Preparing Your Child for Their ADHD Assessment

ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental condition that can affect people of all ages.

It’s characterised by differences in attention and executive functioning (the mental processes that help us plan, organise and control impulses).

For this reason, parents may worry that children presenting signs of ADHD will struggle in their daily lives after a diagnosis.

But the reality is, with targeted support and the right treatment, children and teenagers can successfully manage their symptoms and live enjoyable fulfilling lives.

However, as a lifelong diagnosis, it’s important that parents find an assessment that is reliable and that they feel confident in.

In this guide, clinical psychologist Dr Lisa Williams explains exactly what to expect from a Child ADHD Assessment – including how to prepare for the assessment to get the most out of each step.

An ADHD Assessment with The Autism Service involves the use of award-winning technology alongside more traditional methods of assessment, to understand your child’s strengths and difficulties and provide a safe outcome.

A Child ADHD Assessment with The Autism Service involves four steps, with the whole process – from pre-assessment to feedback – taking a few weeks, depending on participant availability.

The clinical interview is comprehensive – lasting around 2 hours – so, it’s best to prepare for the video call by making yourself comfortable and having a drink to hand. Your child should join for part of the call but is not needed for the whole meeting, so please arrange childcare for when they are not needed.

It’s also advised not to plan anything for directly after the call, in case it overruns. This happens occasionally when the clinician feels they need to ask more follow-up questions.

The QbTest completed by your child takes around 15 to 20 minutes and needs to be hosted on-site, so our clinician can observe their behaviour during the test.

After a psychologist or psychiatrist has considered all the information gathered and made a diagnostic decision about ADHD, this will be fed back in a follow-up video call that will last up to 1 hour.

Preparing for your Child’s ADHD Assessment can be helpful for the whole family – so, everyone knows what to expect from the experience – and help produce the most accurate diagnosis.

This includes gathering the necessary information before your first appointment, as well as thinking carefully about how you might answer the questions the clinician will ask.

Take a couple of weeks ahead of your assessment to pay close attention to your child’s behaviour each day. What do you notice?

As a helpful starting point, you may ask yourself the following questions:

• When are things easier or more difficult for your child?
• Are there things you have to do for your child that seem different to other children their age?
• How do the things you notice impact or impair your child’s day-to-day life?
• What does your child like to do in their spare time?

Consider your child’s relationship with their peers. Do you notice any problems with how they are with their friends? If so, what happens?

Think about when you first started to have concerns about your child’s attention, concentration and activity or impulsivity. When was it? What did you see?

Depending on the age of your child, it can be helpful to consider what they were like at different points in time.

For example, how were they when they first started school? How are they at birthday parties? What are homework, reading and spelling tasks like for them? What are they like on holiday or when travelling?

Ask your child’s school what they notice about your child. Do they struggle more than other children in their class? If so, in what way?

Is the school having to support your child differently? If so, how? What do their teachers say about their work?

If possible, chat with friends or family members about their thoughts. What do other parents, friends or family think about your child?

Prepare any paperwork your clinician might need. This can include almost any information you have relating to your child.

If they’ve had previous assessments or reports, send these in ahead of the assessment.

It’s advised you collect as many current and old school reports as possible, as well as any example pieces of work your child may have (including school workbooks, homework sheets and more).

Not only will your clinician want to see these, but it will also help jog your memory about your child’s experiences over a longer period.

Prepare to be honest. It can be scary to talk about things that are difficult – especially with someone you don’t know. And sometimes parents can worry about being judged on how they’re managing or coping.

However, this can mean these parents leave out information that is helpful for the clinician.

Remember – clinicians are here to listen, understand and help you. Not to judge.

Be prepared to talk about a variety of things with your assessing clinician – not just ADHD. During the assessment, they will be gathering a comprehensive picture of your child. This will include asking questions about your family and medical history, physical health, mental health, schooling and life experiences.

As with parents, children can feel nervous about talking to someone new.

Reassure your child that there are no right or wrong answers and that your clinician is just interested in finding out more about them. This includes both their strengths and challenges – it’s not meant to be a spotlight on their struggles.

The Autism Service offers Child ADHD Assessments designed to identify ADHD in children, so they get the support they need to thrive.

Our diagnostic assessments are of the standard completed by the NHS that looks at whether ADHD explains your child’s presentation.

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