Goals

What is a goal? A goal is the overall outcome the patient wants to achieve in treatment. It reflects what the patient is working toward and can be written in clinical language or using the patient’s own words when appropriate.

Goals describe what the patient wants to change or improve. Objectives describe how that goal will be achieved and measured over time.

Using the patient’s own language can help improve clarity and engagement, especially in child and adolescent cases or when documenting patient centered care.

Goal 1: Improve Attention and Task Completion

Client Goal:

I want to improve my focus and become more consistent with finishing things I start.

Clinical Focus:

Support the client in improving sustained attention, reducing distractions, increasing task initiation and completion, and developing practical strategies to improve focus across daily responsibilities.

Goal 2: Improve Organization, Planning, and Time Management

Client Goal:

I want to become more organized and better manage my time and responsibilities.

Clinical Focus:

Support the client in developing practical systems for planning, prioritizing, organizing, and managing time while reducing the impact of ADHD symptoms on daily responsibilities.

Goal 3: Improve Impulse Control and Emotional Regulation

Client Goal:

I want to better control my reactions and think before I act or respond.

Clinical Focus:

Support the client in increasing awareness of impulsive and emotionally reactive patterns while developing strategies to pause, regulate emotions, consider consequences, and respond more effectively.

Goal 4: Improve Executive Functioning and Daily Routines

Client Goal:

I want to build routines that help me stay on top of my responsibilities.

Clinical Focus:

Support the client in strengthening executive functioning skills related to task initiation, sequencing, flexibility, follow through, and development of consistent routines across daily environments.

Goal 5: Improve Interpersonal and Social Functioning

Client Goal:

I want to improve how I communicate and manage my ADHD symptoms in my relationships.

Clinical Focus:

Support the client in recognizing the impact of ADHD symptoms on interpersonal functioning while developing strategies for active listening, communication, impulse control, emotional regulation, and relationship maintenance.

Goals (ADHD)

• Patient will improve overall attention and concentration in order to increase task completion across home, school, and/or work settings.
• Patient will increase ability to sustain focus on age appropriate tasks for progressively longer periods of time.
• Patient will demonstrate improved executive functioning skills, including organization, planning, time management, and task initiation.