Progress notes for ADHD: document the actual encounter

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Short answer: an ADHD progress note shows how attention, activity level or impulse control affected the client’s functioning at home, school or work since the last session, and what you did about it. Session Summary: specific problems and wins, attributed to whoever reported them (the client, a parent, a teacher). Interventions: the skill or strategy you worked on and the treatment-plan goal it serves. Client Response: what the client, and for a child the caregiver, did with it, with counts where you can. Plan Updates: practice at home, any coordination with consent, and the next session. Write “homework finished on 3 of 5 nights,” not “client is distractible.”

In DSM-5-TR, ADHD requires a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, with several symptoms present before age 12 and in two or more settings, that interferes with or reduces the quality of social, school or work functioning. Progress notes are most useful when they show that function in more than one setting and say who reported it. See NIMH’s ADHD overview. The table shows what goes in each section, using a child client as the example.

What to document in an ADHD progress note

What to document in each progress note section, with fictional example wording
Section	What to document	Example wording
Session Summary	Specific problems and wins since the last session, in the client’s own words	“Client said: ‘I did my spelling before tablet time on Tuesday.’”
Session Summary	Caregiver and teacher reports, attributed, with the authorization for school contact	“Parent reported homework finished on 3 of 5 school nights (1 of 5 at intake). Per the teacher’s check-in sheet (release on file), called out about 4 times a day (about 7 at intake).”
Session Summary	Medication, as the client or family reports it, when someone else prescribes	“Parent reports medication given on school days as prescribed by the pediatrician; plans to mention lower appetite at lunch at the next visit.”
Interventions	The skill or strategy, its purpose and the treatment-plan goal it serves	“Coached parent on one-step instructions, labeled praise and a first-then homework routine, toward the goal of homework finished on 4 of 5 nights.”
Client Response	What the client and caregiver did in session, observed and counted	“Client completed a 10-minute worksheet with one prompt; parent role-played the routine twice.”
Client Response	Rating scales: the measure, who completed it, the date and the score	“Parent and teacher Vanderbilt rating scales due at the 3-month review; last scores and dates in the measures log.”
Plan Updates	Home practice, school coordination with consent, referrals and the next session	“Parent to use the first-then routine nightly and keep the chart; therapist to email the teacher (consent on file); next session in 1 week.”

If a caregiver reports injuries from impulsive behavior, a child or teen describes thoughts of self-harm, a teen reports substance use, there are signs of abuse or neglect, or the family describes side effects they have not discussed with the prescriber, document the details, your assessment and what you did (for example a safety plan, a report under your state’s mandated-reporting law, or contact with the prescriber with consent), following your organization’s protocol.

ADHD progress note example

Fictional documentation example, not treatment guidance. Adapt it to the session you actually conducted and your organization’s requirements.

Session Summary: Fictional 9-year-old client, session 6, seen with a parent; ADHD, combined presentation, diagnosed by the pediatrician before therapy began. Treatment-plan goals: homework finished on at least 4 of 5 school nights, and calling out in class reduced to 2 or fewer reminders a day. Parent reported homework finished on 3 of 5 nights this week (1 of 5 at intake) and two evenings that ended in arguments about screen time. Per the teacher’s daily check-in sheet (release of information on file), the client called out without raising his hand about 4 times a day (about 7 at intake). Client said: “Homework is boring but the sticker chart is good.” Parent reports medication given on school days as prescribed by the pediatrician, with lower appetite at lunch, which the parent plans to raise at the next pediatric visit.

Interventions: Reviewed the homework chart and the teacher’s check-in sheet. Coached the parent on giving one instruction at a time and on labeled praise, and practiced a first-then routine (“first spelling, then tablet”) through role-play. With the client, practiced a “hand up, wait, count to three” game for calling out, using the hand signal agreed with the teacher.

Client Response: Client completed a 10-minute worksheet in session with one prompt and chose a sticker for the chart. He left his seat twice during the session and returned when prompted. Practiced the hand signal correctly five times. Parent role-played the first-then routine twice and said: “It’s easier when I don’t give him three things at once.”

