My child has just been diagnosed with ADHD — what do I do now?

Tell the school so SEN Support can start, then ask your ADHD service about its parent programme and medication review; NICE puts school adjustments and parent support first, not medication.

First: tell the school and start SEN Support

Most school-age children with ADHD are helped through SEN Support, the school's everyday graduated help, and you do not need an EHCP for that to begin. Email the SENCO (the teacher in charge of special educational needs), attach the diagnosis letter, and ask for a meeting to agree what changes the classroom will make. ADHD is a disability under the Equality Act 2010, so the school must make reasonable adjustments. The NHS suggests practical ones you can ask for:

• Breaking work into short 15-20 minute chunks.
• Clear, one-step instructions rather than long lists.
• A visible to-do list and movement or fidget breaks.
• Praise and reward charts that notice effort, not just results.

Then: use the parent programme and decide about medication

The team that diagnosed your child (usually a community paediatrician or an ADHD service) will normally offer post-diagnosis support, often an ADHD-focused workshop or parent programme. This is worth taking up. NICE recommends ADHD-focused support for parents and carers, plus changes at home and school, as the first response after diagnosis. Medication is offered only if difficulties are still causing significant problems once those changes have been tried.

If medication is the right step, for children aged 5 and over the first-line medicine is methylphenidate. It must be started and monitored by a specialist; your GP may then continue prescribing under a shared care agreement. Children under 5 are not offered medication first, the recommended route is a parent-training programme. Not every child with ADHD needs or takes medication.

If support stalls or the needs are bigger

If ADHD sits alongside other needs and ordinary school support is not enough, you can request an EHC needs assessment from your council, with or without a diagnosis. You may also be able to claim Disability Living Allowance for a child under 16 if they need much more day-to-day care or supervision than other children their age; a diagnosis is not required, but you do need to show that extra-care need. If the ADHD service goes quiet or shared care breaks down, your local SENDIASS gives free, impartial advice on chasing it.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.