ADHD assessments
Children (6+yrs) through to Adults
Completing an ADHD assessment can seem like a daunting or confronting task. As with all the work we do at ConnectEd Counselling and Consultancy, we want to make sure that you have a positive experience of seeking help. Below you will find information to help you better understand why you might want to have an assessment completed, what is involved, and a number of other common questions or concerns you might have have.
We provide two options for the assessment of ADHD:
ADHD comprehensive assessment – this is our standard and recommended assessment process where concerns regarding attention/concentration and/or hyperactivity have been identified. Results can be used to support education and treatment planning, support at work or to improve your understanding of yourself. You can find more information about what is involved here
ADHD targeted assessment – recommended when a specific request from a current treating professional (e.g. paediatrician, psychiatrist) is made to assess only for ADHD and no other potential underlying concerns which may better explain the difficulties. You can find out more information about what is involved here
The reason we recommend an ADHD comprehensive assessment is that there are a lot of overlapping factors that can impact attention and engagement (e.g. vision and hearing difficulties, learning difficulties, mood or anxiety difficulties). Without assessing for these things (and ruling them in or out as being of concern), we may miss something really important that can impact you or your child accessing the right support. In fact, the rate of co-occurrence of other difficulties ranges from 60-100% (Gillberg, 2004), which is to say that there is a very high likelihood that if a young person has ADHD, they are also experiencing another difficulty. You may find it helpful to have a look at a questionnaire that asks some basic questions relating to the diagnostic criteria for ADHD (please note: we do not recommend/suggest that this questionnaire is a valid/reliable measure of ADHD, we include it for your own interest only)
ADHD assessment for children and teenagers
What is different about ConnectEd assessments?
- Our assessment team are experienced psychologists, with additional training as Educational and Developmental psychologists and backgrounds in school and community practice.
- Our team has a special interest in the assessment process. This means that the psychologist you work with is really passionate about this area!
- Their unique experience means that they understand what is most helpful in the school context and can work with you and your child’s school to best meet their needs
- We greatly value the role that parents play and see assessment as an opportunity to not just answer your specific question, but also to develop your understanding of your child and how you can best support them
- We aim to provide a thorough assessment and include additional time allocations for liaising with your school and report writing, which allows your psychologist to spend considerable time developing a rich understanding of your child. This is particularly important given that many of the tests used can’t be repeated for an extended period of time (e.g. 2 years). We encourage clients to consider what is the best quality and most meaningful assessment process before committing, while also understanding the need to juggle a budget.
- We know that everyone is different and has different hopes and expectations in completing an assessment. We will work with you to understand your concerns and develop an assessment process that best meets your needs.
ADHD comprehensive assessment
Why might you get an ADHD comprehensive assessment?
- You’ve noticed considerable difficulties with attention – sustaining attention, switching across tasks
- Your child has difficulties with organisation
- They frequently are restless and seem to have difficulty “sitting still”
- You/others have had some concerns about how your child is coping with learning. This might include specific challenges in reading, memory, and mathematical processes
- Difficulties starting or completing tasks without one-on-one assistance
- Working hard but not producing the result expected
- Doing really well in learning discussions and having great ideas but unable to show knowledge and learning in a written format or in assessment
- Difficulties remembering what they have just read
- Ability to sound out the individual sounds in words but finding it hard to blend those sounds together
- Forgetting things from one day to the next – much more than expected for their age
- Another Education professional is investigating whether your child qualifies for support under the diagnosis of Intellectual Developmental Disorder (aka Intellectual Disability)
- A paediatrician or medical professional wishes to understand how a medical issue impacts or is impacted by your child’s learning and cognitive functioning
What are the benefits of an ADHD comprehensive assessment?
You want to better understand your child’s strengths and challenges. An assessment is NOT just about finding out “what is wrong”, it is also about acknowledging and suggesting ways to utilise the strengths that your child has
Knowing your child’s profile allows you to advocate more clearly for support for your child. Schools often have requirements they need to meet (e.g. a diagnosis, assessment results) before they are able to implement certain supports
You want specific recommendations for how to best support your child with their learning
The assessments we provide cover:
- Attention and hyperactivity – a comprehensive assessment tool that determines the presence (or absence) of difficulties with attention and hyperactivity, as compared to similar-aged peers
- Clinical psychosocial assessment – understanding any additional mental health difficulties your child might be experiencing and how this may impact them. Given the co-occurrence of ADHD and other mental health difficulties, this will assist in identifying the most helpful support
- Cognitive abilities – your child’s level of functioning for various cognitive abilities (e.g. working memory, processing speed, fluid reasoning). This information can give teachers and other student support staff information about strengths and challenges to help tailor their planning and support.
