What Happens During a Private ADHD Screening Assessment?
If you are considering an ADHD screening assessment for yourself or your child, you may be wondering what the process involves, what information we look at and what happens afterwards.
At AYC, our ADHD screening is designed to build a detailed picture of an individual’s strengths and difficulties and explore whether there is evidence of significant ADHD traits. We don’t rely on one questionnaire or one test. Instead, we bring together information from a number of different sources to understand how attention, impulsivity, activity levels and executive functioning may be affecting everyday life.
In this article, we explain what happens at each stage of the process and what you can expect from us.
First, what is an ADHD screening assessment?
An ADHD screening assessment is not the same as a formal ADHD diagnosis, but it can be an important first step towards understanding and evidencing ADHD traits and how they may be affecting everyday life.
At AYC, we don’t rely on one questionnaire or test. Our screening brings together developmental information, recognised ADHD measures, information from different settings, QbCheck and measures of executive functioning. Looking at this information together helps us build a fuller picture of an individual’s strengths, difficulties and day-to-day experiences.
Following the assessment, you will receive a detailed written report explaining the findings and whether significant ADHD traits have been identified. The report can help you, your family and other professionals better understand your profile and the areas where support or adjustments may be helpful. It can also provide useful supporting evidence if you decide to take the next step towards a formal diagnosis.
If significant ADHD traits are identified, we can help you consider what happens next. Adults can be referred to our associate psychiatrist and children and young people to our paediatrician partner for further assessment, where appropriate.
Stage one: the information we gather beforehand
Before your appointment, we will ask you to complete a number of forms exploring developmental history, current strengths and difficulties, and how these affect everyday life. These include recognised ADHD rating scales and a detailed developmental history.
For children and young people, we also gather information from both parents or carers and school. This is an important part of exploring ADHD because diagnostic criteria consider whether ADHD-related traits and their impact are present across more than one setting, such as home and education.
We also recognise that children do not always present in the same way everywhere. Some children may mask or work extremely hard to manage their difficulties at school, with the impact becoming much more apparent at home. A structured school environment may also support a child in ways that mean some difficulties are less visible. Differences between home and school are therefore not automatically a contradiction, they are important information that helps build a fuller picture of the individual child.
Stage two: the QbCheck
As part of our ADHD screening, you or your child will complete a QbCheck at our Warrington clinic. This is a computer-based task that measures three areas commonly associated with ADHD: attention, activity and impulsivity.
The results are compared with data from other people of a similar age and sex, giving us objective information that contributes to the overall screening picture.
QbCheck is only one part of our assessment and is never considered in isolation. We look at the results alongside developmental information, ADHD rating scales, executive functioning measures and information about how difficulties present in everyday life. Bringing these different sources of information together helps us build a much fuller picture of an individual’s strengths and difficulties.
Stage three: the Browns Executive Functioning Test
Before attending the clinic, you will be sent an online questionnaire exploring executive functioning and attention. This looks at areas such as getting started on tasks, maintaining attention, organising and prioritising, remembering information and managing everyday activities.
Executive functioning difficulties are commonly associated with ADHD and can have a significant impact on everyday life. Someone may know exactly what they need to do, for example, but find it difficult to get started, organise the steps involved, manage distractions or see a task through to completion.
The questionnaire helps us understand how these difficulties may show up in everyday life and adds another piece of information to the overall screening picture.
Stage four: Meeting with your clinician
As part of the screening, you will spend time with your clinician talking through experiences, strengths and areas of difficulty. This helps us understand the person behind the information gathered through questionnaires and screening tools and how ADHD traits may be affecting everyday life.
For adults, the clinical interview is with you and may explore areas such as attention, organisation, impulsivity and executive functioning, and the impact these may have on work, relationships and day-to-day life.
For children, the clinical interview is with their parent or carer. This gives you the opportunity to talk openly with the clinician about your child’s development, strengths, difficulties and experiences. We ask you to bring another trusted adult who can stay with your child while this part of the assessment takes place.
Young people aged 16 and over may wish to be involved in the clinical interview and share their own experiences directly with the clinician.
This is a relaxed conversation designed to help us understand everyday experiences and build a fuller picture alongside the other information gathered during the screening.
Stage five: your report and what happens next
Following your assessment, our practitioners bring together all of the information gathered into a detailed ADHD screening report. This explains the findings, whether significant ADHD traits have been identified, and how these may be affecting everyday life.
Your report will usually be provided within four to six weeks of your face-to-face appointment.
For children and young people, the report can provide useful evidence when discussing support with school or college and may contribute to requests for reasonable adjustments, SEN support or an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.
For adults, the report can help evidence areas of difficulty and support conversations with universities, employers and other professionals about reasonable adjustments. Under the Equality Act 2010, a formal diagnosis is not necessarily required for someone to be entitled to reasonable adjustments; what matters is whether they meet the legal definition of disability and are placed at a substantial disadvantage.
If significant ADHD traits are identified and you would like to pursue a formal diagnosis, we can also discuss the next step with you and, where appropriate, refer adults to our associate psychiatrist or children and young people to our paediatrician partner.
What if I think it might be autism as well?
It is not unusual for people considering an ADHD screening to also wonder about autism. Some autistic and ADHD traits can overlap, and some people may be both autistic and have ADHD.
At AYC, our autism assessment and ADHD screening are separate pathways, allowing each to be explored fully in its own right. If you choose to have both with us, we can streamline the process where appropriate and offer the assessments at a reduced combined cost. You will receive a separate report for each assessment.
You don’t need to know which assessment you need before contacting us. If you’re unsure whether autism, ADHD or both might be worth exploring, our team will be happy to talk through the different assessment pathways with you.
Thinking about an assessment
If you are considering an ADHD Screening Assessment, you can get in touch with our team for more information about the process. If you would find it helpful to talk things through first, we are happy to arrange a call, though there is no requirement to have one before booking.
You can reach our team on 01925 249228 or enquire through our website.
