Sarah: Is it legal, or are there any legal precedents, for a school district to mandate that an ADHD diagnosis can only be made by a pediatrician or medical doctor, rather than a fully licensed psychologist, when requesting special education services? A school district in my state (NJ) recently told a parent they would not accept a diagnosis of ADHD made by a psychologist because they only accept ADHD diagnoses made by a medical doctor.
IDEA does not address who can diagnose conditions under other health impaired, so each state determines this. If you need help in finding your state rules, your state parent training & information center can help you. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/
If psychologists are licensed by the state to make psychodiagnoses, such as ADHD, how can a school district limit that scope of practice?
The state rules may say that the diagnosis must be done by a medical doctor, & then define medical in a way that excludes some psychologists.