Preparing for an ADHD Evaluation

Taking your child to an evaluation for ADHD can be stressful. Preparing yourself, your child, and others can help. Preparation can also make the evaluation quicker, smoother, and help make an accurate diagnosis and a plan tailored for your child.

Preparing yourself for the evaluation:

• If you are concerned about your child's behavior try to identify exactly which behaviors concern you. Write as many concerns as you can think of. Then go back and pick the one or two things that concern you the most.
• Think about, and write down, where problems are occurring. Is your child having problems at school, at home, or other places?
• Think about when you or others began to be concerned about your child. How old was your child was and what was going on then?
• Think about what you believe is causing your child's problems.
• Create a list of questions you have for the person who is doing your child's evaluation. It is important to you get all your questions answered. Creating a list can help you remember what questions to ask.
• Educate yourself. Before the evaluation gather information about ADHD and related problems from good sources (remember not all information on the internet is accurate). Learn about treatment options for ADHD and think about how you feel about each option. Remember to stay open minded. The person doing your child's evaluation will likely have additional information about ADHD and treatment that you do not have and can clarify the pros and cons.
• Gather and bring documents that help with the evaluation process. This could include past report cards, notes from teachers, results of standardized testing, reports from past evaluations, and medical records.
• Be sure to bring the lists you made and any additional information your gather to the evaluation!

Preparing your child for the evaluation:

• Be sure to talk to your child about the evaluation beforehand. Many parents feel their child will not understand why they are getting evaluated or that talking to them will create anxiety. Children do generally understand, however, and talking beforehand can actually decrease anxiety.
• Tell your child when the evaluation will be and why he/her is being evaluated. Be honest, but explain it in a way your child will understand. Emphasize that the evaluation is not a punishment and that it is being done to help your child do well in school and at home. Do not criticize or put down your child but explain why you are concerned about him/her and that you want to help him/her have a good life.
• Be realistic with your child. Tell him/her that the evaluation probably will be long and not much fun, but could lead to less struggles in the future.
• Encourage your child to think about what questions they have for the person doing the evaluation and any concerns or problems they would like addressed.
• Bring a snack and some things for your child to do quietly during times the clinician is talking to the adults alone.

Preparing others for the evaluation:

• Input from all key adults in your child's life can lead to a better evaluation. People to involve may include your child's teachers, babysitters or day care providers, your child's other parent, and your child's grandparents. Do your best to have both parents attend the evaluation to give information, hear the results and help form the plan. This is especially important if parents don't have the same concerns.
• Teachers are particularly important in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. If at all possible, talk your child's teacher about the evaluation. Even if you do not want to tell the teacher about the evaluation, get their feedback about your child's behavior in class, homework completion, and grades.
• Let other important adults in your child's life, particularly teachers and your child's other parent, know that they may be asked to complete questionnaires about your child's behavior. Ask them to please complete the questionnaires in a timely manner and emphasis how important the information they provide is for a complete evaluation.