ADHD Screening and Assessment

Screening for ADHD:

1. When a parent requests observational and “rating scale” type information from a school to take to their physician to assist in a diagnosis of ADHD, school staff will collect and provide the information.
2. When a parent inquires as to whether or not the school thinks their child has ADHD, the appropriate response (unless you are a licensed psychologist, or advanced practice nurse) is that school staff is not qualified to make the diagnosis. School staff must only report behaviors that have been observed and documented, and not offer a “diagnosis” by using a label such as ADHD.
3. When a parent inquires about the advisability or potential benefit of medication, school staff must clarify that they can only speak from their personal experience and observations, but clearly cannot provide advice as to whether it would be appropriate for the child being discussed.
4. When a teacher observes attention issues with a student they will refer it to the building team (SAT, TAT, SST, etc) for consideration and advise for interventions.
5. School staff must institute a variety of pre-referral interventions over time, including standard data collection and progress monitoring procedures to determine if the behavior seems to either substantially limit (Section 504) or adversely affect (IDEA) educational performance.
6. Once appropriate interventions have been tried it may be appropriate to refer the student for either a 504 or special education eligibility evaluation.

It is imperative that school staff understand that if they suggest that the school needs or “requires” a diagnosis, then the district is obligated to pay for it.

ADHD Diagnosis for eligibility for special education under OHD:

1. The school evaluation team, before determining that a DSM diagnosis of ADHD is required to determine eligibility for special education MUST:
1. Ensure that appropriate pre-referral interventions have been documented that are of sufficient intensity and duration to indicate the need for further assessment for special education eligibility.
2. Determine if eligibility criteria are indicated in one of the other categories.
3. Be certain that having a DSM diagnosis of ADHD is essential to either determine eligibility or to develop appropriate special education services.
4. When a student is eligible for special education under a category other than OHD and attention or off task behaviors are issues, the team must carefully analyze how having an ADHD diagnosis would change interventions or services. The answer is generally that it wouldn’t, therefore a diagnosis is not required by the district.
5. It is imperative to understand that if the district determines that a diagnosis is required, then the district is obligated to pay for it.
6. Currently the district does have staff members that are licensed psychologists, who under very unusual and extraordinary circumstances could provide the DSM diagnosis for educational purposes. This will not be a general practice, because often parents are interested in investigating medical treatment options of medication.
7. If the evaluation team determines that an ADHD diagnosis is essential to determining eligibility for special education then parents must be informed, and a discussion held regarding options.

1.Parents may choose to obtain the diagnosis on their own and bring back the necessary documentation as is now the common practice.

2.They must also be informed that if that is not their preferred option that the school district would need to pay for the diagnosis. To do that the parents should arrange an appointment with their preferred physician, informing that physician that the district is paying for the diagnosis, and sign releases of information for the school staff to communicate with the doctor regarding the diagnosis and that the doctor’s report would be sent directly to the district along with invoice for payment.

1. The required form to document the ADHD diagnosis that is to be completed by the physician, or licensed psychologist or advanced practice nurse is available on Campus in the blank forms under special education.

ADHD as an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity requiring a 504 Accommodation Plan:

1. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended by Congress effective January 1, 2009. The law also amended Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Although no regulations have yet been issued, the specific changes in the law clarify that the determination of the existence of impairment is based on a referral statement that the impairment is present and that evidence clearly establishes that the impairment substantially limits a major life activity. There does not appear to be any requirement that an official diagnosis be documented, although it would be desirable to have such documentation if it is available.
2. The observation and rating scales commonly used to provide data regarding attention issues, would be sufficient documentation of an attentional impairment, without a DSM diagnosis from a licensed professional. Do not use ADHD as a label or descriptor of the impairment, unless there is a professional diagnosis meeting the criteria set forth in MN Statute 125A.02.
3. If parents are requesting a 504 Plan and claiming ADHD, but do not have a medical diagnosis, they must be informed that a diagnosis may be helpful, but not required.
4. If no diagnosis is available then the observations and checklists used by the district will be the source of information to establish an attentional impairment.
5. District procedures for determining a disability for and the development of a 504 Accommodation Plan must be followed.