What to Expect at Your Child’s ADHD Assessment

A message from Dr Harry Woodward

It is completely normal for you—or your child—to feel a little uncertain before an ADHD assessment.

You may be wondering what questions will be asked, whether your child will need to speak, or whether there is anything you should prepare beforehand.

My aim is to make the appointment feel relaxed, supportive and unhurried. It is a conversation, not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers.

You do not need to rehearse anything or prepare perfect examples. The purpose of the assessment is simply to understand your child as a whole person: their strengths, their experiences and any difficulties affecting their everyday life.

Before the appointment

Please make sure that you have:

• Completed any questionnaires or forms you have been sent

• Provided any relevant school information that has been requested

• Photo identification for your child, such as a passport

• Details of any current medication, medical conditions or allergies

• Any reports or letters you think may be helpful and have not already submitted

If the appointment is taking place by video, please try to join from somewhere reasonably quiet and private, using a device with a working camera and microphone.

Your child does not need to remain on camera throughout the entire appointment. However, I will need to see them briefly at the beginning and confirm their identity using photo identification.

What happens during the assessment?

Every child and family is different, so no two appointments are exactly the same.

I will usually begin by introducing myself, explaining what will happen and making sure that you and your child are comfortable to continue.

The assessment is then conducted as an informal conversation. I am happy for either you or your child to answer most of the questions. However, wherever possible, I would also like to hear your child’s perspective. Their experience is an important part of the assessment.

Some of the areas we are likely to discuss are outlined below.

Your child’s strengths

I like to begin by getting to know what is going well.

I may ask:

• What does your child feel they are good at?

• What do you see as their strengths?

• What makes you proud of them?

• What is going particularly well at the moment?

• How might their friends or teachers describe them?

An ADHD assessment should never focus only on difficulties. Understanding your child’s personality, abilities and strengths is equally important.

Interests and hobbies

We will talk about the things your child enjoys and how they like to spend their time.

This might include:

• Hobbies, sports or creative activities

• Favourite subjects or interests

• Games, books, videos or online activities

• Clubs and activities outside school

• Topics they can become deeply interested in

• Things that help them feel happy, calm or confident

This helps me understand who your child is beyond the difficulties that have led to the assessment.

School and learning

We will discuss your child’s experience of school and how they manage in the classroom.

I may ask about:

• Subjects they enjoy or find difficult

• Concentration during lessons

• Completing and handing in work

• Following instructions

• Remembering equipment or homework

• Organisation and time management

• Moving between lessons or activities

• Behaviour in the classroom

• Relationships with teachers

• Friendships and social experiences

• Any support or adjustments already in place

Some children manage to hold things together at school but struggle much more when they return home. Others find their difficulties are more visible in the classroom. Both experiences are important.

Daily routines

We will talk about what an ordinary day looks like for your child.

This may include:

• Getting ready in the morning

• Remembering everything needed for school

• Travelling to and from school

• Eating breakfast and regular meals

• Completing homework

• Managing transitions between activities

• Bedtime and sleep

• How much prompting or support they need from adults

Everyday routines often give us useful examples of how attention, organisation, memory and emotional regulation affect a child in real life.

Family and home life

I will ask a little about your child’s family and home environment.

This may include:

• Who lives at home

• Relationships with parents, carers and siblings

• Relevant family medical or developmental history

• How your child responds to boundaries or requests

• Any particular pressures or recent changes affecting the family

• What family life is like when things are going well—and when things are difficult

This is not about judging anyone’s parenting. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition and is not caused by poor parenting.

Understanding family life simply helps me see the wider context in which your child’s strengths and difficulties occur.

General health and development

I will ask about your child’s general health and medical history.

We may discuss:

• Pregnancy, birth and early development

• Previous illnesses, hospital treatment or injuries

• Existing medical conditions

• Current medication

• Allergies

• Hearing or vision

• Sleep and eating

• Previous assessments or diagnoses

• Involvement from other professionals

You do not need to remember every date or medical detail perfectly. If further information is needed, this can usually be obtained afterwards.

Mood, emotions and wellbeing

ADHD can affect much more than concentration. We will talk about how your child experiences and manages emotions.

