Time with professionals can feel rushed or too short, but coming prepared for your visit can help.

1. Try tracking the behaviors

If there are specific behaviors or feelings that you are worried about, try keeping track of them so you can tell the professional what you see more specifically. How often do they happen? What triggers them? Does anything help or make them worse?

2. Write down your questions

It can also help to write down any questions you have been wondering about. Then, when you go for the visit, you won’t have to try to remember them on the spot.

3. Bring info or reports from school or other professionals

If your child has had testing at school or you have reports or summaries from other helping professionals, bring those with you to your first appointment. This might save you from having to tell your story again and can make your time together more productive.

4. Know your “end-game”

It can help to think about what you are hoping things will look like by the end of treatment. Are you wishing for more peaceful family dinners and fewer arguments? Do you hope your child will be more focused and calmer? Are you interested in feeling more relaxed and confident in how to handle your child’s tantrums? Writing down your vision for the future can help everyone know when it might be time for treatment to end.