Is an ADHD Screening Right For Me?

If this is the case, then you may find it helpful to book an Online ADHD Screening Appointment. I offer a 45-minute appointment which costs £90 and the aim of this is to find out if there is enough evidence to warrant an ADHD Assessment. The Screening will not tell you if you have ADHD or not, because a detailed Assessment is needed to determine this, but I will be able to tell you if the difficulties you are experiencing could be ADHD rather than something else. Sometimes, I meet with a person for a Screening and as they describe their difficulties, it is clear that their symptoms are related to trauma rather than ADHD. At other times it may be apparent that an individual has a mood disorder, such as Anxiety or Bi-polar or that they may have Autism which is another neurodevelopmental disorder. If this is the case, then I can recommend ways forward which are appropriate for these difficulties. 

One of the reasons why it is important to see an properly qualified clinician for an Adult ADHD Assessment is because there are a number of other conditions which have symptoms which have some similarities with ADHD and which can be mistaken for ADHD if a professional does not have adequate training and experience in ADHD Assessment and does not have sufficient knowledge of other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Sometimes a person may have ADHD and another condition, such as Autism, and then their ADHD symptoms may present differently and it important that the professional who meets with you is aware of this and has experience of the range of presentations which occur when an individual has symptoms which are caused by different conditions. 

 

I have 24 years post-qualification experience working in a wide range of mental health settings in the NHS, with other organisations and charities and in independent practice. I have extensive knowledge and clinical experience of “differential diagnosis” which means differentiating between different conditions. I have also had thorough training in ADHD Assessment and in recognising other potential conditions which may be mistaken for ADHD such as Autism, Dyslexia and Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (previously called Dyspraxia). 

 

Before an ADHD Screening, I will ask you to complete some questionnaires. I will then meet with you online via Zoom to discuss with you the difficulties you are experiencing, how long they have been going on, how they affect you and in what areas of life they have an impact. For example, do they cause problems for you at work but not at home? We will also discuss your strengths and the situations in which you feel most competent and in which you excel. 

 

For some people, an ADHD Screening is enough. It lets them know that their difficulties may be related to ADHD and they are happy to explore this further themselves, by learning more about ADHD, without proceeding to an Online ADHD Assessment with me. Others discover that their symptoms are probably caused by something other than ADHD and they may seek another Assessment, such as for Autism. If this is the case, I can suggest organisations or recommend specific professionals they can contact for assessment or support. Other people find it helpful to learn that there is enough evidence to suggest that their difficulties could be related to ADHD and they will go on and book an Adult ADHD Assessment with me, knowing that this is a well-founded way forward.