- Functional academic testing – your child’s academic achievement in the classroom and without additional support. Can be useful as a baseline for trialling or understanding some impacts of in-class support and accommodation strategies and for confirming areas in need of academic intervention.
- Learning difficulties or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) – a combination of the above assessments to see whether difficulties are significant to the point that warrants a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Disorder.
What we DON'T provide
- A guaranteed diagnosis – the assessment process is designed to provide rich information to understand your child’s needs. Sometimes this equates to a diagnosis, other times it does not meet this threshold but still provides valuable understanding. In some cases, a diagnosis will also need to be confirmed by another healthcare specialist (e.g. paediatrician or psychiatrist
- That you will have all the answers from one assessment package – in some cases, further information will lead to further needs being identified. In this case, we will provide our recommendations to you about what else might be needed and you can work with your psychologist to identify if you are in a position to undertake this
What is involved in an assessment?
The flowchart below shows the process of an example assessment. The assessment best suited to your child may be different and, for example, involve more or less testing time, report writing time or time at their school. The discussion at your intake session will lead to your psychologist being able to judge what elements of the assessment process will answer your questions about your child in order to meet the purpose of the assessment.
FAQ
We use the WISC-V (Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children – 5th edition) and the WJIV (Woodcock Johnson – 4th edition).
- WISC-V is used to better understand some of the large number of cognitive abilities used for succeeding at school.
- WJIV is used to better understand the other cognitive abilities needed at school not covered by the WISC V but also compares areas of academic achievement to that of other examinees of the same age.
- Conners 4 is a gold standard in assessment of ADHD
If you have had a look at other clinics, you might have noticed that they use the WIAT-III (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-III) and not the WJIV. The reason we choose to use the WJIV is because not only can it investigate the same elements as the WIAT III, it can also enable us to investigate other areas already tested by the WISC-V more closely if those results warrant a closer look. The WJ-IV also allows us to look into other cognitive abilities not covered by the WISC-V or WIAT-III tests and subtests.
Comprehensive ADHD assessment is a specialised skill set, much of which is utilised “behind the scenes” in the report-writing process. It is important to be aware that for a number of tests (e.g. WISC-V), a child is unable to be tested or re-tested for at least 2 years. It is, therefore, really important that it is done to a very high standard. It is often better to undertake as comprehensive assessment as is required, as much of the cost of assessment is/ embedded in the whole process (rather than adding additional assessments in). Each assessment will be different, depending on the concerns you have and the information you are hoping to get.
Please see our fees section for more information
ADHD Targeted Assessment
Why might you get an ADHD targeted assessment?
- It has been recommended by a health/educational professional that you investigate ADHD (e.g. paediatrician, GP, specialist teacher)
- You’ve noticed considerable difficulties with attention – sustaining attention, switching across tasks
- Your child has difficulties with organisation
- They frequently are restless and seem to have difficulty “sitting still”
- You/others have had some concerns about how your child is coping with learning
- Difficulties starting or completing tasks without one-on-one assistance
What are the benefits of an ADHD targeted assessment?
- You want to confirm whether your child has ADHD and the impact this is having
- Access specific recommendations to best support your child at school and at home
The assessments we provide cover:
- Attention and hyperactivity – a comprehensive assessment tool that determines the presence (or absence) of difficulties with attention and hyperactivity, as compared to similar-aged peers
- Clinical psychosocial assessment – understanding any additional mental health difficulties your child might be experiencing and how this may impact them. Given the co-occurrence of ADHD and other mental health difficulties, this will assist in identifying the most helpful support
What we DON'T provide
-
A guaranteed diagnosis – the assessment process is designed to provide rich information to understand your child’s needs. Sometimes this equates to a diagnosis, other times it does not meet this threshold but still provides valuable understanding. In some cases, a diagnosis will also need to be confirmed by another healthcare specialist (e.g. paediatrician or psychiatrist)
-
That you will have all the answers from one assessment package – in some cases, further information will lead to further needs being identified. In this case, we will provide our recommendations to you about what else might be needed and you can work with your psychologist to identify if you are in a position to undertake this
What is involved in an assessment?
