ADHD Assessment Appointment
ADHD Assessment Appointment
What happens during an ADHD assessment?
An ADHD assessment is much more than completing a questionnaire or recognising yourself in a list of ADHD symptoms.
At Juno Clinic there are three stages to the assessment process: screening, a full ADHD assessment and an outcome appointment.
Our assessment process is based on NICE guidance and recognised diagnostic criteria. We consider information from several sources and do not diagnose ADHD from questionnaires or rating scales alone.
Screening appointment
Your first step is a screening appointment, which can take place in person or by video. You can book this yourself and you do not need a GP referral before attending.
This appointment gives us time to understand what has led you to consider ADHD, the difficulties you are experiencing and how these are affecting your life.
Difficulties with attention, concentration, organisation, memory, motivation, restlessness or impulsivity do not necessarily mean that somebody has ADHD. Similar difficulties can occur for many different reasons.
We therefore explore your symptoms, mental health and other relevant factors to consider whether ADHD is a reasonable explanation for your difficulties and whether progressing to a full ADHD assessment is the appropriate next step.
What if ADHD assessment isn't the right next step?
Sometimes another condition or difficulty may better explain your symptoms, or something may need further assessment or treatment first. If this happens, we will explain our reasoning and discuss appropriate next steps with you.
We will need information from your GP
If screening indicates that progressing to a full ADHD assessment is appropriate, we will ask you to arrange information from your GP.
You do not need this information before your screening appointment, but we cannot proceed to the full ADHD assessment until it has been received and reviewed.
Your GP can provide the information in one of two ways:
We will explain what is required following your screening appointment if we recommend progressing to assessment.
Full ADHD assessment
Once the required information from your GP has been received and reviewed, we can proceed to your full ADHD assessment.
This is a detailed two-hour, in-person clinical assessment at Juno Clinic in South Manchester, close to Manchester Airport.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition, so we look at your experiences across your lifetime rather than concentrating only on the difficulties you are experiencing now.
We explore symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity in detail. Rather than simply asking whether a symptom is present, we ask for examples from your own life and consider its frequency, persistence and impact.
We also consider how these difficulties affect different areas of your life, including education, work, relationships, home life, organisation and everyday responsibilities.
Understanding your childhood
ADHD begins during childhood, so information about what you were like when you were younger is an important part of the assessment.
Wherever possible, we ask you to bring someone who knew you during childhood. This might be a parent, sibling, aunt, uncle or another person who can provide relevant childhood information.
We may also ask for school reports or other childhood information where this is available. Don't worry if you no longer have school reports — we can discuss what other information may be available.
Why does the assessment take 6–8 hours?
The two-hour appointment is only one part of the assessment. The complete process involves approximately 6–8 hours of clinician time.
This includes reviewing the information provided, your clinical appointments, clinical formulation, multidisciplinary discussion and preparation of your assessment report.
Outcome appointment
Around 2–3 weeks after your full assessment, you will return to Juno Clinic for your outcome appointment.
By this point, the information gathered throughout the assessment process will have been reviewed and considered together.
We will explain the outcome, whether the diagnostic criteria for ADHD have been met and, importantly, why we have reached that conclusion.
If ADHD is diagnosed
We will talk about what the diagnosis means for you, including your individual presentation, strengths and needs. We can then discuss appropriate next steps and your options for support and treatment, including medication where appropriate.
If ADHD is not diagnosed
We will explain why the diagnostic criteria have not been met and discuss any other factors identified during the assessment that may help you understand your difficulties and consider your next steps.
Not sure whether to start an assessment?
You can speak directly with an ADHD clinician before deciding. Book a free 10-minute telephone or video call to ask questions about the assessment process and whether Juno Clinic may be suitable for you.
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