Safety: Asked the parent about safety concerns at home or school: none reported. No safety concerns observed.

Plan Updates: Parent will use the first-then routine and labeled praise at homework time and keep the chart daily. Under the release on file, the therapist will email the teacher to continue the hand signal and check-in sheet. Parent will raise the appetite change with the pediatrician. Repeat the parent and teacher Vanderbilt rating scales at the 3-month review. Next session in one week.

See a note like this in the editor: open a prepared fictional progress note in MentalNote, no sign-up. For your own sessions, the progress note generator drafts the note from a recorded session for you to review and edit.

Writing a SOAP note for an adult client instead? See the ADHD SOAP note example.

Rating scales, medication and school coordination

If you use a rating scale, record the measure, who completed it (client, parent or teacher), the date and the score, not the items, and repeat it at set points. Common choices are the Vanderbilt ADHD rating scales (parent and teacher forms) for school-age children and the ASRS for adults. A rating scale supports your assessment; it does not make the diagnosis on its own.

If someone else prescribes ADHD medication, record what the client or family reports about taking it, any side effects they mention and any coordination with the prescriber. Unless you are the prescriber, leave dosing and medication decisions to the prescriber. For a child, note whether the family has shared a 504 plan or an IEP, any contact with the school and the authorization for it.

Tips for ADHD progress notes

Show function in more than one setting: record what happened at home, at school or work and with friends, not only how the session went. A note that shows the same difficulty across settings, and change over time, supports the treatment plan.
Attribute every report: label what the client said, what a parent or teacher reported and what you observed, and keep each separate. For school contact, note the release of information on file.
Count the same things each session: pick two or three markers tied to the goals (homework nights, reminders in class, missed deadlines, late arrivals) and compare them with baseline. Counts show progress more clearly than adjectives.
Link each strategy to a goal: name the skill practiced, such as a first-then routine, a planner check, a timer or labeled praise, the goal it serves, and whether it was used between sessions.
Stay within your scope on medication: record what the client or family reports and any coordination with the prescriber. Do not record dosing advice or judgments about medication unless you are the prescriber.
Note co-occurring concerns separately: anxiety, low mood, sleep problems, learning difficulties, oppositional behavior and, for teens, substance use can occur with ADHD. Document what you assess on its own terms rather than attributing every difficulty to ADHD.

Frequently asked questions

How do you write a progress note for ADHD?

Record specific examples of how attention, activity level or impulse control affected functioning at home, school or work since the last session, attributed to whoever reported them; the strategy you worked on and the goal it serves; how the client (and, for a child, the caregiver) responded; and the plan. Use counts, such as homework finished on 3 of 5 nights, to show change.

What ICD-10-CM code is used for ADHD?

It depends on the presentation in your diagnostic assessment: F90.0 for predominantly inattentive presentation, F90.1 for predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation, F90.2 for combined presentation, F90.8 for other specified ADHD and F90.9 for unspecified ADHD. Check the code against your assessment and the payer’s rules.

Which rating scales can you record in an ADHD progress note?

Common choices are the Vanderbilt ADHD rating scales (parent and teacher forms) for school-age children and the ASRS for adults. Record the measure, who completed it, the date and the score rather than the items, and repeat it at set points. A rating scale supports your assessment but does not make the diagnosis on its own.

Should a therapist document ADHD medication in a progress note?

Record what the client or family reports about taking medication, side effects they mention and any coordination with the prescriber. Unless you are the prescriber, do not give or document dosing advice; note concerns the client or family plans to raise with the prescriber.

How do you document parent and teacher reports for a child with ADHD?

Record each source separately and attribute it, for example “parent reported” or “per the teacher’s check-in sheet,” with the date. Note the authorization on file for school contact, and keep your own observations from the session separate from what others reported.

Review the progress note format or see a school counseling SOAP example.

Updated October 24, 2026.