The flowchart below shows the process of an example assessment. The assessment best suited to your child may be different and, for example, involve more or less testing time, report writing time or time at their school. The discussion at your intake session will lead to your psychologist being able to judge what elements of the assessment process will answer your questions about your child in order to meet the purpose of the assessment.
FAQ
Assessment of ADHD is a multi-faceted process that includes using standardised measures that compare with same-aged peers, as well as your psychologists clinical expertise. As a guide, we will use a combination of the Conners 4 and a range of psychosocial questionnaires. ADHD assessment is a specialised skill set, much of which is utilised “behind the scenes” in the report-writing process. Each assessment is likely to be different, depending on the concerns you have and what your psychologist recommends to best address these concerns.
Please see our fees section for more information
ADHD assessment for young adults and adults
What is different about ConnectEd assessments?
- Our assessment team are experienced psychologists, with additional training as Educational and Developmental psychologists, and a special interest in the assessment process. This means that the psychologist you work with is really passionate about this area!
- We see the assessment process as not just answering a question, but instead supporting you to better understand yourself. Through the assessment, we will support you in developing this understanding
- Your psychologist will complete a thorough assessment process that captures a very wide range of information. Our preferred assessment protocol is designed to not just jump to answer, but to consider a range of potential factors
- We aim to provide a thorough assessment and include additional time allocations for report writing, which allows your psychologist to spend considerable time developing a rich understanding of your strengths, challenges and how the pieces fit together. This is particularly important given that many of the tests used can’t be repeated for an extended period of time (e.g. 2 years). We encourage clients to consider what is the best quality and most meaningful assessment process before committing, while also understanding the need to juggle a budget.
- We know that everyone is different and has different hopes and expectations in completing an assessment. We will work with you to understand your concerns and develop an assessment process that best meets your needs.
ADHD comprehensive assessment
Why might you get an ADHD comprehensive assessment?
- You’ve noticed considerable difficulties with attention – sustaining attention, switching across tasks
- Your child has difficulties with organisation
- They frequently are restless and seem to have difficulty “sitting still”
- You/others have had some concerns about how your child is coping with learning. This might include specific challenges in reading, memory, and mathematical processes
- Difficulties starting or completing tasks without one-on-one assistance
- Working hard but not producing the result expected
- Doing really well in learning discussions and having great ideas but unable to show knowledge and learning in a written format or in assessment
- Difficulties remembering what they have just read
- Ability to sound out the individual sounds in words but finding it hard to blend those sounds together
- Forgetting things from one day to the next – much more than expected for their age
- Another Education professional is investigating whether your child qualifies for support under the diagnosis of Intellectual Developmental Disorder (aka Intellectual Disability)
- A paediatrician or medical professional wishes to understand how a medical issue impacts or is impacted by your child’s learning and cognitive functioning
What are the benefits of an ADHD comprehensive assessment?
- You want to better understand your strengths and challenges. An assessment is NOT just about finding out “what is wrong”, it is also about acknowledging and suggesting ways to utilise the strengths that you have
- Knowing your profile makes it easier for you to identify what supports you might need, and where appropriate, advocate for those in your place of study or work
- You want specific recommendations for how to best approach your study or work
The assessments we provide cover:
Attention and hyperactivity – a comprehensive assessment tool that determines the presence (or absence) of difficulties with attention and hyperactivity, as compared to similar-aged peers
Clinical psychosocial assessment – understanding any additional mental health difficulties you might be experiencing and how this may impact on you. Given the co-occurrence of ADHD and other mental health difficulties, this will assist in identifying the most helpful support
Cognitive abilities – your level of functioning for various cognitive abilities (e.g. working memory, processing speed, fluid reasoning). This information can help you (and others) know more about your strengths and challenges and help tailor planning and support.
Learning difficulties or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) – a combination of the above assessments to see whether difficulties are significant to the point that warrants a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Disorder.
