Make a short leaving checklist
Not ratedADHD evidence
Keep your leaving steps in sight, so your memory does less.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Write down the thing you most often forget when you leave home. That's line one of your checklist.
5 minutes
Write a short leaving list and put it where you collect your belongings.
15 minutes
Walk through the next departure using your list, and reorder any steps that feel awkward.
A plan
Build one reliable transition
- Choose one departure routine.
- Try a short visible list for that routine.
- Keep useful prompts and remove extra instructions.
How sure the science is
Not rated, ADHD evidence
- No pooled trials to rate.
- This rests on single studies, expert consensus or clinical practice.
- Measured in people with ADHD.
ADHD-specific NHS or CDC guidance recommends this action; no isolated trial estimate or formal certainty rating.
The number, drawn
Build routines and use visual lists
Why it matters
- NHS ADHD guidance recommends predictable routines and visible checklists, and CDC gives parents similar advice.
- A short list can make a transition easier to follow when attention wanders, but its own effect on ADHD has not been established.
- Use the checklist as a prompt you can change, not a test you have to pass.
How to do it
- Pick one transition, like leaving home.
- List only the things you keep missing, in the order you actually do them.
- Put the list where the transition happens. With a child who prefers pictures, use pictures.
- Practise it together, then drop steps that no longer need a prompt.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- By the door: bag, keys, appointment letter.
- A child's picture list shows shoes, coat and school bag.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA long list turns into background clutter. Keep only the steps that need help.
- Common mistakeA missed step turns into criticism. Point to the next action and make the cue simpler.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- C Small or mixed studies, expert consensus or clinical practice. Worth knowing, not worth betting on.
- The number
- Build routines and use visual lists (East London NHS Foundation Trust, 2026)
- Benefit
- 42/100 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Quick win
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineSupport Available (Adult ADHD Services)East London NHS Foundation Trust, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelineTreatment of ADHDCDC, 2026
- 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.