ADHD Questionnaire for Parents: What Will I Be Asked?

This guide explains what parent questionnaires are for, the kinds of questions to expect, and how to make filling them in feel more manageable.

You see your child in ways no clinician can in one appointment: at breakfast, at bedtime, with siblings, on holiday and on difficult days. Questionnaires are a way of sharing that picture.

They help the clinician to

• understand your child's history before you meet
• spot patterns across different areas of life
• focus the appointment on what matters most to your family
• think about other things that might explain, or sit alongside, your child's difficulties

Questionnaires aren't a diagnostic test. No score on its own can tell you whether your child has ADHD. A diagnosis is made by a specialist who brings together your answers, information from school, a conversation with you, time with your child and their own clinical judgement, in line with NICE guidelines.

Every service uses its own forms, but most cover similar areas.

Everyday behaviour: how often your child finds it hard to pay attention, sit still, wait their turn, follow instructions or manage their feelings. You'll often rate these on a scale, such as "never", "sometimes", "often" or "very often".

Daily life and impact: how these differences affect learning, homework, friendships, family life, routines and your child's confidence. This matters as much as the behaviour itself.

Development and early years: your pregnancy and your child's birth, early milestones like walking and talking, sleep and feeding as a baby, and what they were like at nursery or in early primary school. If you don't remember everything, that's fine.

Health and family history: sleep, hearing, vision, any medical conditions or medicines, and whether ADHD, autism, learning differences or heart conditions run in the family. Some health questions are there to keep any future treatment safe.

Different settings: whether things look the same at home, at school, at clubs and with friends, or whether some places are easier than others.

Strengths and interests: what your child enjoys, what they're good at and what helps them. A good assessment looks at the whole child, not just the difficulties.

Some questionnaires are standardised rating scales. These are well-researched forms that ask about common ADHD traits and compare answers with what's typical for children the same age. Examples include the SNAP-IV, the Conners and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Services choose different ones, so you may see one of these or something similar.

Rating scales are useful because they give a consistent snapshot. But they're still only one piece of information, and a high score doesn't mean a diagnosis.

You'll usually also be asked to pass a questionnaire to school, for a teacher who knows your child well. This is important because ADHD needs to show up in more than one setting. Teachers see your child in a structured setting alongside many others of the same age, which adds a valuable perspective.

It's common for home and school answers to differ. That isn't a problem. Differences can actually help the clinician understand where and why your child finds things harder.

• Take it in chunks. You don't need to do everything in one go. Save and come back with fresh eyes.
• Think about a typical week. Answer based on how things usually are, not the best or worst day.
• Add real examples. If there's space for comments, a short example, like "takes 45 minutes to get dressed most mornings", is really helpful.
• Include the positives. What helps your child, and what they're proud of, matters too.
• Ask the other parent or carer. If you can, fill it in together or compare notes. You may each notice different things.
• Gather documents first. School reports, nursery notes or letters from health professionals can jog your memory.
• It's okay not to know. If you can't remember a milestone or aren't sure, say so. A rough answer is better than a guess presented as fact.
• Give school plenty of time. Send the teacher questionnaire early so it doesn't hold things up.

At Raiys, parent and school questionnaires are completed online through your secure portal before your child's appointment. Your clinician reads them carefully beforehand, so your time together can focus on understanding your child rather than going over basic details.

Raiys works nationwide, offering online ADHD assessments for children and young people aged 5 to 17 across the UK, carried out by an experienced, specialist ADHD team and following NICE guidelines.

Thinking about an assessment for your child? Find out more about our child ADHD assessment.

There's no perfect way to fill in a questionnaire. Your honest view of your child is exactly what the clinician needs