Stanford has more ADHD help than most students ever find: a free campus evaluation, free coaching that needs no diagnosis, a Stanford Health Care ADHD clinic, therapy groups built for ADHD, and accommodations. The catch is that each door has its own rules, and the rules decide how long you wait.

Start by picking the line that describes you. Then follow only that section.

You are… Your first call Cost to you
Wondering if you have ADHD CAPS ADHD consultation: 650-723-3785 Free
Already diagnosed, need medication here CAPS, for an intake and evaluation before any prescription or refill $35 per medication visit on Cardinal Care
Need extra exam time or other accommodations Office of Accessible Education (OAE): 650-723-1066 Free; testing to document it may be free at Schwab
Struggling with planning, deadlines or focus, diagnosis or not CTL individual neurodiversity coaching, booked online Free; no documentation needed
Want skills, not only medication Stanford Health Care ADHD psychological services: CBT and executive-function groups Cardinal Care copay
A PhD or graduate student Section 7: advisor, coaching, TA/RA accommodations, grants Mostly free
In crisis right now CAPS 24/7: 650-723-3785, or call or text 988 Free

1. "I think I might have ADHD"

Call CAPS first. CAPS does not run the full evaluation itself. It "offers ADHD consultations to support students in connecting with assessments, academic support and other campus resources." Call 650-723-3785, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and ask for an ADHD initial consultation. The consult is free.¹ ²

From there, two evaluation routes:

Route A: the Schwab Learning Center (free, slower). The Schwab Learning Center offers "psychoeducational evaluations for Stanford students who are seeking a diagnosis for learning disabilities or ADHD," and "Stanford students receive SLC services free of charge." The rules matter:³

  • You must have at least one year of enrollment left before graduation.
  • You need a formal referral. Without one, "scheduling the evaluation will be indefinitely postponed."
  • You must first complete at least three meetings with a learning specialist.
  • Testing is in person at 650 Clark Way, Palo Alto. Reports "are typically delivered within six weeks."
  • Expect a wait. Stanford's own neurodiversity guide says there is "typically a 3-4 month waiting period between registration and the first evaluation session," so register early if you need accommodations soon.³
  • You may not be eligible if you are "pursuing a diagnosis solely to obtain a prescription for ADHD medication."

If you are a senior or a one-year master's student, Route A may already be closed to you. Ask CAPS on the first call.

Route B: Stanford Health Care's ADHD clinic (insurance, faster to start). The ADHD Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic at Stanford Health Care does diagnostic assessments and medication. Call SHC Psychiatry Intake at 650-498-9111, option 2 for students. Cost is "determined by insurance, $35 co-pay for Cardinal Care."¹

Route C: off campus. Cardinal Care uses the Blue Shield of California PPO network in California. In network, mental health visits have a $35 copay. Out of network, you pay 50% of the usual charge after the deductible. You do not need a referral from Vaden.⁴ ⁵ Published Bay Area prices for an adult ADHD evaluation range from a few hundred dollars for a psychiatric visit to several thousand for testing. See Santa Clara County options → · San Francisco prices →

Before you pay anyone off campus: if you will want accommodations, check that the report will meet OAE's rules in section 3. A short letter will not.

2. "I'm diagnosed and need medication at Stanford"

CAPS says it offers "referral support for students who have been diagnosed with ADHD and are interested in continuing medication treatment."¹ Vaden describes ADHD medication as "a specialized medication management service," and says "an intake and an evaluation is needed prior to any medication management services, including refills on existing prescriptions."²⁹

That last line is the one that catches students. If you arrive in September with a prescription from home, you cannot simply get a refill on day one. Book the intake before you run low, or keep your home prescriber until the handover is done.

Cost: psychiatric medication visits at CAPS carry a $35 copay with Cardinal Care. Other CAPS services are free.² Cardinal Care prescriptions cost $10 generic, $35 preferred brand, $50 non-preferred.⁴

Stanford does not publish a stimulant-specific policy (such as a contract or drug screening) on any page we could read. Ask CAPS what its prescribers require before your intake.

