Dear Teacher: Let’s Work Together

Back-to-school time means it’s time to write a letter to your child’s teacher and outline the ADHD accommodations that have helped him/her find better success in the classroom.

Write a letter to your child’s school teacher to start the academic year off right. You’ll want to discuss your child’s symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), dyslexia, or other learning disabilities, his ADHD medication, if he takes any, as well as ADHD accommodations that have helped him succeed at school.

Here’s one parent’s letter, which may give you some ideas for creating your own.

Dear [Teacher’s name]

We wanted to take this opportunity to help you get to know [child’s name] better. He is smart, but he often struggles in school because of his ADHD and deficits in executive functions. The more you know about him, the easier your job will be and the more successful he will be at school.

First let me tell you about his strengths:

• Creative
• Kind and respectful
• Eager to please adults

[Child’s Name] special interests and talents:

• Athletic, a great swimmer
• Understands and enjoys computer programming
• Loves video games
• Loves music of all kinds
• Enjoys socialising with friends

Most of [Child’s Name]’s challenges are due to his diagnosed ADHD and executive function deficits:

• Daydreaming
• Finds it hard to get started on and finish his work
• Forgets homework assignments
• Forgets to turn in homework
• Weak written expression – finds it hard to get his ideas on paper and to organise them
• Difficulty memorising maths facts, learning another language and completing complex multi-steps maths problems
• Slow writing and reading – as a result he produces less written work

Previous teachers have found these strategies to be most effective:

• Select someone to remind him to get started
• Tap him gently on his shoulder to get his attention
• Give him a quite space to take tests

Our child wants to to well at school, even though it may be hard for him at times. His [dad] and I are willing to work with you at any time. Let us know if texting, email or phoning works best for your schedule. Here is our contact information: [111 111111; [email protected]].

We look forward to having a great school year.

Warm regards

[Your Name]

26th August 2019