ADHD Employment Readiness Workbook: Job Stability, Executive Function & Work Skills

Employment success with ADHD depends on much more than intelligence, education, or technical ability. Difficulties with wake times, punctuality, transportation, medication consistency, task initiation, working memory, boredom, deadlines, communication, criticism, emotional regulation, and recovery after stressful workdays can affect job stability even when the employee is highly capable. This comprehensive workbook helps identify the systems needed to support reliable attendance, task completion, professional communication, stress tolerance, interview preparation, and long-term employment stability while building practical accommodations and routines around executive-function needs.

Wake/Sleep • Punctuality • Transportation • Medication Routine • Task Management • Supervisors • Boredom • Rejection Sensitivity

ADHD Employment Readiness & Job Stability Workbook

Employment stability with ADHD depends on more than job skill. This workbook measures the routines, executive-function systems, communication habits, stress tolerance, and recovery skills that make attendance, performance, and reliability sustainable.

Mark Zauss, BC-TMC, LMHC, LPC, CCMHC, NCC, ASDCS, CCTP, CCTP II, NATC, ADHD-CCSP, C-DBT, C-PD
Original psychoeducational and treatment-monitoring resource. Scores are descriptive and are not diagnostic.

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How to use: Rate each item based on your typical pattern or the past 1–2 weeks. Use repeated scores to track change over time rather than treating one score as a diagnosis.

Name / initials

Date

Assessment

Morning & Attendance

0 / 20

1. I maintain a wake time compatible with work.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I can get ready without repeated last-minute crises.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I build in enough transition time.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I have a backup alarm or accountability system.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I can arrive consistently on time.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Transportation & Logistics

0 / 20

1. I know how I will get to work reliably.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I have a backup transportation plan.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I prepare clothing/equipment the night before.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I track schedule/location changes.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I account for traffic, parking, or transit delays.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Medication & Health Routine

0 / 20

1. I follow my prescriber-approved medication routine.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I eat/hydrate adequately for the workday.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I protect enough sleep to function.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I know how to manage refills around work.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I monitor side effects that could affect performance.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Task Management

0 / 20

1. I capture assignments externally.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I clarify priorities and deadlines.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I break large projects into steps.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I use reminders rather than memory alone.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I close loops and confirm completion.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Communication with Supervisors

0 / 20

1. I ask for clarification before a problem grows.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I communicate delays early.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I can receive corrective feedback without shutting down.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I document important instructions.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I avoid overpromising to appear capable.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Boredom & Sustained Attention

0 / 20

1. I use structured breaks strategically.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I can work through low-stimulation tasks.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I reduce avoidable phone/distraction use.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I create visible milestones or rewards.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I know when to ask for a change in task structure.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Rejection Sensitivity & Stress

0 / 20

1. I can distinguish feedback from personal rejection.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. I avoid impulsive resignation after a difficult interaction.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I regulate before responding to criticism.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I seek clarification rather than assuming negative intent.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I recover after stressful workdays.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Job Search & Interviewing

0 / 20

1. I maintain a realistic application routine.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

2. My résumé and references are current.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

3. I can describe strengths without overselling.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

4. I prepare examples before interviews.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

5. I follow up appropriately.

0 Never/None

1 Rare/Mild

2 Sometimes/Moderate

3 Often/Significant

4 Very Often/Strong

Employment Stability Plan

Target role / work environment

Morning leave-the-house sequence

Task-management system

Plan for boredom / distraction

Plan for corrective feedback

Weekly job-stability goal

Scoring & AI-Style Summary

Calculate Scores

Total Score

0 / 160

Overall Burden / Skill Gap

0%

Completed Items

0 / 40

No summary generated yet.

Reflection & Next Step

What stands out most?

What is one realistic change for this week?

Clinical disclaimer: This worksheet is educational and intended to support treatment planning and self-monitoring. It does not diagnose ADHD, trauma, dissociation, attachment disorders, anxiety disorders, relationship disorders, or any other condition. Medication-related decisions must be made with the prescribing clinician.

Mark Zauss, BC-TMC, LMHC, LPC, CCMHC, NCC, ASDCS, CCTP, CCTP II, NATC, ADHD-CCSP, C-DBT, C-PD
Use results in context with clinical history, neurodevelopmental factors, trauma, sleep, mood, anxiety, relationships, medical conditions, and the client's own goals.

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