Preparing Personal Notes for an ESA Evaluation: A Simple Observation Log

Personal notes can help you remember what you want to discuss at an ESA evaluation. Their purpose is to support an accurate conversation, not to produce the right answers for approval. A short account in your own words is more useful than a polished story copied from someone else.

The observation log below is an optional organizing tool. It is not a diagnostic questionnaire, a clinical test or a requirement imposed by every evaluator. Follow the professional’s own instructions if they ask you to prepare information in a particular way.

Keep the log small enough to use

Choose a private notebook or a file you can access securely. For each entry, record the date, a brief description of what you noticed, the activity or responsibility involved and any question you want to ask. You do not need a complicated score or a long narrative to make a useful note.

Write when you can accurately remember the event. If you are reconstructing something from memory, label the date as approximate. A blank day is missing information, not evidence that nothing happened. Do not fill gaps simply to make the record look complete.

Separate observations from explanations

Describe an event before trying to name its cause. For example, you might record that you postponed a planned task, what you remember about that situation and what you want to clarify with the professional. The evaluator can ask follow-up questions; you do not need to assign yourself a diagnosis to prepare.

If your animal was present, describe what actually happened rather than what you think an ESA is supposed to do. You can note that you did not notice a difference or that you are unsure. Avoid turning ordinary companionship into a medical claim on the basis of the log alone.

Bring questions, not a script

Use a separate question list for points that need explanation. You might ask how the evaluation works, whether another discussion is needed or how to provide information you cannot recall during the appointment. Ask the professional which records, if any, are relevant before sending a large collection of files.

NIMH’s general appointment guidance encourages advance preparation, honest communication and questions for the health care provider. Those principles support a clear conversation; they are not an ESA approval checklist or an endorsement of a particular service.

Be clear about uncertainty and change

If your experience varies, say so. Preserve earlier entries and add a dated clarification if you later remember something differently. Do not rewrite the whole log to remove inconvenient details. Tell the evaluator when a statement is your observation and when it came from a previous professional assessment.

List medication or treatment information accurately if requested, and ask the evaluating professional how to share it. Do not begin, stop or change treatment to create a different diary entry or influence an evaluation outcome. This article offers organization tips, not treatment advice.

Keep private notes in the appropriate channel

Your personal preparation notes may contain sensitive details. Confirm whether the evaluator wants to see them and which channel to use. Do not place clinical information in an email subject, public review or shared filename. A customer-support reference can help route a question without including your full personal history.

An observation log prepared for a professional conversation is not automatically a document to send with a housing request. Keep the purpose and recipient of each file clear. Our document organization guide provides a practical way to distinguish personal records, issued documents and correspondence.

Use the appointment to clarify the next step

At the end of the conversation, note any instructions you received, what remains unanswered and where to send a requested follow-up. Keep your own notes distinct from the professional’s findings or an issued document. If you do not understand an instruction, ask for clarification rather than guessing.

For appointment logistics, see our online evaluation preparation checklist. If you have already received a request for more information, use the follow-up reply guide to keep the response focused on that request.

Source and photo credit

Reviewed November 4, 2026. Communication reference: NIMH: Tips for Talking With a Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health. The optional observation-log structure is an original editorial suggestion, not a validated clinical instrument. Photo by Zen Chung on Pexels, under the Pexels License. Illustrative stock photo; the person pictured is not identified as an ESA patient or MyPetESA client.