Children (6+ years) through to adults
ADHD assessments
Completing an ADHD assessment can feel daunting or confronting. Our aim is to make the process clear, supportive and useful.
At ConnectEd, assessment is not simply about deciding whether ADHD is present. We want to understand the pattern of strengths, challenges and other factors that may be affecting attention, organisation, learning, work or everyday functioning.
Two assessment pathways
Comprehensive or targeted?
Comprehensive assessment
Our standard and recommended pathway when attention, concentration, hyperactivity or executive functioning concerns have been identified.
Targeted assessment
A narrower ADHD-focused pathway where a current treating professional has specifically requested ADHD assessment and broader assessment is not indicated.
Not sure which fits?
The intake process helps clarify the most appropriate pathway.
Choose the assessment pathway
Two ways we assess ADHD
The main difference is how broadly we investigate the factors that may be contributing to the concerns.
Recommended pathway
ADHD comprehensive assessment
Looks beyond ADHD symptoms alone. It can consider attention and hyperactivity, psychosocial factors, cognitive abilities, academic skills and possible learning difficulties where relevant.
Useful when: there are broader questions about learning, functioning or what else may be contributing to the concerns.
Narrower pathway
ADHD targeted assessment
Focuses specifically on ADHD and associated psychosocial information rather than completing the broader cognitive and learning assessment components.
Usually appropriate when: a current treating professional has specifically requested ADHD assessment and there are no broader concerns requiring investigation.
Why we usually recommend comprehensive assessment
Attention difficulties can have more than one explanation
Attention and engagement can be affected by a range of factors, including learning difficulties, mood or anxiety difficulties, sensory or medical issues, and other developmental factors. ADHD can also occur alongside other difficulties.
A comprehensive assessment is designed to consider these possibilities rather than jumping straight to a single explanation. The aim is to help you or your child access support that matches the overall pattern of needs.
Look broadly
Consider whether something else may be affecting attention or functioning.
Bring the pieces together
Understand ADHD symptoms in the context of learning, wellbeing, history and day-to-day functioning.
Make recommendations useful
Translate the assessment into support strategies rather than stopping at a diagnostic question.
Who we assess
Children, teenagers and adults
The core assessment principles are similar across ages, but the context and information we draw on are different.
Ages 6–17
Children & teenagers
We consider attention and behaviour alongside the young person’s learning, developmental history, school context and information from parents and teachers.
Ages 18+
Young adults & adults
We consider current functioning alongside developmental history, study or work demands, longstanding learning patterns and information from someone who knows you well where appropriate.
The ConnectEd approach
What is different about ConnectEd ADHD assessments?
Our background in learning, development and education gives us a particularly strong understanding of how attention difficulties interact with school, study, work and everyday functioning.
Experienced in ADHD assessment
Our psychologists have extensive experience completing ADHD and psychoeducational assessments with children, teenagers and adults, alongside additional training in Educational and Developmental psychology.
We understand schools
Our deep experience working in and with schools means we understand how attention, organisation and learning difficulties show up in real classrooms and what recommendations schools can use.
Assessment across the lifespan
ADHD and learning-related difficulties do not stop when school finishes. We work with adults wanting to understand study, workplace and everyday functioning as well as children and teenagers.
The whole picture matters
Rating scales and test results are only part of the assessment. We bring together history, current functioning, learning experiences, wellbeing and other relevant information.
Time to interpret properly
We allocate time to information gathering, interpretation and report writing so the final report explains how the pieces fit together rather than simply listing results.
Individualised to your questions
The assessment plan is built around the questions you want answered. We select the components likely to be useful rather than automatically using the same pathway for everyone.
When it may help
Why might you consider ADHD assessment?
People arrive with different questions. These are some common concerns that lead children, teenagers and adults to seek assessment.
Children & teenagers
Common reasons families seek assessment
- Considerable difficulty sustaining attention or switching between tasks
- Difficulties with organisation and keeping track of what needs to be done
- Frequent restlessness or difficulty sitting still when expected
- Difficulty starting or completing tasks without substantial assistance
- Concerns about how the young person is coping with learning
- Working hard without producing the result expected
- Strong ideas in discussion but difficulty showing knowledge in written work or formal assessment
- Forgetfulness or difficulty holding onto information
Young adults & adults
Common reasons adults seek assessment
- Longstanding or current difficulty sustaining attention
- Difficulty organising tasks, time, belongings or competing demands
- Restlessness or a persistent sense of needing to be doing something
- Difficulty starting, sustaining or completing tasks
- Study or work difficulties that seem out of step with your effort or ability
- Frequent forgetfulness affecting day-to-day functioning
- Concerns raised by a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist or other current treating professional
- Wanting to better understand whether ADHD may be contributing to longstanding patterns in your life
Comprehensive assessment
What can a comprehensive ADHD assessment cover?
