# What to bring to an ADHD evaluation

The documents and information to gather before an ADHD evaluation — school and work records, rating scales, medication lists and insurance details — and what to ask before the first session.

Updated 2026-10-02. Also on the [web page](https://adhdevaluations.fyi/guides/what-to-bring-to-an-adhd-evaluation).

A good evaluation does not depend on you bringing a folder full of papers —
the clinician gathers most of the evidence themselves — but the records you
bring make the assessment faster, cheaper and more certain. The single most
useful rule is: bring evidence from ordinary life that describes how the
person functions, not a self-made list of symptoms.

For children and teens, the highest-value items are school records: report
cards and teacher comments from every year you can find, standardized test
scores, any individualized education plan (IEP) or 504 plan, and letters
from teachers if they exist. Old report cards matter because they were
written before anyone was looking for ADHD, which makes them some of the
most honest historical evidence you will ever have. Bring a list of
medications past and present, including supplements, because stimulants
and some other medicines change attention and can mimic or mask symptoms.
Bring developmental and health history if you have it, and the names and
staff roles of any previous evaluations or therapists.

For adults, gather work performance reviews or written feedback if you can
get them, old report cards if your parents kept any, and a list of jobs,
schools and how long you stayed at each. An adult evaluation leans on the
pattern of functioning across contexts, so a short written history from a
partner, parent or close colleague is genuinely useful. Bring your current
medications and any past diagnoses or evaluations, including an old
childhood diagnosis if one exists.

For everyone: bring a photo ID and your insurance card, the name and
contact details of your primary care provider, and the name of any school
or employer that will need a report, because the evaluator may tailor the
assessment to that institution's requirements. Note the date and time of
your last visit to any mental-health professional, if any.

Before the first session, ask the clinic what to submit early. Most
practices send rating scales and questionnaires before the visit — for
children, often one for each parent and one for a teacher. Return those
promptly and in full; a missing teacher form is the most common reason an
evaluation schedule stretches by weeks. If the practice uses a patient
portal, set up your login and confirm how records are shared.

Bring one more thing: your own list of questions. If the evaluation is for
school or workplace accommodations, ask on the first call whether the
report will meet that specific process, how long the report takes, and
whether the evaluator discusses findings with the institution. If you plan
to compare providers after the evaluation, ask for a copy of the raw data
with the report.

Use the prep checklist tool on this site to turn this guide into a
printable checklist: it asks who the evaluation is for and builds the list
of documents and questions from there. If a record does not exist, do not
worry; tell the clinician what you could not find. Missing records slow an
evaluation; they do not stop one.

## Questions

### Do I need to bring my old report cards?

They help when they exist. Report cards with grades and teacher comments are some of the best historical evidence for ADHD in childhood, because they were written before anyone was looking for a diagnosis.

### What should I tell my child about the evaluation?

Keep it simple and neutral: they are going to meet someone who helps people learn how their brain works. Do not frame it as a test to pass or a problem to fix.

### Can I ask for a copy of the report for my school or workplace?

Yes. Ask the provider in writing how they deliver reports, who they will send them to, and what a second copy costs.