ADHD glossary · Family perspectives
Action item: turn an agreed next step into a clear record
An action item is a specific piece of work identified for someone to do after a conversation or review. We use it here for an agreed next action, not every interesting idea mentioned in passing. “We could have a picnic” is an idea. “I will check whether the park table can be booked” is an action someone has accepted.
General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.
The record should make that difference visible. Writing a person's name beside an idea does not show that they accepted it. An unresolved task can stay unassigned while people decide what is realistic.
From discussion to one action
In this fictional family conversation, three people discuss a weekend picnic. One wants a covered space, another wants to bring a game, and a third is not sure they can attend. They finish with a single confirmed action: Sam will ask the venue about table availability and share the answer by Wednesday evening.
“Arrange the whole picnic” would be a different and much larger task. Sam has not accepted transport, food, invitations, or a booking payment. Checking availability does not itself commit the family to the venue.
Once Sam has checked and shared the answer, the item is complete even if no table is available. Receiving an answer without reporting it would leave part of this particular action unfinished. The action was to check and report, not guarantee a particular result. The family can then make a separate decision about what to do next.
Write an action that someone can recognize
Action agreed:
Person who accepted it:
What completion will look like:
When an update is expected, if agreed:
Information or permission needed first:
Where the result will be shared:
What is outside this action:
Read the record back before ending the conversation. If the person says the scope is different from what they accepted, change the record rather than treating the written version as more authoritative than the agreement.
How it differs from nearby terms
A decision log records what was chosen. An action item records work following from the conversation. A reminder prompts someone about an existing item; it should not introduce extra work. Task ownership can cover ongoing responsibility, while this action might be a one-time check.
A child can accept a small contribution to a shared project without inheriting the adult logistics. A partner can ask for missing information before accepting an item. A grandparent can offer an answer or contact without becoming the project's organizer.
If the action cannot happen
Return to the item and name what changed: missing information, a different request, or unavailable time. Do not quietly expand it or mark it complete because a conversation took place. This is an optional record for ordinary coordination, not a performance score, legal duty, or test of ADHD-related ability.
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