The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and standards indicate that….

“A diagnosis of ADHD should only be made by a specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or other appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD”.

I have been a qualified and registered psychologist for almost 10 years and have worked in the field of psychology for almost 20 years. This has given me experience of working with mental health, personality disorders, neurodiverse needs and complex presentation. I have also completed adult ADHD assessment and diagnosis training with UKAAN

“A diagnosis of ADHD is made on the basis of:

• a full developmental and psychiatric history and
• a full clinical and psychosocial assessment of the person; this should include discussion about behaviour and symptoms in the different domains and settings of the person’s everyday life and
• observer reports and assessment of the person’s mental state”. 

I spend between 2-4 hours in the interview process. This is in accordance with the Nice guidelines

I use a combination of assessment tools / questionnaires and clinical interview.

I collect information from parents/partners/significant others/previous school records and reports, where this is available. It is possible to make a diagnosis without this, but it increases our confidence in the assessment if we can gather additional collateral information

“A diagnosis of ADHD is not made solely on the basis of a rating scale or merely observational data. As part of the diagnostic process an assessment of the client’s needs, coexisting conditions, social, familial and educational or occupational circumstances and physical health will be included”.

I am trained and experienced in mental state assessment and will consider a differential diagnosis (thinking about all of the possible explanations for your symptoms). I will look at co-morbities (other conditions that may be present in addition to ADHD). 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, as ADHD is complex and nuanced, and can hide behind things like, trauma and anxiety.

1) Feedback session:

• I offer a feedback session after the assessment.
• This helps me to explain the outcome of the assessment and what that means for you.
• This will be where I can talk to you about whether you meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD or not, explaining the evidence for this.
• This also allows for a safe space to go through the details of the report.
• I can answer questions, and ensure you are okay since receiving the outcome, which is an important part of the process.
• I will also discuss any other potential diagnoses that emerged from the assessment, such as depression, anxiety, or other disorders.
• I will talk to you about any recommendations we have, based on the outcome of the assessment, and will signpost you to additional help if needed.

2) Comprehensive Diagnostic Report:

• I will produce a report you can share with your GP or local ADHD service.
• The report will be compliant with NICE guidelines.
• Any additional potential diagnosis will be raised and appropriate recommendations made.
• I will make suggestions around reasonable adjustments. These recommendations can be shared with your employer

It is useful to check with your local ADHD service / GP if they accept private assessments before you commit to the privately funded route. This will ensure you can make an informed decision about the best route for you.

It is also useful to enquire about the process should you decide to have a private assessment and need to be linked back into the NHS pathway.

Should you decide a private assessment is not the best route for you, it can be beneficial to ask about the wait times for ADHD screening, full diagnostic assessments and support options.

Resilient Minds Psychology are not a prescribing service, this is something you should be able to access via a referral through your GP or directly with your local ADHD service. There are also private clinics that can offer ADHD support including medication, if appropriate.