Watch for a lasting pattern of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity worse than peers, seen in two or more settings and harming learning. Schools spot ADHD but cannot diagnose it: log examples, tell your SENCO.
What to look for first
ADHD shows up in three overlapping ways, and a child may have one or all of them. Use the NHS descriptions as your reference points rather than a gut feeling about a "difficult" pupil:
- Inattention: easily distracted, finds it hard to follow instructions or finish work, makes careless slips, loses things, forgets everyday tasks.
- Hyperactivity: high energy, fidgeting or tapping, getting up when meant to stay seated, talking noisily.
- Impulsivity: blurting answers, interrupting, finding it very hard to wait their turn.
Three filters separate a possible ADHD picture from ordinary childhood behaviour. The pattern is persistent (months, not a bad week), it is out of step with same-age peers, and it is impairing their learning, friendships or self-esteem. Many children are distracted, restless and impulsive, especially under age five, and that alone does not mean ADHD.
Gather the evidence the assessment will need
A clinician can only diagnose ADHD if symptoms appear in more than one important setting, so the school's record of what happens in class is load-bearing evidence, not just a courtesy. Note specific, dated examples across different lessons and times of day. One quiet, daydreaming child who never disrupts anyone can be missed entirely, which is part of why ADHD is under-recognised in girls.
Hold this within the graduated approach you already use for SEN Support: assess, plan, do, review. Put targeted strategies in place and record whether they help. That evidence supports a later referral and means the child gets help now, before any diagnosis.
Route it correctly
- Raise your concerns with the school's SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator) and the parents together.
- Share your written observations so the parents can take them to their GP, who can refer the child for an ADHD assessment on the NHS with a paediatrician or child psychiatrist. The school is usually asked to complete a questionnaire as part of that assessment.
- Do not wait for a diagnosis to act. Schools must not run universal ADHD screening, and a clinician may use a watchful-waiting period of up to 10 weeks, so support starts on need, not on a label.
Where the law comes from
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This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.