AddMind

Plain-language ADHD reference: terminology, paperwork, and how the process works

Plain-language ADHD reference: terminology, paperwork, and how the process works

Evaluation Appointment Prep Checklist

First evaluation appointments go better when the paperwork arrives with you. Answer these seven questions honestly and get a rough read on how prepared you are — plus what's still worth gathering before the visit. This works whether the appointment is for a child or an adult.

This checklist measures paperwork and logistics only. It is not a screening or diagnostic tool, and your score says nothing about whether anyone has ADHD. Only a qualified clinician can evaluate that.

AddMind is a small reference site about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — not the medical side, but the practical side that families run into: unfamiliar terminology in reports and articles, the paperwork of school supports, the logistics of getting an evaluation scheduled, and the official documents that come with a prescription.

We deliberately stay in our lane. Nothing here will tell you whether you or your child has ADHD, which treatment is right, or what dose of anything to take. Those are questions for a clinician, and every page here points you toward the professionals and primary sources — the National Institute of Mental Health, MedlinePlus, and CHADD — where the clinical information lives.

What we can help with is being organized. Start with the Evaluation Appointment Prep Checklist, which scores how ready you are for a first evaluation appointment based on the documents and questions you have in hand. Then browse the guides: what ADHD terms actually mean, how 504 plans and IEPs differ, how an evaluation works and who does what, and how to read an official FDA package insert. Everything is written in plain language, with links to the authoritative source for each claim.