A family in Extremadura claims their twin sons with ADHD have not received required educational adaptations. Despite formal complaints, they report no effective response from regional authorities or the school inspectorate.
A family in Puebla de Obando, Badajoz, has publicly accused the CEIP Jiménez Andrade school of not implementing mandated educational adaptations for their nine-year-old twin sons, both diagnosed with ADHD. The parents say that, despite submitting medical and psychopedagogical reports and formally requesting intervention, neither the Junta de Extremadura nor the Educational Inspectorate has provided a solution. The case highlights ongoing challenges for families seeking support for children with special educational needs in the Spanish public school system.
According to the father, Manuel Román, the twins were diagnosed by specialists and initially progressed well in primary school, managing their condition with support. However, the situation changed in third grade when a new teacher took over as their tutor. From that point, the children began to fail subjects taught by this teacher, including Mathematics, Language, and Social Sciences, while maintaining positive results in other classes. The family claims that the exams were not adapted to the boys' needs, despite clear legal requirements for such measures in cases of ADHD.
Spanish educational regulations require schools to provide individualized support for students with ADHD, including methodological adaptations and flexible assessment strategies. In Extremadura, a specific protocol for ADHD students has been in place since 2015, obliging schools to coordinate with health services and apply tailored measures when a diagnosis is confirmed. The family insists that these adaptations were never effectively implemented for their sons, even after repeated meetings with the school and presentation of medical documentation. They also report that the teacher acknowledged the boys' good behavior and integration in class, but this did not translate into academic support or improved results.
After seeing no improvement, the parents escalated the issue to the regional education authorities, submitting a formal complaint to the Inspectorate in May 2025. They alleged non-compliance with adaptation measures and requested an inspection to verify the school's practices. Before the next school year, the Educational Guidance Team prepared detailed psychopedagogical reports for each child, outlining their specific needs and recommending support strategies. However, the family says these recommendations were also ignored in the following year, with exams remaining unadapted and academic performance continuing to decline, particularly in subjects taught by the same tutor.
The parents report that the ongoing lack of support has had a significant emotional impact on the twins, who now associate school with anxiety and have lost confidence in their academic abilities. The situation escalated further when the teaching staff proposed that both boys repeat the year with the same teacher, a measure the family strongly opposes, arguing that the academic difficulties stem directly from the absence of required adaptations.
In addition to their complaint to the Inspectorate, the family says they have contacted various officials in the Junta de Extremadura, including President María Guardiola and the regional Education Department, but have not received a satisfactory response. The Junta told EL PAÍS that the case is under internal review and declined to provide further details. The CEIP Jiménez Andrade school also declined to comment, referring inquiries to the educational inspector assigned to the center.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect attention, impulse control, and emotional regulation. In Spain, legal frameworks require public schools to provide individualized educational support for students with certified special needs, including ADHD. The effectiveness of these measures often depends on the commitment of individual schools and teachers, as well as oversight by regional authorities. Cases like this one in Extremadura underscore the difficulties families may face in ensuring that legal rights translate into practical support in the classroom.