3. "I need accommodations"

Accommodations come from the Office of Accessible Education, not from CAPS or your doctor. OAE decides, and "the evaluator's recommendations provide helpful information, but are not binding."⁶

For ADHD, OAE asks for a comprehensive psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation that includes:⁶

  • "A clear diagnostic statement using DSM-5 or ICD-10 criteria"
  • "Results from individually administered assessments of cognitive ability, academic achievement, and information processing"
  • "A rationale that connects the diagnosis and test data to functional limitations in the university setting"
  • On official letterhead, dated and signed. Notes on prescription pads are not accepted on their own.

Accommodations OAE names for attention problems include "a distraction-reduced testing site" and extended time on exams. Exam requests are due at least 10 calendar days ahead. Register and upload documents through the OAE|Connect portal, or call 650-723-1066. "Because accommodations are not retroactive, students should contact the OAE as soon as possible."⁶ ⁷

MD and PA (MSPA) students use the School of Medicine's Office of Disability Resources instead of OAE.⁷

4. Help that needs no diagnosis

  • CTL individual neurodiversity coaching. For "students with ADHD, learning disabilities/differences, autism, and/or executive functioning challenges." "You do not need documentation or OAE referral to make an appointment," and there is no set number of sessions. Book with a coach online. Free.⁸ (Group coaching for graduate and co-term students is paused for fall 2026 and returns in 2027.)⁹
  • Schwab learning specialists. Help with "organization, time management, and focus," weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Not content tutoring.³
  • Neurodiversity-focused tutoring for undergraduate courses, up to four hours a week, needs a referral from your OAE disability advisor. The fall 2026 request form is closed; ask about winter.¹⁰
  • TimelyCare. Free virtual care 24/7, with up to 12 scheduled therapy sessions per academic year.¹ ²
  • The Bridge Peer Counseling Center. Anonymous, confidential peer counseling, 24/7, no appointment.¹¹

5. What works besides medication

Medication is not the only treatment, and for some students it is not the first. Here is what the evidence bodies say, in their words.

Approach What the source says Where to get it at Stanford
Cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD NIMH lists "psychotherapy, like behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy." UK guidance (NICE) says treatment "may involve elements of or a full course of CBT."¹² ¹³ SHC Adult ADHD Psychological Services: individual and group CBT for ADHD¹
Executive-function skills training and coaching NIMH: a coach "can teach them executive function skills." CHADD: coaching targets "planning, time management, goal setting, organization"; studies are "limited in number" but "found consistent results."¹² ¹⁴ SHC executive-functioning skills groups; CTL coaching; Schwab specialists
Exercise NIMH suggests "adding more physical exercise to their daily schedule." NICE stresses "regular exercise."¹² ¹³ Schedule it like a class
Sleep NIMH: sleep problems affect "up to 70% of adults with ADHD." CHADD's college advice: aim for "close to eight hours."¹² ¹⁵ Ask CAPS or Vaden if sleep is the problem
Changing the environment NICE: "reducing distractions (for example, using headphones)" and "shorter periods of focus with movement breaks."¹³ OAE's distraction-reduced testing; library carrels
Planners and reminders CHADD: "Use a planner or digital calendar and set reminders."¹⁵ See the Claude set-ups below

Be wary of anything whose proof is, in CHADD's words, "only a few people saying that it works." CHADD says too little research has been done to know whether EEG biofeedback works well.¹⁶ NIMH lists neurofeedback, cognitive training and mindfulness as treatments still being studied, not established ones.¹⁷

6. Using Claude as an executive-function aid

A general AI assistant helps with the starting, sorting and remembering parts of work, if you treat it as a planning tool, not a clinician. Our full guide has the set-ups, seven free skills to install, and a dashboard to build: Using Claude when starting, planning and remembering are hard →

What is specific to Stanford:

  • It is free. Stanford UIT says Claude for Education's Standard tier "is free to all active faculty, students, postdocs, and staff," including Claude Chat, Claude Code, Cowork and Learning mode. (The same page also mentions a paid Standard tier; ask UIT if anything you need is gated.)¹⁸
  • Move your account. Personal Claude accounts tied to a stanford.edu email "will stop working Jan. 1, 2027." Move to the Stanford account before December 31.¹⁹
  • Keep health details out. Stanford approves Claude Chat "for all data classifications, except protected health information (PHI)."¹⁸ Describe tasks, not symptoms or medications. For anything personal, use an incognito chat: "Incognito chats are not used for training," though they are kept for 30 days.²⁰ ²¹
  • Learning mode "asks questions that help you find the answers yourself," which keeps the work, and the learning, yours.²⁸ Honor code rules on AI use differ by course; check each syllabus.

