Skip to quiz
For advocates Find an advocate

Does my child have ADHD?

This page cannot answer that question. CDC says diagnosing ADHD is a process with several steps, and there is no single test. Sleep problems, anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities can look similar. The first step is a healthcare provider. This quiz maps what clinicians and schools look for. It does not diagnose ADHD and it does not decide school eligibility.

What a clinician has to find

Healthcare providers use DSM-5 criteria, as summarized by CDC. CDC publishes that summary for information only. Only a trained healthcare provider can diagnose or treat ADHD. Parents should not count symptoms from a website and treat the number as a diagnosis.

CDC's shortened form requires a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, or both that interferes with functioning or development. For children through age 16, that means six or more symptoms in one or both groups. For ages 17 and older, the count is five. The pattern must last at least 6 months and be more than typical for the child's age.

Those symptom counts are not enough. CDC also requires all of the following:

  • Several symptoms were present before age 12.
  • Several symptoms are present in two or more settings, such as home and school.
  • There is clear evidence the symptoms interfere with social, school, or work functioning.
  • The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder, and they do not happen only during a psychotic disorder.

That is why this quiz asks about duration, settings, impairment, and other explanations instead of handing you a score that "meets DSM-5."

How CDC says diagnosis actually works

CDC's parent page is direct. If you think your child might have ADHD, talk with a healthcare provider. A psychologist, psychiatrist, or pediatrician can make the diagnosis. There is no blood test or brain scan that settles it.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, as cited by CDC, tells primary care clinicians to evaluate children ages 4 to 18 who have academic or behavioral problems plus inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. The clinician should:

  • Get reports from parents, school staff, and the child, not from one adult only.
  • Use rating scales and other records to document that DSM-5 criteria are met.
  • Rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.
  • Screen for conditions that often occur with ADHD, including anxiety, depression, learning and language disorders, autism, tics, and sleep problems.

CDC also notes that a medical exam, including hearing and vision tests, is part of ruling out other problems. For children under 3, families can contact early intervention. For children 3 and older, the school system can evaluate at no charge. A doctor's referral is not required to start that school process.

Read CDC's Diagnosing ADHD and Clinical Care of ADHD in Children pages, and NIMH's ADHD overview.

A medical diagnosis is not a school plan

Parents often treat a pediatrician's ADHD letter as the end of the school conversation. It is not. A diagnosis can be evidence. The school still has to evaluate if the child needs or is believed to need services because of a disability.

Under Section 504, the Office for Civil Rights said in its July 2016 Dear Colleague Letter on ADHD that a district must evaluate any student who needs or is believed to need special education or related services because of a disability. OCR also said there is nothing in Section 504 that requires a medical assessment as a precondition. If the district decides it needs one, the district pays. Good grades do not end that duty. OCR warned districts against over-relying on GPA.

Under IDEA, ADHD is not its own eligibility category. The regulation on Other Health Impairment, 34 C.F.R. § 300.8(c)(9), names attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as examples of chronic or acute health problems that can limit alertness in the educational environment. That still requires an adverse effect on educational performance and a need for special education. OCR notes that a student with ADHD can also be considered under specific learning disability or emotional disturbance if those criteria are met.

Medication is not a school plan. If a child still needs instruction or accommodations at school while medicated, the team still has to evaluate. Under the ADA Amendments Act, districts may not count the good effects of medication when they decide whether ADHD substantially limits a major life activity.

Medical evaluation and school evaluation, side by side

One column is a healthcare decision. The other is a civil rights and special education decision. Families often need both. Neither is this quiz.

Medical ADHD evaluation and school evaluation, side by side
Medical ADHD evaluation School 504 or IDEA evaluation
Who decides A trained healthcare provider, such as a pediatrician, psychologist, or psychiatrist. A school group. Parents are part of an IEP team. Section 504 has no required team list at the federal level.
Standard DSM-5 criteria, including duration, two settings, impairment, and rule-outs. Section 504 substantial limitation, or IDEA disability plus need for special education.
Cost to parent Insurance, clinic fees, or out of pocket. Free to the parent. If the district requires a medical assessment for a 504 evaluation, OCR says the district pays.
What it produces A diagnosis, if criteria are met, and a treatment discussion. A 504 plan, an IEP, or a written finding that the child is not eligible.
If you disagree A second medical opinion. This is not a school hearing. Prior written notice under IDEA, mediation, due process, or a state complaint. Section 504 hearing and records review.

Questions that help you probe the next step

The goal is to match the next request to the facts you have, not to push an ADHD label.

  • Has a healthcare provider taken a history, ruled out hearing and vision problems, and asked school staff what they see?
  • Have the patterns lasted at least 6 months, in more than one setting, and do they get in the way of school or friendships?
  • If the school mentioned ADHD, did it evaluate, or only suggest a parent get a doctor's note?
  • If there is already a diagnosis, has the district evaluated under Section 504, IDEA, or both?
  • If the district refuses an IDEA evaluation, did it send prior written notice?

If you disagree with the team's answer

A verbal no is not the record. Under IDEA, prior written notice is the starting document when the district refuses to evaluate or finds the child ineligible. Parents may request mediation, file a due process complaint, or in some cases file a state complaint. Section 504 provides notice, a chance to review records, and an impartial hearing. Which path fits depends on what was refused and which law applies.

See dispute options by state for hearing and complaint contacts. An advocate can help you read the file and prepare questions. Advocates are not attorneys. They cannot diagnose ADHD.

What advocates watch for

Common pressure points: the school asking for a doctor's note before it will evaluate, a 504 offer with no evaluation, grades cited to skip ADHD-related supports, or inattentive students who never get noticed because they are quiet. An advocate compares the file to what OCR and IDEA require. Most charge $75 to $150 per hour. You hire them directly. Families can browse advocates by state.

Related guides

Sources

Educational resource only. Last reviewed 2026-08-22. This quiz cannot diagnose ADHD. Only a trained healthcare provider can diagnose ADHD. School eligibility and plan decisions belong to the school team under IDEA and Section 504. Find Parent Advocates is not a medical provider and does not provide legal advice.