Teacher input is essential for an accurate ADHD screening and assessment because teachers are in a unique position to observe a child’s behavior in an age-appropriate setting, such as a classroom. They can provide valuable information about a child’s attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and social interactions that may not be apparent during a clinical assessment. In fact, a large study found that when medication was dosed specifically to respond to teacher ratings the children improved much more than when the same medication was used without teacher input.
Furthermore, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) states that the assessment of ADHD should include information from multiple sources, including parents, teachers, and other caregivers, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the child’s behavior across settings.
In addition to providing important behavioral observations, teachers can also help identify academic difficulties that may be related to ADHD, such as problems with organization, planning, and completing assignments. This information can be used to develop effective interventions and support strategies that can help the child succeed in school.
Overall, involving teachers in the assessment process for students with ADHD can lead to more accurate diagnoses, effective treatment plans, and better outcomes for students.
But how to get teacher input? Sending paper forms in the backpack of any child, especially one with ADHD, is not a strategy likely to succeed!
CHADIS, a clinical support and screening/patient data platform, can easily send the assessments to the teacher electronically and then score and return the results for the healthcare provider automatically, in real-time.
How Does CHADIS help with ADHD?
CHADIS uses online questionnaires to help educators and families communicate with clinicians about students. All answers are confidentially delivered directly to the clinician!
- Getting teacher input- Teachers receive an invitation via a CHADIS email from parents or office staff to complete a questionnaire on behalf of a student. Questionnaires can be completed quickly online and results are sent directly back to the child’s provider.
- Requesting 504 Plans and IEP assessments- Clinicians can easily create prepopulated 504 Plan and IEP requests during or between visits using information from the parent results, visit observations, and intervention suggestions in CHADIS selected together with the student and parents.
- Reports for families and schools- Clinician reports suitable for sharing are assembled by input from questionnaires and clinician quick text during the visit saving hours of post-visit effort.
- Safety and Security- CHADIS is completely secure and HIPAA and FERPA-compliant. While not legally required, parents can sign an electronic consent form in CHADIS giving teachers official permission to provide feedback on their child.
- Graphics for shared decision-making – CHADIS graphs results of behaviors reported by both parents and teachers on the same page for shared decision-making with the child and family, placebo-controlled trials, comparisons of medications, and year-over-year changes.
CHADIS can make the assessment of ADHD more accurate and convenient for both the provider and the educator!
About CHADIS
CHADIS is a pre-visit questionnaire solution, integrated with MicroMD PM and EMR, that uses evidence-based tools to accurately identify problems and provide real-time suggestions allowing clinicians to focus on patient concerns and visit agenda.
