If you believe an ADHD assessment may be required for either yourself or close family member, it is first important to understand the forms the condition takes. This will include the ways to recognise signs and the pathways available in assessment and possible assistance.
Many of these pathways will be different depending on age and geographical location. Assistance in some form will be available regardless of these factors to anyone who receives a diagnosis. In this guide, we explain what ADHD is, and the pathways available to you as you search for assessment and diagnosis.
Table of contents
- What is ADHD?
- ADHD assessments
- How to initiate the assessment process for ADHD
- Taking the first step towards an ADHD diagnosis
What is ADHD?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that most often presents in childhood but remains present into adulthood and throughout a person’s life. Signs of the condition may change as a person ages and with management but ADHD doesn’t ever go away. Those affected by the condition can present with behavioural characteristics that can be easily misunderstood, with common signs appearing as:
- Becoming absorbed in tasks that are stimulating to the point of everything else being ignored
- Carelessness and lack of attention to detail
- Continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones
- Poor organisational and time management skills
- Inability to focus, zoning out in conversations and finding it hard to listen
- Forgetfulness and continually losing or misplacing things
- Restlessness, edginess and difficulties relaxing
- Inner restlessness
- Easily bored
- Constantly craving excitement
- Difficulty keeping quiet
- Blurting responses and poor social timing when talking to others
- Frequently interrupting others
- Mood swings
- Irritability and a quick temper
- Inability to deal with stress; easily flustered
- Extreme impatience
- Low self-esteem
- Recklessness
- Lack of planning
- Taking risks – both with one’s own property and other people’s safety
- Making decisions without a full evaluation of the situation or consequences
ADHD assessments
There is no single test to determine ADHD in either adults or children. ADHD diagnosis involves a comprehensive assessment process conducted by healthcare professionals.
Two diagnostic criteria are in current use:
- The International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders 11th revision (ICD-11): This diagnostic criterion uses a narrower diagnostic category.
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-V): DSM-V has a broader, more inclusive definition, which includes several different ADHD subtypes.
The diagnostic approaches involved in a formal assessment for both adults and children include:
- physical examinations
- in-person interview sessions
- interviews with others who come in regular contact with the patient
Definitive diagnosis requires the presence of symptoms before a child reaches seven years old. The symptoms must:
- continue for at least six months
- occur in more than one setting (for instance at home, school, or with friends)
- cause significant functional impairment
- cannot be better explained by another psychiatric childhood condition
While doing this, considerations will also be made for any other mental health conditions that may be present and misdiagnosed as ADHD.
How to initiate the assessment process for ADHD
For many, the first step towards an assessment is speaking with a GP, at which point the options would be to pursue assessment through the local service or through another service thanks to Right to Choose. There are a variety of factors that may impact this choice such as accessibility, wait times, or even patient experiences of a service. There is no incorrect pathway for you or your family member’s assessment, only a matter of preference and what best suits your needs.
Another option is to seek an assessment through a private provider, which can be done without a referral. Both options will use approved diagnostic criteria and will require the same information, with the main difference also being wait times, accessibility, and patient experience.
We here at Clinical Partners offer assessments through both Right to Choose and Private pathways and guarantee the same commitment to patient experience and clinical excellence regardless of how our services are accessed.
Taking the first step towards an ADHD diagnosis
If you are looking for support with ADHD or are interested in an assessment, you can call us on 0203 326 9160 or request a free confidential call back from one of our trained assistant psychologists.
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