Get familiar with the role of an informant so you can support as best you can.
An ADHD assessment is an important first step towards getting an accurate diagnosis and access to much-needed support. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, our clinicians must be provided with the most comprehensive and accurate information possible.
A vital source of this information is an informant; a person who has known the individual being assessed since childhood. If someone has asked you to be their informant for an ADHD assessment, it's important that you know what the process entails so you can be the best ADHD informant possible.
As an ADHD informant, your role is to provide information for someone undergoing an assessment for ADHD. This involves completing the Informant Questionnaire which tells our clinical team about any potential signs of ADHD that the individual displayed during their childhood, as well as those that they display now. You can help us to understand the impact this has on their daily functioning.
An informant should provide as many examples of symptoms or behaviours as possible to show that an individual’s signs of ADHD meet clinical criteria, potentially warranting a diagnosis.
When acting as an informant for a ProblemShared ADHD assessment, you will be asked to complete an Informant Questionnaire. This questionnaire will gather important details about the childhood, developmental milestones, medical and educational history, social characteristics, and neurodivergent traits of the individual being assessed.
Here is an overview of how to do it:
To ensure that the information provided is accurate and relevant, an informant should be somebody who has known the individual since childhood. This will preferably be a parent, caregiver, or sibling, although a long-term partner, close friend, or employer can act as an informant if this is not possible.
To prepare you for your role as an informant for an ADHD assessment, here are a few practical tips: