As ADHD, mental health issues rise, here’s how schools are prepping to handle them
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- Washington schools respond to rising ADHD, mental health diagnoses post-pandemic.
- Districts evaluate ADHD referrals within 25 days once parental consent is given.
- Hallowell Todaro Center expands access with new Bellingham clinic offering wraparound care.
As students across Whatcom County gear up to return to school this fall, educators and special program directors are preparing to help those in need of additional support and services.
Accessibility of assistance for mental health issues and learning disabilities has been a large topic of conversation, particularly following the pandemic. Across Washington, 9.4% of kids age 3-17 had an ADHD diagnosis between 2020 and 2023. Of those diagnosed, CDC data show about 64% received treatment.
On the mental health side, 40% of high school students reported “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in 2023, according to the CDC. The same study found that 20% of students seriously considered suicide, and 29% of students experienced poor mental health in the month leading up to the survey. All of these statistics were higher for LGBTQ students.
“Kids are navigating a lot of different things now that they didn’t use to have to navigate,” said Aaron Jacoby, director of special services for Meridian School District.
Whether it’s technology, social media, the pandemic or the “very high-paced time” people live in, Jacoby said there are many factors that influence how many students need additional support. This could take the form of special education, accommodations or other interventions.
Schools can become involved in providing help to a student with ADHD or similar difficulties in a variety of ways. Jacoby said sometimes the school may receive a referral from parents or physicians. Other times, they may be notified of an official diagnosis acquired outside of the district. There are also cases where teachers notice a student is struggling, and they suspect it may be due to ADHD or related issues.
Nooksack Valley School District Special Programs Director Kim McGee said public school districts have to follow specific procedures whenever an ADHD referral is made. Schools must evaluate referred students within 25 days as long as they receive parental consent. If the student is 16 or older, McGee said the student has to agree to the evaluation, too.
“We’re in charge of making sure if there’s an educational impact, we’re addressing that, whether or not there’s an official diagnosis,” McGee said.
Official diagnoses can only come from health care professionals like psychiatrists, pediatricians or neuropsychologists. Some districts will outsource evaluations to these providers. And while diagnoses are not required for interventions, they are necessary for students who may want to take ADHD medication.
Getting in with a provider — especially highly specialized ones like neuropsychologists — for a diagnosis has historically been a challenge. It can be a barrier to getting help, especially for individuals who aren’t school age.
Not having a wait list was a primary goal of the Hallowell Todaro ADHD and Behavioral Health Center, which has locations in Seattle, California and, now, Bellingham.
Leslie Todaro, clinical director and co-founder of the Hallowell Todaro ADHD and Behavioral Health Center, said her practice noticed a lack of ADHD clinics — especially those with wraparound services — in northwest Washington, especially near the Canadian border.
The center provides assessments for potential ADHD diagnoses as well as therapy, coaching and medication for those who are seeking it. Todaro said the Hallowell Todaro ADHD and Behavioral Health Center has an emphasis on strength-based therapy and treatment.
“ADHD can be really challenging, but you can flip it around and you can see the strength that you have as a result of having ADHD and use those strengths to overcome some of the things that are a little harder,” Todaro said.
Todaro said the center has seen an uptick in adults seeking ADHD assessments, which she attributed in part to social media like TikTok and a rise in self-diagnosis. At the same time, she said children and adolescents are a “huge part” of the practice.
The Hallowell Todaro ADHD and Behavioral Health Center regularly receives referrals from pediatricians and schools. Todaro said the practice tries to work closely with schools to “develop a learning plan that really helps” students with ADHD. The center currently has therapists in Seattle Public Schools that work with students and educators.
Todaro said that because the Bellingham location only opened in March, they have not yet partnered with districts in Whatcom County. However, Todaro said they’re “certainly open to it.”
Addressing mental health
When the Hallowell Todaro ADHD and Behavioral Health Center announced the opening of its newest location, they also added “behavioral health” to their title
ADHD often occurs alongside other conditions like autism, depression or anxiety. According to a 2022 parent survey from the CDC, about 78% of children with ADHD had at least one co-occurring condition.
Accessing mental health care has become more difficult in recent years due to a combination of increased need for services and mental health workforce shortages. Psychologists for children and adolescents saw both the highest demand and longest waitlists in 2022, according to the American Psychological Association.
Todaro said the Hallowell Todaro ADHD and Behavioral Health Center has always helped people with co-occurring mental illnesses, but is now advertising that they also assist people with mental health issues who don’t have ADHD.
Jacoby said providing behavioral health support for students in Meridian School District has become a larger issue in recent years, even more so than ADHD. The district has been seeking grants to add more services in schools, and already has a mental health practitioner in each of its buildings.
The district has partnered with outside providers before to bring support into the school buildings or connect families with outside resources, according to Jacoby. A dedicated mental health coordinator also assists families in finding clinics that take their insurance and have openings.
“It doesn’t always work out that we’re able to find a solution for everyone, but we do the best we can,” Jacoby said.
This story was originally published August 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.