ADHD Assessment
ADHD involves difficulty focusing (inattention), being overly active (hyperactivity), and acting without thinking (impulsivity), and it’s something that impacts a person’s ability to function well in their day-to-day life. The behaviours are usually seen across different situations and for a long time, and they can cause significant challenges in school, work, or relationships.
Having ADHD, or parenting a child with ADHD can definitely be tough at times, but it’s important to remember that many of the qualities that come with ADHD – like creativity, energy, and the ability to think differently – can turn into real strengths in adulthood.
People with ADHD might develop a knack for coming up with fresh ideas, taking on challenges with resilience, and adapting to new situations. With the right support, people with ADHD can learn to channel these qualities in ways that bring them success and happiness.
What to expect from the ADHD assessment
Current NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) guidelines state that an ADHD assessment requires observations of the individual in several settings. We meet these guidelines via the following steps:
1. Intake Process: Online Developmental Screen
2. Tailoring your Assessment Plan
- Conners 4 Assessment screens, completed by home and school
3. Delivering your assessment
- QbCheck ADHD Screen
- Face to face meeting consultation with Dr Marshall
- Multi-disciplinary team diagnostic meeting
4. Personalised Intervention Plan
- Feedback appointment and the written report
Whilst following NICE guidelines, we go beyond a ‘drive-through’ ADHD assessment, taking a bespoke, holistic approach—carefully considering factors like sensory processing and anxiety that may interact with an individual’s profile. This ensures each person receives the right assessment and, ultimately, the most effective support.
Step 1
Intake Process: Online Developmental Screen
The first stage of assessment begins with parents completing a comprehensive online developmental screen, on behalf of their child. Self-referring adults will be provided with an online personal history form to complete.
Developmental screen fee: £250
Once the completed form has been submitted, CAL will offer you a brief consultation to review the provided information, and discuss potential next steps of assessment.
At this point, it may be necessary to gather further information in order to create a bespoke Assessment Plan. This ensures that the final Assessment Plan is based on a thorough understanding of the specific needs, thereby ensuring a streamlined and cost-effective plan.
Step 2
Tailoring the Assessment Plan
The Conners 4 ADHD Screen
The Conners 4 is a comprehensive, online assessment tool used to evaluate ADHD and related behavioural, emotional, and academic concerns in children and adolescents. This is completed by parents and teachers.
If the Conners 4 results, along with information from the psychological screen, indicate clear markers for ADHD, the team will recommend that a QbCheck is administered.
Step 3
Delivering Your Assessment
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The QbCheck is an objective, computer-assisted assessment designed to measure key ADHD symptoms—attention, impulsivity, and activity levels—under the supervision of a trained test administrator.
Using a motion-tracking system, the test captures objective data while the participant completes a simple task: reacting to specific symbols on a computer screen. The results are then compared to individuals of the same age and gender, providing valuable insights for diagnosis and treatment planning.
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In addition to reviewing all available information about your child, Dr Marshall will conduct a face-to-face meeting with your child, as recommended by NICE guidelines, which emphasise in-person assessments by qualified specialists to ensure an accurate diagnosis and effective management of ADHD.
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Once all clinical information from the different stages of your child’s assessment has been gathered, the assessment team will review the findings. They will evaluate the information alongside established guidelines, using the DSM-5, to determine whether your child’s profile meets the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD.
CAL always takes into account the ‘bigger picture’; before any diagnosis is made, evidence gathered from the evaluations and the QbCheck is weighed up, and other diagnoses and neurodevelopmental profiles will also be considered during the MDT meeting.
Step 4
Personalised Intervention Plan
A member of the team will be in contact with you to discuss the diagnostic outcome of the assessment. This meeting is usually conducted virtually.
You’ll then be sent a copy of the assessment report, which contains a summary of all the information gathered and the diagnostic outcome.
Once you have read the report, a longer feedback meeting will be arranged with a member of the team. This ensures that the conclusions align with your real-world experience of your child, and that the recommendations are both achievable and relevant.
The appointment can take place either face to face or virtually. It is often helpful for older children to be present.
In certain situations it may be appropriate to offer a feedback meeting to your child’s school or college. Any information that is shared with outside agencies will be with your prior consent.
Schools will not be sent any reports that contain personal information about the child or their family members, unless this is explicitly agreed in writing by their parents.
