Released yesterday (October 27), the first-ever report card on how Canada’s special education systems recognize, identify and support students with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), reveals alarming results.
Produced by the Centre for ADHD Advocacy, Canada (CADDAC), the report card looks at various special education systems across Canada to evaluate the potential impact on students with ADHD.
The report highlights inconsistencies from province-to-province in how students with ADHD are identified, understood and accommodated within Canadian school systems. Based on this analysis, three provinces – Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia – are failing our students.
“ADHD is a medical brain-based disorder that’s complex, often misunderstood and can affect a child’s daily functioning – at home and at school,” says Dr. Kenny Handelman, child psychiatrist and expert on ADHD.
“The reality is that ADHD affects about five per cent of school-aged children world-wide, which translates as 1- 2 students per classroom, making it hugely important for families to have access to the right medical and educational treatments in order for students with ADHD to thrive.”
Currently in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, a diagnosis of ADHD alone does not qualify a student for an official "exceptional student" designation unless they have a second learning disability or another recognized disorder. That means they won’t receive special accommodations in terms of how they’re taught or evaluated, the study found.