This may include:

• Worries or anxiety

• Low mood

• Frustration and irritability

• Emotional outbursts

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Sensitivity to criticism

• Confidence and self-esteem

• How quickly emotions build

• How long it takes to recover after becoming upset

If the questionnaires have identified any concerns about emotional wellbeing or safety, I may explore these in more detail.

Attention and concentration

We will spend some time discussing the core symptoms associated with ADHD and how they affect your child’s life.

Questions may cover:

• Becoming distracted

• Finding it difficult to sustain attention

• Appearing not to listen

• Losing track of instructions

• Starting tasks but not completing them

• Avoiding activities requiring sustained mental effort

• Losing belongings

• Forgetting everyday tasks

• Making careless mistakes

I will be interested in specific examples, but you do not need to arrive with a prepared list. Examples will usually emerge naturally during our conversation.

Activity levels and impulsivity

Depending on your child’s experiences, we may also talk about:

• Fidgeting or needing to move

• Finding it difficult to remain seated

• Feeling internally restless

• Talking frequently

• Interrupting or calling out

• Acting before thinking

• Finding waiting difficult

• Becoming impatient

• Taking risks without fully considering the consequences

Hyperactivity does not always look like a child constantly running around. In some children—particularly older children and teenagers—it may be experienced more as inner restlessness or a mind that rarely feels quiet.

Organisation and executive functioning

ADHD can affect the brain’s ability to organise, plan and manage everyday tasks.

We may discuss:

• Planning ahead

• Estimating how long something will take

• Starting tasks

• Moving between activities

• Remembering several instructions at once

• Keeping track of belongings

• Managing deadlines

• Prioritising tasks

• Completing routines independently

• Coping when plans change

These difficulties are sometimes mistaken for laziness, carelessness or a lack of motivation. The assessment helps us understand what may be happening underneath the behaviour.

Does my child have to answer every question?

No.

Some children are happy to do much of the talking. Others may feel shy, uncertain or simply prefer their parent or carer to answer.

Your child will not be forced to speak or put on the spot. They can take their time, ask for a break or tell me if they do not understand a question.

If they do not want to remain on camera for most of a video appointment, that is also completely understandable. I will, however, need to see them briefly at the beginning to confirm their identity.

Can we speak with you separately?

Yes.

Sometimes a parent or carer wishes to discuss something without their child present. Equally, an older child or young person may want an opportunity to speak with me privately.

There is no expectation that this must happen. If either of you would find it helpful, please mention it near the beginning of the appointment so that I can allow enough time and plan the conversation accordingly.

Will we receive a diagnosis during the appointment?

Towards the end of the assessment, I will explain my clinical formulation and conclusions.

This will usually include:

• Whether your child meets the diagnostic criteria for ADHD

• The type of ADHD presentation identified, where applicable

• How significantly the symptoms are affecting everyday life

• Whether other factors may also be contributing to their difficulties

• My recommendations for support and next steps

An ADHD diagnosis is not based on one questionnaire, one symptom or one difficult situation. I consider the information provided by your child, your family and their school, alongside their developmental and medical history and the recognised diagnostic criteria.

Occasionally, additional information may be needed before a final conclusion can be reached. If that happens, I will explain clearly what is missing and what needs to happen next.

What happens after the appointment?

Following the assessment, I will prepare a comprehensive written report.

This will bring together the information considered during the assessment, my clinical conclusions and recommendations for the next steps. Reports are usually completed within approximately four to five days.

A copy of the report will also be sent to your child’s GP, provided you have completed the Patient Registration Form with the correct GP details and given your consent for the report to be shared.

Depending on your child’s needs, the recommendations may include:

• Support at home

• School-based adjustments

• Strategies for attention, organisation or emotional regulation

• Further professional support

• Discussion of ADHD treatment options

• Additional assessment where appropriate

You will have an opportunity to ask questions before the appointment ends.

A final reassurance

You do not need to prove that your child has ADHD.

You also do not need to minimise their difficulties or worry that you are being judged.

The most helpful thing you and your child can do is describe life as you genuinely experience it—including the good days, the difficult days and everything in between.

My role is to listen, understand the whole picture and help you make sense of

what may be happening.

Questions before your appointment?

If you have a question before the assessment, you are very welcome to contact us.

Telephone: 03301 336 244

Email: office@neurodiversekids.co.uk

I look forward to meeting you and your child.

Dr Harry Woodward

Consultant Paediatrician

NeurodiverseKids