# Plan the move to adult ADHD care

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/plan-transition-adult-care/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 22 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#plan-transition-adult-care

An early handover plan can clarify who will provide treatment and support as your child becomes an adult.

**The number:** Introduce transition planning at about age 14 ([American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067282/))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Guideline advice, not formally graded. Measured in people with ADHD.
- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- Basis: AAP 2019 transition guidance (narrative text, not a key action statement) and NICE NG87 1.1.4 to 1.1.6; no GRADE effect rating
- Outcome: age to introduce transition planning
- Comparison: AAP recommendation for adolescent ADHD care
- Benefit: 71/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## Why it matters

ADHD needs often continue beyond childhood even when the symptoms change. The AAP recommends introducing transition planning around age 14 and focusing on it as school completion approaches, and NICE recommends reassessment at school-leaving age with a planned handover to adult services. This is a continuity-of-care recommendation, not evidence for a measured symptom reduction from a handover checklist.

## How to do it

1. Ask the current team when transition planning should start and which adult service might take over.
2. Include what the young person wants, their preferences, and how involved they want the family to be.
3. Request a written summary of the assessment, current treatment, the support that helps and the monitoring needed.
4. Confirm the receiving service, where the referral stands, and who stays responsible until the handover happens.

## Talk to a clinician first

Referral rules and ages differ by service and country. Confirm with the clinical teams who carries on prescribing and monitoring.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Write down the handover detail you most need someone to clear up.
- 5 minutes: Write a message asking the current team what the transition plan is.
- 15 minutes: List current treatments, monitoring and support to go through at the handover meeting.

### What it looks like

- Ask for the adult service's name and whether it has accepted the referral.
- Ask the young person which parts of family involvement they want to keep.

### Common mistakes

- A referral does not necessarily mean the handover is done. Ask who owns the care plan right now.
- If planning starts only after child care ends, nobody may know who is responsible. Raise the transition early.

### A structured start

**Prepare a connected handover**

1. Raise transition planning with the current team.
2. Include the young person's goals and prepare the care summary.
3. Confirm the receiving service and ongoing responsibilities.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [ADHD in children and young people](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-children-teenagers/), NHS
- [ADHD in adults](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-adults/), NHS

## Sources

- [Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067282/), American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [ADHD in adults](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-adults/), NHS, 2025 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [ADHD in children and young people](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-children-teenagers/), NHS, 2025 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87), recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations), NICE, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.

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