What we DON'T provide
- A guaranteed diagnosis – the assessment process is designed to provide rich information to understand your needs. Sometimes this equates to a diagnosis, other times it does not meet this threshold but still provides valuable understanding. In some cases, a diagnosis will also need to be confirmed by another healthcare specialist (e.g. psychiatrist)
- We can provide assessments for diagnostic questions and recommendations based on findings. We CANNOT provide reports assessing suitability for employment (e.g. police, defence). Our reports detail the results of our assessment as it relates to psychoeducational concerns, but will not provide a statement relating to criteria that may be provided by a specific employer/organisation
- That you will have all the answers from one assessment package – in some cases, further information will lead to further needs being identified. In this case, we will provide our recommendations to you about what else might be needed and you can work with your psychologist to identify if you are in a position to undertake this
What is involved in an assessment?
The flowchart below shows the process of an example assessment. The assessment best suited to you may be different and, for example, involve more or less testing time or report writing time. The discussion at your intake session will lead to your psychologist being able to judge what elements of the assessment process will answer your questions about you in order to meet the purpose of the assessment.
FAQ
We use the the following tools:
- WJIV is used to understand cognitive abilities needed in study/work and also compares areas of academic achievement to that of other examinees of the same age.
- CAARS-2 (The Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales-2) measure the presence and severity of ADHD symptoms
If you have had a look at other clinics, you might have noticed that they use the WIAT-III (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-III) and not the WJIV. The reason we choose to use the WJIV is because not only can it investigate the same elements as the WIAT III, it can also allow us to look into other cognitive abilities not covered by other tests.
Comprehensive ADHD is a specialised skill set, much of which is utilised “behind the scenes” in the report-writing process. It is important to be aware that for a number of tests (e.g. WJ), you are unable to be tested or re-tested for at least 2 years. It is, therefore, really important that it is done to a very high standard. It is often better to undertake as comprehensive assessment as is required, as much of the cost of assessment is embedded in the whole process (rather than adding additional assessments in).
Please see our fees section for more information
ADHD Targeted Assessment
Why might you get an ADHD targeted assessment?
- It has been recommended by a health/educational professional that you investigate ADHD (e.g. paediatrician, GP, specialist teacher)
- You’ve noticed considerable difficulties with attention – sustaining attention, switching across tasks
- Your have difficulties with organisation
- You frequently are restless and seem to have difficulty “sitting still”
- You/others have had some concerns about how you cope with learning
- Difficulties starting or completing tasks without one-on-one assistance
What are the benefits of an ADHD targeted assessment?
You want to confirm whether you have ADHD and the impact this is having
Access specific recommendations to best support you at home/work
The assessments we provide cover:
Attention and hyperactivity – a comprehensive assessment tool that determines the presence (or absence) of difficulties with attention and hyperactivity, as compared to similar-aged peers
Clinical psychosocial assessment – understanding any additional mental health difficulties you might be experiencing and how this may impact you. Given the co-occurrence of ADHD and other mental health difficulties, this will assist in identifying the most helpful support
What we DON'T provide
- A guaranteed diagnosis – the assessment process is designed to provide rich information to understand your needs. Sometimes this equates to a diagnosis, other times it does not meet this threshold but still provides valuable understanding. In some cases, a diagnosis will also need to be confirmed by another healthcare specialist (e.g. psychiatrist)
- We can provide assessments for diagnostic questions and recommendations based on findings. We CANNOT provide reports assessing suitability for employment (e.g. police, defence). Our reports detail the results of our assessment as it relates to psychoeducational concerns, but will not provide a statement relating to criteria that may be provided by a specific employer/organisation
- That you will have all the answers from one assessment package – in some cases, further information will lead to further needs being identified. In this case, we will provide our recommendations to you about what else might be needed and you can work with your psychologist to identify if you are in a position to undertake this
What is involved in an assessment?
The flowchart below shows the process of an example assessment. The assessment best suited to you may be different and, for example, involve more or less testing time or report writing time. The discussion at your intake session will lead to your psychologist being able to judge what elements of the assessment process will answer your questions about you in order to meet the purpose of the assessment.
FAQ
Assessment of ADHD is a multi-faceted process that includes using standardised measures that compare with same-aged peers, as well as your psychologists clinical expertise. As a guide, we will use a combination of the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales and a range of psychosocial questionnaires. ADHD assessment is a specialised skill set, much of which is utilised “behind the scenes” in the report-writing process. Each assessment is likely to be different, depending on the concerns you have and what your psychologist recommends to best address these concerns.
Please see our fees section for more information