ADHD Assessments
We offer evidence-based ADHD assessments, in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and standards.
ADHD assessments for adults and adolescents over the age of 16
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms range widely, and look very different in adults than in children. Symptoms in adults can include, but are not limited to:
Being disorganised
Feeling restless or struggling to switch off
Interrupting people
Being impulsive
Forgetfulness
Extreme emotional reactions, or often feel like you are overreacting
Difficulty with planning and organising, or a heavy reliance on lists and structured routine
Difficulty initiating tasks independently
Difficulty completing tasks
Hyper-focus on areas of interest, and a struggle to focus on topics that are disinteresting
Daydreaming or excessive mind wandering
Astute attention to detail in some areas, and careless mistakes in others
Overwhelmed by simple tasks
ADHD can effect all areas of life, including education, work, relationships, as well as mental health. Adults have usually learned to mask and compensate for their symptoms well, and can appear to be very functional, while feeling like they are constantly bordering on a state of overwhelm.
*Because there is such variation in ADHD symptoms, this list is by no means exhaustive. Please contact us for a pre-assessment questionnaire if you are unsure about whether you would like to proceed with an assessment. This is free of charge and comes with no obligation.
What to look for when looking for a high-quality assessment?
The BBC recently did a documentary exposing the poor standards applied at private clinics assessing for ADHD. This has raised a number of concerns for the safety of those seeking a diagnosis. There are a lot of private clinics offering these assessments, and it is important to know how to distinguish a high quality assessment process from a poorer standard. If I were looking for an assessment, here is what I would look for in a practitioner:
At least 10 years experience in mental health, specifically. In any field, it takes about 10 years to be considering an expert in something. ADHD presents in so many different ways, that you want someone with a wide range of experience as to not miss any of the more subtle signs
Uses a combination of questionnaires and a clinical interview. The DIVA interview is the most commonly used.
Spends 2-3 hours in the interview process. This is in accordance with the Nice guidelines. Anything less that this may not be as comprehensive as you would like
Collects information from parents/partners/significant others, where possible. It is possible to make a diagnosis without this, but you want someone who asks for the information
Practitioners who will do a differential diagnosis (considering all of the possible explanations for your symptoms) and look at co-morbities (other conditions that may be present in addition to ADHD) . ADHD is complex and nuanced, and can hide behind things like depression and anxiety. Sometimes other underlying mechanisms can create symptoms that look like ADHD. Your clinician should take the whole picture into account, rather than only be looking for ADHD symptoms. Sometimes ADHD symptoms can be very similar to other difficulties, and often with ADHD there are other difficulties that may also be present. A practitioner who knows the difference is vital
A practitioner who can put you in touch with somebody to start medication, as this is often (but not always) a vital part of effective treatment
Produces a report within a couple of weeks. This is an adequate timeframe, and you want a practitioner writing your report while it is fresh in their minds after the interview process.
Offers a feedback session after the assessment. Getting a diagnosis, or even not getting a diagnosis, is a lot to get you ahead around. Providing a space to go through the details of the report, answer questions, and ensure you are okay is an important part of the process.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions if there is anything you are uncertain of. Getting an ADHD assessment is a big step, and making a diagnosis is not something that should be taken lightly.
The Assessment Process
Step 1
If you are unsure whether you should have an assessment for ADHD, we recommend that you take a free Pre-assessment questionnaire. This is based on the Adults Self-Report Scale (ASRS), and will give you a score to indicate the likelihood of you having ADHD. We are in the process of setting this up electronically, but please contact us in the meantime to send you a copy if you would like this. It is free and comes with no obligation.
Please note that this is a pre-assessment, and does not conclude or exclude a diagnosis of ADHD. In some instances, you can have a high score and not meet the full diagnostic criteria for ADHD. In other instances, you may get a low score on the ASRS, and have ADHD.
If you are sure that you would like to go ahead with the assessment, you can proceed to step 2.
Step 2
Complete our online registration form. This will give us some basic information about you, and any symptoms of ADHD you might be displaying.
Step 3
We will send you questionnaires for yourself to complete, and for others to complete. We will give you clear instructions on who can complete questionnaires. It would usually be a parent, sibling, partner, or close friend.
Some people may not wish to involve others in their assessment process, or may not have access to the relevant parties. If this is the case, we are still able to proceed without this information.
We also screen for depression and anxiety, as these often co-occur with ADHD.
Step 4
Schedule an appointment with one of our ADHD experts. This will last between 2-3 hours, with the option of taking a short break in between.
During this appointment, we will go through the following areas of information:
Why you are pursuing an assessment for ADHD
Developmental history, including early childhood, primary and secondary school
Educational history
Work history
Symptoms of ADHD in adults
Psychological and mental health history
Impact on all of the areas of your life
Step 5
We write a comprehensive report, and book a follow up appointment, where we discuss the outcome of the assessment. During this appointment, we will talk to you about whether you meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD or not.
We will also discuss any other potential diagnoses that emerged from the assessment, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, or other disorders.
We will talk to you about any recommendations we have, based on the outcome of the assessment, and will signpost you to getting help from the appropriate providers.
Please note that is symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder emerge during the assessment, we will not be able to make a formal diagnosis during this process. The diagnosis of Autism is a specialist service, and we would recommend in the report that you seek a further assessment if you display some of the symptoms of ASD. We work closely with specialist providers who offer high quality assessments for Autism, and will signpost you to them.
What happens after the assessment?
Once we have completed the assessment, we will have a meeting with you to discuss the results.
If you are not diagnosed with ADHD:
We will give you a clear reason why you do not meet the diagnostic criteria
We will discuss any other possible diagnoses that may be relevant to you
If you are showing symptoms of ASD, or another specific learning difficulty, we will not give you a formal diagnosis of this as this is a separate and rigorous assessment process, but we will flag any symptoms that are relevant, and suggest what to do going forward
If you are diagnosed with ADHD:
We will go through the diagnosis and the findings of the assessment in the meeting
We will make recommendations and talk about a treatment plan. This will include the option of seeing a medical prescriber who can start titration of appropriate medication
We will signpost you to a Psychologist who works with ADHD should you wish to start therapy
A note about ADHD
Some of the most brilliant and colourful people I have ever worked with have been those with ADHD. When you understand ADHD, and find the strengths that come with it, it’s like the whole world opens up to you. Untreated, it can leave a trail of destruction in your life and relationships.
One of the most common things we see in high achievers with ADHD, is that they know they have incredible potential, but their performance never quite reaches that potential. It is a major source of frustration, and it feels like the obstacles that stop you from getting there are impossible to move. Procrastination, poor time management, over reliance on structure, or an inability to create an structure, emotional outbursts that you struggle to understand, unstable relationships, poor self-esteem, anxiety, depression, burnout, feeling like you never quite fit in, being misunderstood, having a brain that is ‘always on’, and disliking who you are you. These are all common by products of untreated ADHD, and the problem is, they often get mislabelled as depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and substance abuse.
Having worked with many adults who were trapped by ADHD their entire lives, and only received a diagnosis in adulthood, I have seen how life changing this diagnosis can be. ADHD is one of the most treatable psychiatric conditions, and treatment can be profoundly life-changing. I don’t like the word (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity) ‘disorder’, because that really isn’t how I see it. ADHD brains are wired differently, and when you understand it, and give it what it needs, we see an incredible amount of creativity, leadership, passion, potential and success come from these individuals.
At Dianne Everitt and Associates, our Psychologists are passionate advocates for people with ADHD, and whole-heartedly believe that the right treatment is key to reaching your full potential. We offer thorough diagnostic assessments, and the process is outlines below.