7. PhD and other graduate students

Graduate school removes the structure that held many people up: no weekly deadlines, one advisor instead of a syllabus, and years-long projects. The ADHD routes above all apply to you. These are the ones built for graduate students.

Your advisor and your program

  • The Graduate Life Office helps with "personal issues, roommate problems, family and health concern, academic challenges, and financial difficulties." Office: 650-736-7078, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.³⁰ After hours, CAPS answers 24/7 at 650-723-3785.
  • Changing advisors is allowed. Stanford's graduate policy says programs "should make every reasonable effort to facilitate the change," though a new lab can delay milestones.³¹
  • Confidential advice: the University Ombuds, 650-497-1542. It serves every school except the School of Medicine, which has its own ombuds.³²
  • TGR students: the first "N-" grade "constitutes a warning"; later ones "are grounds for dismissal." Agree on what counts as progress each quarter, in writing, before it is graded.³³

Coaching and writing help (all free)

  • CTL graduate coaching covers "communicating with your advisor," "preparing for qualifying exams," and "preventing burn-out." Dissertation Coaching is a four-session package. Free for any matriculated student.³⁴
  • CTL's coaching group for graduate students with ADHD, learning differences, autism and executive-function challenges is paused this fall and returns in winter quarter 2027. No OAE referral needed: "all brains are welcome!"³⁵
  • Hume Center: free 50-minute writing consultations, and a free Dissertation Boot Camp with "a total of 10 writing days." In-person camps charge $100 if you do not fully attend. Registration opens at 10 a.m. two weeks before each camp, and fills fast.³⁶

Accommodations for research and teaching

  • OAE says "1 in 5 grad students are registered" and that accommodations apply "in the classroom, the lab, or on field sites." Graduate students can request part-time enrollment for disability reasons, with a minimum of three units, by the course withdrawal deadline.³⁷
  • TA and RA work goes through the employee process, not OAE: ask your supervisor or local HR manager.³⁸ Under the graduate workers' union contract (through August 31, 2027), Stanford "shall not unreasonably deny requests" to reschedule work for medical appointments.³⁹ RAs and TAs get 40 hours of paid sick time a year, usable for diagnosis or treatment.⁴⁰

Money for an evaluation or treatment

  • Emergency Grant-in-Aid covers "out of pocket medical, mental health" costs, up to $5,000 a year. Your department "will not have access to the details." It counts as taxable income, and decisions usually take three to five weeks. GLO deans can help you apply.⁴¹
  • Biosciences PhD students: a free Mental Health Team (book through CAPS), up to $1,000 a year toward therapy copays with no diagnosis information requested, and a hardship fund of up to $5,000 in the first six years.⁴²

If you are thinking about a leave

A leave can be up to a year at a time, two years in total. A medical leave needs proof of treatment or an interview at Vaden or CAPS. Qualifying exams cannot be taken during a leave, and leaves "do not delay candidacy" expiration. Most assistantship and fellowship pay stops during a leave, so talk to GLO and your program about money before you file.⁴³

The advisor-meeting-prep skill in our Claude guide turns scattered research notes into a one-page agenda.

Phone numbers on one card

  • CAPS (consults, medication, 24/7 crisis): 650-723-3785
  • SHC Psychiatry Intake (ADHD clinic): 650-498-9111, option 2
  • Schwab Learning Center: 650-688-3625
  • OAE: 650-723-1066
  • Cardinal Care (Wellfleet): 833-343-5338 · Teladoc mental health: 800-835-2362
  • Vaden 24/7 medical advice: 650-498-2336
  • Crisis anywhere: call or text 988

Q&A

Does Stanford test students for ADHD for free? Yes, through the Schwab Learning Center, if you have at least a year of enrollment left, a formal referral, and three learning-specialist meetings first. Start with a free CAPS ADHD consultation at 650-723-3785.¹ ³

Can I get my ADHD prescription refilled at Stanford right away? Not right away. CAPS requires an intake and evaluation before any medication management, including refills of existing prescriptions. Book early.²

What documentation does Stanford OAE need for ADHD? A comprehensive psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation with a DSM-5 or ICD-10 diagnosis, test results, and a rationale linking them to limits at university, on letterhead, dated and signed.⁶

Is ADHD coaching free at Stanford? Yes. CTL's individual neurodiversity coaching is free and needs no documentation or OAE referral.⁸

Can Stanford students use Claude for free? Stanford UIT says the Standard tier of Claude for Education is free to all active students, and that personal Claude accounts tied to a stanford.edu email stop working January 1, 2027.¹⁸ ¹⁹

Our therapist directory: See its current status → · Stanford mental health overview → · Duck Syndrome and perfectionism at Stanford →

In crisis? Call or text 988 — free, 24/7.

