School Supports When It's Autism and ADHD
Both diagnoses qualify — ask for the supports each one needs, in one plan
Schools often plan for one diagnosis and forget the other. Autism supports (predictability, sensory breaks, social scripts) and ADHD supports (movement, chunked work, reminders) are both legitimate requests and belong in the same plan.
Which document
An IEP if your child needs specialised instruction; a 504 plan if they need accommodations to access the regular classroom. ADHD typically qualifies under "Other Health Impairment"; autism has its own category. Ask for an evaluation in writing and keep a copy of the letter.
Accommodations that serve both
- A visual schedule on the desk AND a scheduled movement break — the same "predictable frame, moving insides" idea from the routines guide.
- Chunked assignments with a visual timer.
- A quiet, low-sensory place to regroup that is NOT a punishment.
- Transition warnings before every change.
- Reduced written output where the goal is the idea, not the handwriting.
- A daily home-school note with one win and one thing to know.
What to bring to the meeting
Two weeks of Aminy logs showing when the hard moments cluster (after lunch? after transitions?), the child's current therapy goals, and a one-paragraph description of your child on a good day. Teams plan better for a child they can picture.
If the school says "we don't do both"
They do. Ask for the request and the response in writing. The plan is about needs, not labels.