See the strengths to build on, and the skills that need a little more support, in about 10 minutes.
Built for kids in Year 4 to Year 8High school asks more of an ADHD brain than primary school ever did: six classrooms, six teachers, deadlines in every direction, and a whole new sensory world. This screener looks at the skill areas that carry that load, explains each one in plain language, and shows you what is already going strong and where you could focus first.
These are the same skill areas I map in my 1:1 consultations.
The High School Readiness Screener was written by Shelley L'Green, AHPRA-registered occupational therapist and founder of ADHD & Her. Shelley works with ADHD kids and their parents Australia-wide via telehealth, mapping these same skill areas in her 1:1 consultations, and brings lived experience of ADHD to everything she builds. More at adhdandher.com.au.
This screener is an educational tool for parents and carers. It is not a clinical assessment, screening instrument or diagnosis, and it is not an occupational therapy assessment or report and cannot be used as one. Completing it does not create a therapeutic relationship with ADHD & Her. Results reflect only your own answers and are indicative, not definitive: many of these skills develop across a wide age range, and younger children are not expected to demonstrate them independently yet. Nothing here replaces individualised advice from your child's GP, paediatrician or treating team, and any concern this tool raises is best taken to them.
Your answers are processed on this device only. Nothing you enter is sent to or stored by ADHD & Her. If you take the screener again on this device, your previous results are remembered here (and only here) so you can see progress over time.
Each skill area sits in one of three bands. Steady means it is an area of strength right now. Developing means it is coming along with support, which is exactly how skills grow. Focus area means this is where deliberate attention pays off next. Skills ebb and flow with age and load, so every band is a snapshot, not a final word.
Because skills stack. It is hard for any child to use planners, checklists or study systems while their days still feel overwhelming, so we steady the everyday first, then build the organisational skills on top of that foundation. Nervous system regulation is the base everything else stands on. And because ADHD brains learn through movement, senses, rhythm, connection and play, every starting point above is built that way, not just worksheets. Occupational therapists describe this as working from the foundations up. It is also how I sequence my 1:1 work.
Readiness is a moving picture, and no single check-in is the final word. Come back each term, or after any big change, and take the screener again: this page will show what has strengthened and what else might need support. Results are remembered only in this browser on this device, so return on the same device to compare, and print or save a copy as your dated record.
If you decide to bring in more support, different professionals help with different parts of the picture. And do not overlook the school itself: teachers, year advisors and school counsellors are often the quickest first step for school-day supports. As a guide:
Your GP or paediatrician is the starting point for assessment, diagnosis, referrals and medication questions, and coordinates the wider team.
An occupational therapist works on the territory this screener maps: regulation, sensory processing, attention and executive skills, and everyday independence at home and school. That is my field.
A psychologist can help where anxiety, low mood or intense emotional reactions are a large part of the picture, supports friendships, social skills and rejection sensitivity, and conducts formal assessments, including of learning.
A speech pathologist helps where language, social communication, following verbal instructions, or reading, writing, comprehension and processing are the bigger challenge.
This is a map of who does what, not a referral.
The High School Readiness Screener is an educational self-reflection tool for parents and carers. It is not a clinical assessment, diagnostic instrument or health service, it is not an occupational therapy assessment or report and cannot be used as one, and completing it does not create a therapeutic relationship with Shelley L'Green or ADHD & Her. Results are based solely on your own responses, describe skills rather than conditions, and are indicative only. Skills in this tool develop across a wide age range, and younger children are not expected to demonstrate many of them independently yet. The information and suggestions provided are general education. They are not medical, psychological or therapeutic advice, and they are not a substitute for individualised advice from your child's GP, paediatrician or treating team, who should be consulted before acting on any concern this tool raises. In 1:1 consultations, standardised clinical questionnaires and a full clinical picture are used to map this territory in depth. If you are concerned about your child's development, learning, mental health, wellbeing or cycle-related symptoms, please speak with your GP. If you or your child ever need urgent support, contact your local emergency services or a crisis support service. Your answers are processed on this device, and if you retake the tool they are remembered only in this browser on this device; they are never transmitted to or stored by ADHD & Her, and clearing your browser data removes them. To the extent permitted by law, ADHD & Her accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on this tool. © ADHD & Her · Shelley L'Green, AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist.