ADHD glossary · Family perspectives
Appointment agenda: choose what you want to discuss
An appointment agenda is a short list of topics and questions you want to bring to a scheduled conversation. In our use, it is prepared for the person attending. It is not a record of what the professional has decided, a script they must follow, or permission for someone else to speak for you.
General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.
The question is “Which questions belong in this conversation, and whose questions are they?” A calendar holds the time and location. This agenda sorts possible topics into ones to raise here and ones to leave for another conversation. It is narrower than a complete visit-preparation sheet.
Worked example: an appointment about a course
In this fictional example, an adult has arranged to meet a course adviser. Their partner wants to discuss transport. The adult wants to understand the weekly workload and whether the timetable is fixed. They list all three topics, then ask which ones the adviser can actually address.
They put workload first. They rewrite the transport topic as “Which evenings require attendance?” because that course information is relevant to the adviser. Who will drive remains a separate household conversation; they do not ask the adviser to settle it. The adult labels the attendance question as one they chose to bring after talking with their partner.
During the appointment, the adviser introduces an optional course extension. The adult adds it under “another conversation” so it does not displace the workload question. They can change that order if they want to. Parking a topic is not an agreement to take the extension, and an unanswered question does not become an answer just because the appointment ends.
Sort your possible questions
Conversation and its stated purpose:
Question or topic:
Whose question is this?
Why does it belong in this appointment?
My choice: raise first / raise if relevant / another conversation
What I actually heard in response, if anything:
Topic I am deliberately leaving out:
Question whose priority changed during the conversation:
Repeat the question fields only for topics you want to consider. A topic can stay off the agenda without being unimportant. If another person adds a question, decide whether you want to bring it and identify it as theirs rather than presenting it as your own experience.
Whose perspective belongs here?
For this optional sheet, the person attending chooses their priorities. A parent helping a child prepare can distinguish the child's question from the parent's own topic instead of combining them into a single “we.” A partner or grandparent can suggest a topic without becoming the spokesperson. The professional can explain which questions fit the appointment and which need another conversation.
These are participation preferences for our example, not a determination of anyone's legal authority or consent rights.
If the appointment is about health
Use this page only to organize your own questions and observations. It does not suggest a diagnosis, treatment, medication change, or a result to request. Ask the professional to explain unfamiliar terms and any next steps. A general preparation sheet is not an urgent-care or safeguarding procedure.
An agenda can also change during the conversation. Cross out a resolved question, add a new one, or say that you would like to return to the original issue. The purpose is to keep your questions visible, not to make you complete a perfect form.
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