivity
- Emotional regulation difficulties
- Difficulty starting or completing tasks
- Attendance or school-related distress
School can consider
- SEN Support
- SENCO involvement
- Reasonable adjustments
- Teaching adaptations
- Organisational support
- Specialist advice
- Regular review of progress
Understanding ADHD
ADHD affects how the brain regulates attention, organisation, self-control and activity.
Some children may experience
- Difficulty concentrating
- Forgetfulness
- Losing equipment
- Impulsivity
- Restlessness
- Difficulty waiting
- Emotional regulation difficulties
- Organisation problems
- Time management difficulties
- Executive functioning challenges
Many children with ADHD also have significant strengths
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
- Energy and enthusiasm
- Curiosity
- Hyperfocus on areas of interest
- Resilience
- Innovative thinking
ADHD should not be treated as a single standard pattern. The level and type of difficulty can vary significantly between children and between different environments.
ADHD and Learning
Children with ADHD often want to learn but may find it difficult to consistently demonstrate what they know because of difficulties with attention, working memory or executive functioning.
Challenges may include
- Following multi-step instructions
- Starting tasks
- Completing work
- Organisation
- Managing time
- Remembering homework
- Concentrating in busy classrooms
- Switching between activities
Helpful classroom approaches may include
- Clear routines
- Short, simple instructions
- Visual timetables
- Breaking work into smaller tasks
- Frequent check-ins
- Positive reinforcement
- Movement opportunities
- Organisational support
- Flexible seating where appropriate
Executive-function and attention difficulties can make starting, organising and completing work much harder even where the pupil understands the subject.
School Support
Schools should identify needs early and provide appropriate support through the graduated Assess – Plan – Do – Review approach.
Assess
Identify strengths, difficulties, barriers and available evidence.
Plan
Agree support, desired outcomes and how progress will be reviewed.
Do
Deliver agreed support consistently.
Review
Check whether support is effective and change it where needed.
Support may include
- SEN Support
- Individual learning plans
- Pastoral support
- Small-group interventions
- Behaviour support
- Learning mentor
- Executive-functioning strategies
- Educational psychology involvement
- Mental health support
- Family liaison
Where a child has identified educational needs, support can be considered before an ADHD diagnosis is confirmed.
Reasonable Adjustments
Where ADHD amounts to a disability under the Equality Act 2010, schools have legal duties concerning reasonable adjustments and disability discrimination.
Classroom Support
- Preferential seating
- Reduced distractions
- Visual prompts
- Written instructions
- Task checklists
- Chunked learning
Organisation
- Homework reminders
- Colour-coded resources
- Organisers
- Extra planning time
- Equipment prompts
Behaviour Support
- Positive behaviour strategies
- Calm communication
- Predictable routines
- Planned movement breaks
- Quiet regulation spaces
Assessment Support
- Rest breaks
- Extra time where approved
- Separate room where appropriate
- Assistive technology
- Exam access arrangements
Processing
- One instruction at a time
- Processing time
- Check understanding privately
- Written backup to verbal information
Movement & Regulation
- Planned movement
- Safe movement opportunities
- Short regulation breaks
- Reduced unnecessary sitting time
Adjustments should reflect the child's needs and the disadvantage they experience rather than being based only on the name of a diagnosis.
ADHD, Behaviour and School Policies
Children with ADHD may sometimes struggle with:
- Waiting their turn
- Calling out
- Emotional regulation
- Impulsive behaviour
- Organisation
- Forgetting rules
- Completing work
- Stopping an action quickly
Schools should consider
- Whether SEND has been identified
- Whether reasonable adjustments are in place
- Whether behaviour reflects unmet needs
- Whether additional support is required
- Whether the behaviour policy has been applied fairly
- Whether agreed SEN provision was actually delivered
Current Department for Education exclusion guidance requires schools to take account of their Equality Act duties.
Where disability-related needs contribute to behaviour, schools should consider whether reasonable adjustments and appropriate SEND support have been made.
A pupil should not simply be sent home for disciplinary reasons outside the formal suspension or exclusion process.
ADHD and Attendance
Some pupils with ADHD experience attendance difficulties due to:
- Anxiety
- School-related stress
- Bullying
- Sensory overload
- Emotional dysregulation
- Sleep difficulties
- Mental health needs
- Unmet SEND
Support may include
- Attendance plans
- Flexible support
- Wellbeing interventions
- Mental health referrals
- SEND reviews
- Early Help services
- Reasonable adjustments
- Safe arrival arrangements
- Trusted adult support
Current statutory attendance guidance recognises that some pupils face greater barriers to attendance and schools, families and relevant services should work together to address those barriers.
Department for Education guidance specifically addresses pupils whose mental health is affecting their ability to attend school.
ADHD and Mental Health
Children with ADHD may also experience:
- Anxiety
- Low mood
- Low self-esteem
- Emotional dysregulation
- Sleep difficulties
- Burnout or exhaustion
- Social challenges
- School-related stress
Difficulties with behaviour, attendance or learning may sometimes be connected with emotional or mental health needs.
School Support
- Pastoral support
- Trusted adult
- School counselling
- Wellbeing planning
Health Support
- GP
- School nurse where available
- Mental health services
- CAMHS where appropriate
Environment
- Reduce unnecessary pressure
- Review bullying
- Review workload
- Review unmet SEND
ADHD and EHCPs
Some children with ADHD have their needs met through SEN Support.
Others with more complex or long-term needs may require an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where the statutory criteria are met.
