ADHD ASSESSMENT
ADHD assessment for adults and young people
A careful look at attention, focus and how you function, across your whole life.
Psyche Vitality offers private ADHD assessments for adults and young people, led by HCPC-registered clinicians under the clinical lead of Dr Uzaina Qazi, Practitioner Counselling Psychologist. Online across the UK where clinically suitable, and in person in London where it’s needed.
More than a questionnaire
An ADHD diagnosis can’t be made from a rating scale or a checklist alone. A careful assessment looks at how attention, focus, organisation, restlessness and impulsivity affect your life now, and whether they have been there since childhood.
Your assessment draws on:
background forms about your development, education and wellbeing
a structured clinical interview about your experiences at home, at work or school, and in relationships
where helpful, information from people who know you well, such as a parent, partner or teacher
a review of your wellbeing and anything else that could explain what you are experiencing
Structured clinical interviews may be used where appropriate. Questionnaires add to the clinical picture; they don’t decide it on their own.
The final opinion is a clinical formulation against DSM‑5 and ICD‑11 criteria, in line with NICE guidance on ADHD (NG87).
What we mean by neuroaffirming
We see ADHD as a difference in how attention and energy work, with real strengths as well as real challenges. Neuroaffirming doesn’t mean overlooking difficulty. In practice it means:
we take your own description of your experiences seriously
we look at strengths and needs, not only difficulties
we use respectful, plain language in appointments and in your report
we consider the strategies you may have built to cope, and what they have cost you
the aim is understanding, whatever the outcome
Who comes to us
People come to us for many reasons. Some of the most common are:
adults who have wondered for years whether they might have ADHD
parents who recognised themselves while their child was being assessed
people whose earlier diagnoses, such as anxiety or depression, never fully explained their experiences
adults who find that keeping on top of work, study or home takes far more effort than it seems to for others
young people, with their families, when school or daily life has become hard to manage
people referred or encouraged by a GP, therapist or other professional
This isn’t a checklist. If you’re unsure whether an assessment would be useful, a short conversation with us is a good place to start.
“But I’ve always managed…”
ADHD doesn’t look one way. Some people are visibly restless; for others, the restlessness is mostly inside, or the main difficulty is attention and organisation.
Many people describe getting by for years with lists, alarms, over-preparation and long hours. Coping well, or doing well at work, doesn’t rule ADHD in or out. A careful assessment looks at the effort involved, not just at how things appear from the outside.
Identified later in life
Many people with ADHD are not identified in childhood. NICE notes that ADHD is thought to be under-recognised in girls and women, who are less likely to be referred for assessment and may be more likely to receive a different diagnosis first.
An assessment in adulthood can make sense of past experiences and help you decide what support or adjustments would be useful now.
What to expect
The number and length of appointments depend on your needs, so we’ll agree these with you before you start. We reply to every enquiry within 48 hours, and your assessment begins within two weeks.
01. Enquiry and initial screening
A first conversation
You send an enquiry and we talk through what you’re hoping for. We check that an ADHD assessment is the right next step and is suitable for you.
02. Background and clinical interview
Building a full picture
Background forms. You complete forms about your development, education and wellbeing. For young people, parents or carers also share school and developmental information.
Clinical interview. A structured interview about attention, focus, organisation and impulsivity, using real examples from your life, and whether these have been present since childhood.
Information from others. Where helpful, input from a parent, partner or teacher.
03. Wellbeing, formulation and feedback
Bringing it together
Wellbeing review. We consider your emotional wellbeing and whether other factors, such as anxiety, low mood or sleep, play a part. A safety review is included, so that support is in place if it’s needed.
Formulation. Your clinician brings everything together against DSM‑5 and ICD‑11 criteria, with multidisciplinary input where clinically appropriate.
Feedback. We go through the outcome with you, explain how we reached it and answer your questions.
04. Your written report
Usually within 4 to 8 weeks
A full written report with the outcome, the reasons for it and recommendations specific to you, not a short diagnostic letter. Reports are usually ready within 4 to 8 weeks of your final assessment appointment.
Online or in person?
Most assessments can take place online. Many people find it easier to take part from home, without travel or a clinic setting.
Online isn’t right for everyone. We may recommend some or all of the assessment in person if online appointments wouldn’t give enough reliable clinical information, or if it’s hard for you to take part meaningfully online. We decide this with you, case by case.
Making the assessment work for you
Tell us what helps, and we’ll do what we reasonably can. Options include:
reminders before each appointment
information about each appointment sent in advance
shorter sessions, or breaks during longer ones
clear written follow-up after appointments
help with the forms if they feel hard to get started on
moving around, fidget items or camera flexibility where clinically possible
other reasonable adjustments, discussed with you individually
What you can expect from the outcome
An assessment gives you a careful, reasoned clinical opinion about whether you meet the criteria for ADHD, and a fuller picture of your strengths and needs. We can’t promise a particular outcome, and the report is useful whatever the outcome is.
Private assessment reports may be considered by NHS services, employers, education providers and other organisations. Acceptance, and any need for further review, is decided by the receiving organisation. Psyche Vitality can’t guarantee that another service will accept a private diagnostic report.
Medication and support after the assessment
Psyche Vitality’s clinicians don’t prescribe ADHD medication. If medication might help, your report can say so, and we’ll talk with you about the routes available, including through your GP. Whether a GP takes on prescribing after a private assessment is decided by the GP and local NHS arrangements.
Your report also includes practical recommendations, for example around work, study and daily life. If you’d like ongoing support, Psyche Vitality also offers psychological therapy.
ADHD and autism
ADHD and autism often occur together, and some traits overlap. Sometimes an assessment for one suggests it would be worth exploring the other. We assess both, as separate assessments, and we’ll talk with you about whether a further assessment might help. Read about our adult autism assessment.
Who carries out your assessment
Psyche Vitality is an independent practice, clinically led by Dr Uzaina Qazi. Assessments are led by Dr Uzaina or by other suitably qualified Psyche Vitality clinicians. Diagnostic assessments are always led by HCPC-registered clinicians.
HCPC-registered Practitioner Counselling Psychologist
Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) and Associate Fellow (AFBPsS), British Psychological Society
PhD in Psychology
More than 15 years’ experience across psychology, counselling, research and clinical practice in the UK and India
Written and reviewed by Dr Uzaina Qazi, HCPC-registered Practitioner Counselling Psychologist, CPsychol, AFBPsS. Last reviewed: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Start an enquiry
Tell us a little about what you’re looking for. Please don’t include detailed medical information here; we’ll go through that with you later.
Prefer to talk? You can also call us on +44 7598 894652.