About this resource
Adults with ADHD often find planning, remembering, starting tasks and managing time harder than other people. This worksheet offers a menu of practical strategies that build structure outside the head, such as one shared calendar, reminders, timers and breaking tasks down, and a plan for trialling a few strategies and reviewing what works.
Purpose
To help adults choose, trial and review practical strategies for everyday challenges linked to ADHD.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Occupational therapists. Also relevant for psychologists, counsellors and therapists, allied health and multidisciplinary teams.
Client or participant group: Adults with ADHD, diagnosed or under assessment.
Practice setting: Occupational therapy, psychology and counselling services, workplaces and study support.
Suggested uses
- Occupational therapy goal setting
- Study and workplace support
- Coaching alongside medical treatment
- Review of daily routines
Instructions for practitioners
- Explore the person's daily routines and the tasks that matter most to them.
- Choose two or three strategies to trial, not the whole list.
- Plan when and where each strategy will be used.
- Review after one to two weeks and adjust.
- Refer to a GP or psychiatrist for assessment or medication questions.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Tick strategies you would like to try.
- Pick no more than three to start.
- Use the plan to record how each one goes.
Accessibility considerations
Short items and tick boxes. Can be completed digitally or with support.
Scope and limitations
A strategies worksheet. It is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace assessment or medical treatment. Adult ADHD is diagnosed by a psychiatrist or other qualified clinician.
Research basis
The Australian ADHD guideline recommends information and support for people with ADHD and their families, with treatment planned with a qualified clinician; behavioural parent programs improve parenting for children with ADHD. Executive functions such as planning, working memory and self-control develop over time and can be supported with external structure and practice.
- Australian ADHD Professionals Association. (2022). Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). AADPA. https://adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au/
- Daley, D., van der Oord, S., Ferrin, M., Danckaerts, M., Doepfner, M., Cortese, S., & Sonuga-Barke, E. J. (2014). Behavioral Interventions in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Across Multiple Outcome Domains. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(8), 835–847.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2014.05.013
- Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64(1), 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Written for Practitioner Plus from the research and guidance listed in the research basis; no third-party worksheet was used as a template.
