ADHD and Autism School Support in France: What Expat Families Need to Know

If your child has an ADHD or autism diagnosis and you've just arrived in France, the first conversation with the school will likely leave you frustrated. French teachers will listen, express concern, and then tell you to contact the MDPH. That acronym — Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées — is the gateway to every resource the French state can provide for a disabled or neurodivergent child. Understanding how it works, and what it takes to get your child's needs recognized, will save you months of confusion.

France's Medically-Led Model

The US, UK, and Australia rely heavily on school-based identification. A teacher flags concerns, a school psychologist assesses, and an IEP or similar plan is drafted within the school environment. France does not operate this way.

The French system is centralized and medicalized. The school itself has no authority to diagnose conditions or independently allocate a dedicated human assistant. Even when a teacher clearly sees that a child is struggling, they cannot unilaterally provide intensive support. The school must wait for the MDPH to make a formal decision, and the MDPH will only act on the basis of external medical documentation.

This means that the moment your child arrives with an autism spectrum disorder (TSA — Trouble du Spectre de l'Autisme) or ADHD diagnosis, the clock starts on two parallel tracks: getting the French medical system to formally recognize the condition, and getting the MDPH dossier submitted as quickly as possible.

Getting the Diagnosis Recognized in France

A foreign IEP, EHCP, or learning plan carries no legal weight in France. It won't unlock MDPH support. However, it is invaluable diagnostic evidence. Here's how to convert it:

1. Have the documents translated by a traducteur assermenté. The MDPH will reject foreign-language documents outright. A certified sworn translator (recognised by French courts) must translate the assessments.

2. See a French specialist. A neuropédiatre (neuropaediatrician), pédopsychiatre (child psychiatrist), or neuropsychologue must review the translated documents and conduct their own evaluation if needed. They will use French diagnostic criteria (aligned with DSM-5 and ICD-11, but processed through French clinical practice).

3. The specialist completes the Cerfa 15695-01. This medical certificate, dated within six months of submission, is mandatory for the MDPH dossier. The medical expert who signs it is vouching for the diagnosis within the French system.

Waiting times for specialist appointments in France are substantial — often 6 to 12 months in major cities through the public system. Expat families with the means often access private bilingual specialists to move faster.

The MDPH Pathway for ADHD and Autism

Once you have the French medical certificate, you begin the MDPH dossier. The core document is the 20-page Cerfa 15692-01, which combines all requests (human support, financial allowances, specialized placements) in one submission.

For school-age children, the dossier must include the GEVA-Sco — a standardized assessment completed by the school's teaching team describing the child's current academic situation. You need to ask the school to complete this document; they are legally required to provide it.

The Projet de Vie section of the Cerfa 15692-01 is the narrative you write as a parent. It must explain, in French, the concrete functional impact of the condition on your child's daily life — at school, at home, socially. This is not the place for clinical language copied from the medical report. The MDPH evaluation team wants to understand what the child cannot do, what a typical day looks like, what falls on the parents as a result.

If the MDPH grants an AESH (human learning support assistant), the notification will specify whether it's individual (dedicated exclusively to your child) or mutualized (shared across several students). The type matters enormously: an individual AESH allocation is genuinely 1-to-1; a mutualized allocation means your child shares support based on the school's discretion at any given moment.

ULIS Placement for Autism

For children with autism whose needs go beyond what mainstream class adaptation can provide, placement in a Unité Localisée pour l'Inclusion Scolaire (ULIS) is an option. ULIS classes are small-group settings within mainstream schools, staffed by a specialist teacher and supported by an AESH-co. Students spend part of their week in the ULIS device for core academic work and are included in the mainstream school for other subjects and activities.

ULIS placement requires MDPH notification and often involves substantial waiting lists in urban areas. In Paris, waits of one to two years for a ULIS placement are not uncommon for autism profiles.

The Maison de l'Autisme, inaugurated in 2023 as a national resource center, provides guidance specifically on navigating the MDPH for autism. Autisme France also offers detailed dossier templates and legal guidance.

ADHD: PAP vs. PPS

ADHD sits in a particular position within the French system. For many children with ADHD without associated disabilities:

• A PAP (Plan d'Accompagnement Personnalisé) can be set up quickly through the school doctor without an MDPH application. It provides pedagogical accommodations (preferential seating, reduced written output, time management support) but cannot mandate an AESH.

• A PPS via MDPH is required if the ADHD is severe enough to warrant a human assistant, or if there are co-occurring conditions (ASD, significant DYS, anxiety disorders with functional impact) that together reach the threshold for MDPH recognition.

One critical trap: schools will sometimes offer a PAP as the first line of response for ADHD. This is appropriate for moderate ADHD, but if your child genuinely requires 1-to-1 support, accepting a PAP instead of pushing for a PPS leaves you without legal grounds to demand an AESH.

Sensory Processing and School Environment

France has no separate diagnostic category equivalent to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) as used in the US or Australia. Sensory sensitivities in France are almost always assessed within the context of autism spectrum disorder or dyspraxia. If your child's sensory profile drives significant school avoidance, behavioral dysregulation, or inability to access learning, these need to be documented under an applicable French diagnostic framework.

A psychomotricien (psychomotor therapist) is the specialist who assesses and treats sensory-motor integration issues in France. Therapy through a psychomotricien can be covered by the Assurance Maladie when prescribed by a doctor.

The AESH Shortage: Managing Expectations

Even with a CDAPH notification in hand for an individual AESH, your child may start the school year without one. France is facing a chronic shortage: as of 2024-2025, roughly 136,000 AESH workers are tasked with supporting over 340,000 students requiring assistance. AESH workers earn close to the minimum wage on precarious part-time contracts, driving persistently high turnover.

If your child's AESH doesn't materialize at the start of term, the first step is a formal registered letter (LRAR) to the DASEN (Direction Académique) demanding implementation of the MDPH notification. If the school direction is unresponsive, escalation to the Rectorat and ultimately the Tribunal Administratif via emergency injunction (référé) is the legal route.

The France Special Education Blueprint walks through the full escalation ladder — from the first MDPH submission to what to do when the state fails to execute its own legal obligations.

Practical Starting Points

• Contact your local MDPH as soon as possible to understand the current dossier submission process in your département
• Connect with SPRINT France for referrals to English-speaking neuropédiatres and educational psychologists
• If your child already has a foreign diagnosis, start the certified translation process immediately
• Ask the school to begin GEVA-Sco preparation in parallel with the medical assessment
• Check whether a PAP can be set up immediately to bridge the gap while the MDPH application is pending

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