The exact components depend on age, referral questions and the information already available.
Attention & hyperactivity
Standardised ADHD measures and clinical assessment to understand the presence, severity and impact of attention, hyperactivity and related difficulties.
Psychosocial factors
Understanding mood, anxiety and other mental health or psychosocial factors that may affect attention, engagement or functioning.
Cognitive abilities
Where relevant, examining areas such as working memory, processing speed and reasoning to better understand strengths and challenges.
Academic skills
For children and teenagers, and where relevant for adults, looking at academic achievement and possible areas requiring learning support.
Learning difficulties / SLD
Bringing information together to consider whether a Specific Learning Disorder or other learning difficulty may also be present.
Targeted assessment
When might a targeted ADHD assessment be appropriate?
The targeted pathway is intentionally narrower. It is usually considered when a current treating professional has specifically asked for ADHD assessment and there are no broader concerns that require cognitive or academic investigation.
- A GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist, psychologist or other current treating professional has recommended ADHD assessment
- The main question is specifically whether ADHD is present and how it is affecting functioning
- There are not significant unresolved learning or other concerns that would make a broader assessment more useful
Attention & hyperactivity
Standardised ADHD rating measures and clinical information are used to understand ADHD symptoms compared with same-aged peers.
Psychosocial assessment
Additional questionnaires and clinical information help identify other mental health or psychosocial difficulties that may be relevant.
Important to know
What an ADHD assessment cannot promise
The assessment can provide valuable information, but there are limits to what any single assessment can provide.
A diagnosis is not guaranteed
Sometimes the findings meet diagnostic criteria and sometimes they do not. A non-diagnostic outcome can still provide useful information about strengths, challenges and support needs.
One assessment may not answer everything
Assessment may identify further questions or information that would be useful. Your psychologist will explain this and discuss possible next steps.
Employment suitability is different
For adults, we can assess ADHD and related psychoeducational questions. We do not provide reports declaring suitability for organisations such as police or defence.
Step by step
What is involved in an ADHD assessment?
The broad process is similar across the two assessment pathways. The main difference is the breadth of assessment completed.
Children & teenagers
Typical child & teenager process
Young adults & adults
Typical adult process
Questions
Frequently asked questions
For a comprehensive assessment, ConnectEd commonly uses the WISC-V, the Woodcock Johnson IV (WJIV), the Conners 4 and relevant psychosocial questionnaires. The exact combination depends on the assessment questions.
For a targeted assessment, the focus is usually on the Conners 4, relevant psychosocial questionnaires and clinical information rather than the broader cognitive and academic testing.
For adults, comprehensive assessment may include the Woodcock Johnson IV (WJIV), the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales – 2 (CAARS-2) and relevant psychosocial measures. Targeted assessment focuses more narrowly on ADHD rating measures, psychosocial questionnaires and clinical information.
Other clinics may use the WIAT. ConnectEd uses the WJIV because it can investigate broad academic areas while also allowing additional exploration of cognitive abilities that may be relevant to the assessment question.
Some standardised measures cannot be repeated for an extended period because recent exposure can affect the validity of results. This is one reason thoughtful assessment planning is important.
No. The purpose is to determine whether the available information supports an ADHD diagnosis and to understand the person’s needs. Sometimes the findings meet diagnostic criteria and sometimes they do not.
In some circumstances, another health professional such as a paediatrician or psychiatrist may also need to be involved, particularly where medication or broader medical assessment is being considered. Your psychologist will explain any recommended next steps.
No. ConnectEd can assess ADHD and related psychoeducational questions and provide recommendations based on the findings. We do not provide statements that a person meets the suitability criteria set by a particular employer or organisation.
Costs depend on the assessment pathway and components required. Please see our assessment fees for current pricing.
Other assessment pathways
Looking for a different assessment?
If the main question is about learning or autism rather than ADHD, one of these pathways may be more appropriate.
Next step
Ready to discuss an ADHD assessment?
If you are unsure whether comprehensive or targeted assessment is the better fit, the intake and enquiry process can help clarify the most useful pathway.