A quick educator checklist for deciding when a student may need an ADHD evaluation referral. Covers inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, impairment, 6-month persistence, home-school patterns, referral guidance, and reminders about quiet, inattentive students.
ADHD Referral Decision Checklist is a brief educator-facing tool for teachers, school counselors, and support staff who are wondering whether a student’s attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, organization, or follow-through concerns may warrant further evaluation. It helps educators look for persistence, impairment, and patterns across settings while avoiding the common mistake of only referring disruptive students.
Want a more complete guide? Pair this checklist with Beyond “Just Pay Attention”: Teacher ADHD Referral Guide or The ADHD Classroom Survival Guide.
EDUCATOR ADHD REFERRAL TOOL
This checklist helps educators document consistent ADHD-related concerns and determine when referral for evaluation may be appropriate.
Teachers do not diagnose ADHD, but they often notice the pattern first
Inattention Indicators
A checklist for concerns like difficulty sustaining attention, losing materials, appearing not to listen, not finishing work, disorganization, careless mistakes, distractibility, and avoidance of sustained mental effort.
Hyperactivity and Impulsivity Indicators
A checklist for movement, fidgeting, talking, blurting, difficulty waiting, and interrupting.
Impairment and Context
Prompts educators to consider whether concerns have lasted at least 6 months, affect academics or peers, appear at home too, and are not better explained by a recent stressor.
Referral Guidance
Helps educators decide when a comprehensive evaluation is strongly recommended versus when to monitor, implement supports, and talk with parents.
Equity Reminder
Highlights that quiet, inattentive students deserve the same referral consideration as disruptive students, and that girls and students of color are often under-referred.
This checklist is a psychoeducational educator resource and is not a diagnostic instrument or a substitute for ADHD evaluation, special education evaluation, mental health treatment, behavior intervention planning, crisis response, school safety planning, or individualized clinical consultation. Educators should observe, document, communicate concerns, and connect families with appropriate evaluation resources.