Children - How Teachers May Contribute to the Diagnostic Process

Talk with parents about your concerns without scapegoating the child

Discuss the symptoms you have observed in an objective manner

Listen to the parent's perceptions of the problem

Look for strategies which appear to be possible solutions

Parents often ask the teacher for a diagnosis

• This is not the teacher's role
• The teacher might raise some of the possibilities
• The teacher should refer the parent to a specialist for an expert diagnosis
• The teacher should provide a report or complete rating scales for the specialist.

A careless diagnosis can become a self-fulfilling prophesy or cause untold distress for parents as they try to decide which expert is right. It is better to refuse to divulge suspicions about a possible diagnosis unless you are qualified to do so.

Copyright Dr Stephen Dossel, and the ADD Association Queensland. This article may be reprinted but should not be modified in any way. Any such use should be acknowledged in the normal manner and must include the author's name and the source of the article.