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According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 11% of U.S. children ages 3 to 17 years have ever been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Boys were overwhelmingly more likely to be diagnosed than girls, at 15% to 8%, respectively. Similarly, dyslexia affects approximately 20% of the world population, and some studies find that males are more often diagnosed with the disorder than females. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ADHD and dyslexia occur more often in boys. The more likely situation is that girls are underdiagnosed.

Early childhood educators and allied professionals realize the benefits of fostering an environment that embraces every child’s distinctive self-expression. We also realize that children reach milestones at different times and in different ways.

However, part of our professional role is determining when some of our child’s individual “quirks” or reticence may indicate a need for further support. Assessments can help distinguish individuality or preferences from potential issues that might require intervention. While we never want to extinguish a child’s spark, early identification of developmental delays allows us to nurture areas where they might need an extra boost during prime learning windows and help set them on a positive path for their learning future.

Ask most educators about recent changes they’ve seen in the classroom, and one that is sure to come up is an increase in disruptive behavior, the type commonly attributed to ADHD. Yet a key challenge educators currently face is how to determine whether a student has ADHD or if they are behaviorally appearing as such for reasons that may be related to other issues, such as those tied to the lingering effects of the school closures and routine disruption caused by the pandemic.

That’s where conversations with caregivers should take center stage. After all, they might just think their child is acting out and be unaware of how to help them. When educators and caregivers align around strategies and work collaboratively, they can help a student successfully navigate the ADHD-related challenges they may be facing at home and at school.

Here are some actionable strategies you can implement to help students operate more successfully in both the school and home environments.