Education
- Specialist teaching
- Educational psychology input
- Additional staffing
Therapy
- Occupational therapy where relevant
- Speech and language therapy where relevant
- Other specialist provision
Wellbeing & Placement
- Emotional wellbeing support
- Behaviour support
- Specialist placement where appropriate
You do not have to wait for the school to make the request.
Working with School
Good communication between home and school is important.
Parents and carers may wish to
- Meet regularly with the SENCO
- Share information about strengths and challenges
- Agree reasonable adjustments
- Review progress regularly
- Keep written records
- Raise concerns early
- Ask for support plans in writing
Meetings should consider
- The child's views
- Parent and carer observations
- Teacher evidence
- Support already tried
- Professional evidence
- Whether agreed strategies are working
After a meeting, it can help to record:
- What has been agreed
- Who is responsible
- When support starts
- How impact will be measured
- When it will be reviewed
Bullying
Children with ADHD may be at greater risk of bullying because of differences in behaviour, attention or social interaction.
Schools should
- Take concerns seriously
- Investigate promptly
- Follow anti-bullying policies
- Protect the child from victimisation
- Consider whether additional support is needed
- Consider disability discrimination where relevant
Parents can
- Report concerns in writing
- Record dates and incidents
- Save relevant messages or screenshots
- Ask what action school is taking
- Keep copies of correspondence
Where bullying involves threats, exploitation, serious harm, violence or other safeguarding concerns, the school's safeguarding procedures may also apply.
Supporting Learning at Home
Parents and carers can help by:
- Using predictable routines
- Breaking homework into smaller steps
- Allowing movement breaks
- Using visual reminders
- Praising effort and progress
- Keeping communication positive
- Working with school on shared strategies
- Using reminders for equipment and homework
Support should help a child develop confidence and independence without making home learning an ongoing source of conflict or distress.
Discuss this with school.
Adjusting the quantity, presentation, timing or method of recording work may sometimes be appropriate depending on the pupil's individual needs.
Legal Rights
Children with ADHD may have rights under:
Equality Act 2010
- Disability discrimination protection
- Reasonable adjustments
- Protection from harassment and victimisation
Children and Families Act 2014
- SEN duties
- EHCP assessments
- EHCP provision
- Participation in decisions
Other Frameworks
- SEND Code of Practice
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Education legislation
- Data protection legislation
- Safeguarding duties
These rights may include
- SEN Support
- Reasonable adjustments where legally required
- Protection from disability discrimination
- EHCP assessment where appropriate
- Fair admissions
- Participation in educational decisions
- Protection from unlawful exclusion
- Access to complaints and appeals
The Equality Act test looks at the effect of the impairment on normal day-to-day activities, including whether that effect is substantial and long term.
Evidence Standards
Good evidence can help when requesting support, reasonable adjustments or an EHCP.
School Evidence
- School reports
- Attendance records
- Behaviour records
- SEN Support plans
- Homework examples
Professional Evidence
- Medical reports
- ADHD assessment or diagnosis where available
- Educational psychologist reports
- Therapy evidence where relevant
Family Evidence
- Parent diary
- Emails and correspondence
- Meeting notes
- Child or young person's views
- Records of support already provided
- The child's needs
- The educational impact
- Strategies already tried
- Outcomes achieved
- Adjustments requested
- Why additional support is needed
Schools should consider educational needs even where ADHD is still being assessed.
Building a Clear Evidence Record
1. Need
What difficulty is occurring?
2. Impact
How does it affect education?
3. Support
What has already been tried?
4. Request
What additional action is being requested?
Accountability & Complaints
If concerns remain unresolved, it is important to use the correct route for the issue.
This may include the class teacher, form tutor, SENCO or pastoral lead.
Ask school to explain what support is being provided, what has been decided and when it will be reviewed.
Keep copies of the complaint and the school's responses.
This may be relevant to EHCP or other local-authority SEND responsibilities.
Not every complaint is a Tribunal matter, and not every Tribunal issue should be dealt with solely as a school complaint.
SEND, equality or legal advice may help identify the correct route.
For example, GOV.UK states that a school disability discrimination claim to the SEND Tribunal should normally be made within six months of the discrimination complained of.
GOV.UK advises parents concerned about a school's SEN Support to speak to the SENCO and then use the school's formal complaints procedure if the issue is not resolved.
Advocacy & Independent Support
Families may find support from:
Quick Help Directory
Related Right First Time UK Resources
Disability & Accessibility
Equality, accessibility and reasonable-adjustment information.
Disability & AccessibilityKey Message
Children and young people with ADHD can achieve and succeed when schools understand their individual needs and provide timely, appropriate support.
Good communication between families and education providers, personalised strategies, reasonable adjustments where required and early intervention can significantly improve learning, wellbeing and participation.
A child should not be left without educational support simply because an ADHD assessment or diagnosis has not yet been completed.
If support is not meeting a child's needs, families have the right to ask questions, request reviews, keep evidence and use complaints or appeal processes where appropriate.
Right First Time UK — Information Notice
Right First Time UK provides general public information, awareness resources and signposting.
We are not a school, college, local authority, NHS service, ADHD diagnostic service, SEND Tribunal, law firm or regulated legal advice provider.
ADHD, SEND and disability needs differ between individuals. Education law, government guidance and support arrangements can also change.
This page primarily describes the system in England. Different education and SEND systems apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Always check current official guidance and seek appropriate professional or specialist advice where needed.