Make a short leaving checklist
Put the next few actions where you'll see them, so leaving home asks less of your memory.
Not ratedADHD evidence
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 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.
- 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.