ADHD Assessment Process

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ADHD Assessments are completed using a comprehensive evidence-based approach in line with current clinical guidance and best practice.

1. Initial Consultation

The first stage is a 30-minute online consultation with one of our Specialist Neurodevelopmental Practitioners.

This appointment provides an opportunity to discuss you or your child’s strengths, current difficulties and challenges, developmental concerns, possible ADHD and/or Autism traits, and the reasons for considering an assessment.

The practitioner will explain the ADHD assessment process and, where appropriate, recommend progressing to the initial screening and information-gathering stage.

There is no obligation to continue following the consultation. The consultation fee is £99. If you subsequently progress to a full ADHD assessment with Bright Futures, the £99 consultation fee will be deducted from the total assessment cost.

2. Screening, Questionnaires & Information Gathering

Where ADHD assessment is considered appropriate to explore further, a range of screening questionnaires and information forms will be provided.

These may include:

ADHD-specific screening questionnaires and rating scales

Developmental and behavioural information

Information relating to attention, concentration, hyperactivity and impulsivity

Executive functioning, including organisation, planning and time management

Emotional wellbeing and day-to-day functioning

School, college or workplace information, where appropriate

Feedback from parents, carers or others who know the individual well

Relevant reports or supporting information from other professionals

For children and young people, information will usually be requested from their school or educational setting to help understand their presentation across different environments. For adults, information from someone who knew them during childhood or knows them well currently may be requested, where appropriate and with consent.

Once the questionnaires and supporting information have been returned, they will be reviewed by a clinician. This review will consider the pattern of reported ADHD traits, developmental history, presentation across settings and the impact on everyday functioning.

Following this review, we will advise whether there is sufficient evidence to recommend progressing to a comprehensive ADHD diagnostic assessment. Where a full assessment is not considered appropriate, this will be discussed with you and the reasons explained.

3. Comprehensive ADHD Diagnostic Interview

If progression to a full diagnostic assessment is recommended, a comprehensive clinical interview will be undertaken using the DIVA-5 for adults or Young DIVA-5 for children and young people, alongside clinical assessment.

The assessment explores ADHD characteristics across the core areas of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, considering both current presentation and evidence from childhood. The clinician will explore how these characteristics affect everyday functioning across areas such as education, employment, relationships, home life and daily organisation.

4. Clinical Review & Differential Consideration

All available information is reviewed together rather than relying on the outcome of any single questionnaire or assessment tool.

The clinician will consider developmental history, questionnaire findings, information from different settings, the diagnostic interview and functional impact. Other factors that may contribute to or better explain the individual’s presentation will also be considered, including possible co-occurring neurodevelopmental, emotional or mental health needs.

5. Multidisciplinary Team Review

The assessment findings are reviewed as part of a multidisciplinary clinical process. The available evidence is considered against recognised diagnostic criteria, including whether ADHD characteristics have been present since childhood, occur across settings and have a significant impact on everyday functioning.

A diagnostic decision is made based upon the overall clinical evidence rather than questionnaire scores alone.

6. Feedback Appointment

Following completion of the assessment and clinical review, a feedback appointment will be arranged to discuss the outcome.

The clinician will explain the assessment findings, whether diagnostic criteria for ADHD have been met, identified strengths and areas of difficulty, and any recommendations for support or further assessment.

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss appropriate next steps.

7. Diagnostic Report & Recommendations

A comprehensive written report will be provided following the assessment. This will bring together the information gathered throughout the assessment process, the clinical findings and the diagnostic outcome.

The report will include individualised recommendations and, where appropriate, guidance for home, education, employment and healthcare. Any identified areas requiring further assessment or support will also be highlighted.

Review

I just wanted to thank you, for all the support you have given me and my family over the last few months. A has been struggling so much with her emotional wellbeing and school attendance. As a family we were worried and felt a little lost. Siobhan, you have listened and validated my feelings, I have felt comfortable enough to be open up and be honest with you. As a family we felt a little anxious about A going through an autism assessment,  you answered our questions, and explained the process really well. We felt very supported throughout and although the assessment was emotionally tough at times for both me and my daughter, we felt comfortable and listened to. When it came to A's assessment, A was anxious, you soon made her feel at ease, by explaining what autism was, and making the assessment engaging and as fun as you could to make her feel safe. Following A’s diagnosis, we have continued to feel supported and thank you for all your kindness and understanding in what has been a difficult time.

Review

As a parent I was nervous about the assessment due to the unknown of how S would react. The assessment was explained to S in words he could relate to and understand. S was made to feel at ease, spoken to in an appropriate manner for his age and given time to answer. Questions were re-worded if needed and S given an opportunity to say if he didn’t understand without feeling intimidated. The practitioner had good insight into S’s behaviours from the information shared prior to the assessment. It was clear this had been analyzed before the assessment……..I felt S’s voice was captured fittingly throughout the assessment. Questions were asked in language and tone S would engage with….The practitioner was attuned to when S was loosing interest and lacking concentration and made effort to obtain information without overwhelming S……Next steps were discussed to support S at home and from an educational perspective….All of the recommendations were discussed in fine detail…The recommendations were very thorough and each action discussed. The report was very informative, clear to follow and easy to understand….The report was broken down into different sections with a systematic approach…Communication was clear and precise throughout the whole process. Each practitioner had a professional and knowledgeable approach and interacted ith S appropriately. I feel this was paramount as can impact the response from S as previously experienced with other professionals…The service was exceptional from start to finish..

Review

It was useful to know roughly what was going on. I was kept up-to-date with all the information I needed and was communicated with in advance with any changes….I did feel anxious but both Siobhan and Taliza were so lovely and helped me to ease these feelings.

The process was easy to follow and all instructions were given clearly……Taliza was extremely lovely and helpful. She answers any questions me or my dad had. She made me feel safe and like I could open up about everything even though I was very anxious to.

I think all my needs were met….It was explained very clearly, especially while reading through the reports. It was helpful to know which parts of what I was explaining linked to parts of the diagnoses I received….The written report seems overwhelming at first, however it being broken down into very clear sections was very helpful. The recommendations were very useful when speaking to my university about a student support plan……The recommendations were very organised and clear to read. The pre-assessment were very detailed information and hit a lot of necessary points….The whole process was a lot quicker than I expected!