It’s hard to believe that soon the time for parent-teacher conferences will be upon us. For many, it is a time of anxiety as we prepare our thoughts and possible concerns. Parents with an ADHD child should be asking themselves, how do we extract the most value out of a 15-minute parent-teacher conference? The type of value that can truly provide children with ADHD the school support they need to succeed.

The following parent-teacher conference tips will benefit both the parents and children with ADHD:

1. Go with notes. Write down areas that you believe are strong and some that are of concern. Also, talk to you child ahead of time and ask them for any areas of concern, or that are causing anxiety.
2. Be aware of grades.
3. Ask about the teacher’s view on your child’s comprehension: following the directions on assignments, and engagement during class time?
4. Ask about both homework and class work completions: are they on time and done completely?
5. It hasn’t been long since the school year started, but are there areas of positive growth and/or areas of needed growth?
6. Communication: What is the best way to set up consistent communication going forward: email, phone, communication log?
7. If your child has an IEP or 504, does the teacher know about it and has he/she read it? At this point, does the teacher see accommodations/modifications working? Is there a need for any tweaking from the teacher’s point of view?

Depending on how soon you want to address the above, you certainly wouldn't have to wait for the conferences.

Certainly a conversation can be had at anytime with a followup during that parent-teacher conference.

Most important is to maintain communication with the school to understand the struggles of your child and how the support systems in place are being followed. Data collection results!

Please reach out if you would like a free 20 minute consult!

Best,

Karen Lowry, RN, MSN

Master IEP Coach®

ADHD Coach

karenklowry.com

karen@karenklowry.com