Sources (all read November 6, 2026)

  1. Stanford Medical Services, mental health resources (CAPS ADHD services, SHC ADHD clinic, SHC Adult ADHD Psychological Services, TimelyCare) — medicalservices.stanford.edu.
  2. Stanford CAPS, FAQ and policies.
  3. Children's Health Council, Schwab Learning Center at Stanford — chconline.org; Stanford Medical Services, neurodiversity and disability — medicalservices.stanford.edu.
  4. Vaden Health Services, 2026–2027 Cardinal Care — vaden.stanford.edu.
  5. Stanford CAPS, using your insurance for therapy — caps.stanford.edu.
  6. Stanford Office of Accessible Education, documentation guidelines (including its phone) and exam accommodations.
  7. Stanford OAE, register with OAE — oae.stanford.edu.
  8. Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning, individual neurodiversity coaching — ctl.stanford.edu.
  9. Stanford CTL, group coaching — ctl.stanford.edu.
  10. Stanford CTL, neurodiversity-focused tutoring — ctl.stanford.edu.
  11. Stanford Student Affairs, mental health communities — studentaffairs.stanford.edu.
  12. National Institute of Mental Health, "ADHD in Adults: 4 Things to Know" — nimh.nih.gov.
  13. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK), ADHD guideline NG87, recommendations — nice.org.uk.
  14. CHADD, coaching — chadd.org.
  15. CHADD, succeeding in college with ADHD — chadd.org.
  16. CHADD, complementary and other interventions — chadd.org.
  17. National Institute of Mental Health, ADHD topic page — nimh.nih.gov.
  18. Stanford University IT, Claude — uit.stanford.edu.
  19. Stanford University IT, AI tools October 2026 platform updates — uit.stanford.edu.
  20. Anthropic Privacy Center, model improvement settings — privacy.claude.com.
  21. Claude Help Center, incognito chats — support.claude.com.
  22. Claude Help Center, Projects — support.claude.com.
  23. Claude Help Center, Google Workspace connectors — support.claude.com.
  24. Claude Help Center, voice mode — support.claude.com.
  25. Claude Help Center, memory — support.claude.com.
  26. Claude Help Center, Artifacts — support.claude.com.
  27. Claude Help Center, scheduled tasks in Cowork — support.claude.com.
  28. Claude for Education — claude.com.
  29. Vaden Health Services, transitioning your mental health care — vaden.stanford.edu.
  30. Stanford Graduate Life Office — services and contact.
  31. Stanford GAP Handbook 3.3.1, advising — gap.stanford.edu; VPGE, changing labs — vpge.stanford.edu.
  32. Stanford University Ombuds — ombuds.stanford.edu.
  33. Stanford GAP Handbook 3.1.1, academic progress and TGR — gap.stanford.edu.
  34. Stanford CTL, graduate coaching, academic coaching and dissertation resources.
  35. Stanford CTL, neurodiversity and group coaching.
  36. Hume Center for Writing and Speaking, graduate students and Dissertation Boot Camp.
  37. Stanford OAE, myths about OAE and reduced course load.
  38. Stanford Administrative Guide 2.2.7, workplace accommodations — adminguide.stanford.edu.
  39. Stanford Cardinal at Work, UE Local 1043 agreement — cardinalatwork.stanford.edu; contract Article 11 — sgwu.us.
  40. Stanford GAP Handbook 7.3.1, sick time — gap.stanford.edu.
  41. Stanford Financial Aid, Emergency Grant-in-Aid — financialaid.stanford.edu; CAPS, options outside CAPS — caps.stanford.edu.
  42. Stanford Biosciences Office of Graduate Education, support resources, mental health support and hardship program.
  43. Stanford GAP Handbook 5.3.1, leaves of absence — gap.stanford.edu.

Clinical review is not yet claimed. Stanford changes these services each quarter; we recheck this page every 90 days.

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