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ADHD glossary · Family perspectives

Open-ended question: leave room for the person's own answer

An open-ended question leaves space for an answer beyond a fixed yes, no, or listed choice. Our ordinary conversation examples invite the person to choose what to say in their own words. The wording does not guarantee a long answer, a personal disclosure, or agreement with the person asking.

By RDY Editorial · Prepared

General education and practical perspectives. Editorial standards.

This describes the form of a question. A clarifying question has the purpose of resolving something unclear, whether its form is open or limited. “What do you mean by ready?” can do both. Taking turns is a separate arrangement about who speaks and when.

Worked example: choosing a small display

In this fictional example, a child and grandparent are putting together a display of the child's drawings for a family afternoon. The grandparent initially asks, “Do you want the animal pictures on the left or right?” That question offers two positions, but the child has not yet said they want to use the animal pictures.

The grandparent steps back and asks, “What would you like people to notice in your display?” The child says they want to show how they drew a vehicle, and points to three sketches. The answer changes the proposed selection; it is not simply collected and ignored while the adult continues with the original plan.

Later, a limited choice is useful to them: “Would you like these three sketches in a row or a column?” The child can still suggest something else. Neither form is treated as the correct way to ask every question. They use the question that fits the decision they are actually discussing.

Prepare a question with room in it

What we are discussing:
What I genuinely want to hear from the other person:
My proposed question:
Any answer I may be assuming before I ask:
What I am willing to reconsider after their answer:
Whether this is a good time to ask:
How I will leave room for a short answer or no answer:
One point I might need to clarify afterward:

Possible wording for this display is “Which part would you like to explain?” or “What would you change about this arrangement?” These are invitations, not a script that must produce insight. If the person says “I don't know,” that can remain their answer rather than becoming a cue to keep questioning.

Notice hidden assumptions

“Why is my layout the best one?” leaves an assumption inside an apparently expansive question. If you want the person's view, ask about the layout without requiring praise. If you are making a request or setting a genuine constraint, say that directly instead of presenting a decided matter as open for discussion.

A parent can ask about a child's preference without asking for a private account of every feeling behind it. Partners can choose a better time for a conversation. A grandparent can listen to a short answer without treating its length as a measure of interest or affection.

Keep the invitation ordinary

This page is about everyday wording, not interviewing validity, screening, therapy, or a way to establish whether someone is telling the truth. Allowing space for an answer also means allowing correction, a different suggestion, or a decision not to continue the conversation.

Updates and corrections

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