ADHD Assessment for Children & Adults

Lycali generally offers ADHD assessments for children from around 6 years of age, subject to clinical suitability.

ADHD traits can sometimes be noticed much earlier, but when assessing younger children it is particularly important to consider developmental stage, behaviour across different environments and whether other developmental, communication, emotional or learning needs may also be contributing.

If you are unsure whether your child is ready for an ADHD assessment, you are welcome to contact us before booking and we can help you consider the most appropriate pathway.

Yes. ADHD can be identified in adulthood, including in people who were not recognised as having ADHD during childhood.

Many adults have developed strategies to compensate for difficulties with attention, organisation, time management, impulsivity or emotional regulation. Others may only recognise their own ADHD traits following a diagnosis in their child or another family member.

ADHD assessment involves several different sources of information rather than relying on one questionnaire or test.

Depending on age and individual circumstances, the assessment may include:

• Young DIVA or a Young DIVA-based clinical interview for children and young people
• DIVA-5 clinical interview for adults
• Developmental history
• Standardised ADHD questionnaires and rating scales
• Executive functioning and functional-impact questionnaires where appropriate
• Parent or caregiver information
• School or educational-setting information for children and young people
• Informant information for adults where available
• Clinical interview and observation
• Review of education, employment, relationships and everyday functioning

Your clinician selects the most appropriate combination of information for your individual assessment.

The DIVA-5 is a structured clinical interview used as part of an ADHD assessment. It helps the clinician systematically explore symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity and how these have affected the person's life.

Importantly, the DIVA-5 is one part of a wider diagnostic assessment. A diagnosis is not made from the DIVA alone. The clinician also considers developmental history, functional impact, other questionnaires, informant information where available and whether another condition or difficulty may better explain the person's experiences.

The Young DIVA is a structured ADHD interview designed for assessing ADHD symptoms in children and young people.

It provides a systematic way of exploring attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity within everyday situations. For children, this information is considered alongside developmental history, parent or caregiver information, educational information and other assessment evidence.

No. The DIVA or Young DIVA supports the clinical assessment but does not determine the diagnosis by itself.

ADHD diagnosis requires the clinician to consider the whole pattern of evidence, including whether symptoms have been present developmentally, whether they occur across relevant areas of life, whether they cause meaningful functional impact and whether another explanation needs to be considered.

No. ADHD does not always involve obvious physical hyperactivity.

Some children primarily experience difficulties with attention, working memory, organisation, task initiation, daydreaming, losing belongings or completing activities. Others may experience hyperactivity and impulsivity, while some experience a combination.

Hyperactivity can also feel more like internal restlessness rather than constantly moving.

Yes. ADHD may be less visibly hyperactive and can sometimes present through internal restlessness, overwhelm, difficulties with organisation, emotional regulation, masking, perfectionism, procrastination or burnout.

This can mean that some girls and women are identified later, particularly where they have developed strong strategies for compensating for difficulties.

This is not unusual and does not automatically rule ADHD in or out.

Children may function differently depending on structure, expectations, environment, relationships, sensory demands and the amount of effort required to manage or mask their difficulties.

The clinician will consider information from different environments and explore why experiences may differ between home and education.

No. Schools do not diagnose ADHD and a diagnosis is not determined by whether an individual teacher believes a child has ADHD.

However, information from school or another educational setting can be very useful because ADHD assessment considers how a child's attention, regulation and executive functioning present across different environments.

The clinician considers school information alongside the wider clinical evidence rather than using it in isolation.

Academic achievement does not rule out ADHD.

Some children and young people achieve highly while experiencing significant difficulties with organisation, attention, procrastination, emotional regulation, exhaustion, homework, time management or maintaining the level of effort required to perform well.

Assessment looks at overall functioning rather than academic attainment alone.

Yes. Autism and ADHD commonly co-occur.

Where both autism and ADHD appear relevant, Lycali can discuss whether separate assessments or a combined Autism & ADHD assessment pathway would be most appropriate.

Yes. ADHD can occur alongside dyslexia, dyscalculia, developmental language differences and other neurodevelopmental profiles.

Part of the assessment involves understanding which difficulties may relate to ADHD and which may be better explained by another condition or learning profile.

Having an autism diagnosis does not prevent a child or young person from being assessed for ADHD.

The clinician will take the existing diagnosis into account and consider where characteristics overlap and where there is evidence of a distinct ADHD profile.

You can still enquire about an ADHD assessment.

Old school reports can sometimes provide useful developmental evidence, but they are not the only source of childhood information. The clinician can consider developmental history, your recollections, informant information where available and other relevant evidence.

We understand that many adults do not have access to historic school records.

Not necessarily.

Where possible, information from someone who knew you during childhood can be helpful, but we recognise that this is not available or appropriate for everyone.

Please discuss this with the Lycali team if you are concerned about obtaining informant information.

The clinician considers much more than whether someone experiences difficulties concentrating.

The assessment explores:

• Patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity
• Developmental history and childhood experiences
• Whether difficulties occur across relevant areas of life
• The impact on education, work, relationships, home life or independence
• Executive functioning and emotional regulation
• Strengths and compensatory strategies
• Masking
• Physical and mental health
• Other neurodevelopmental or learning differences
• Alternative explanations for the person's difficulties

Yes. ADHD is not simply an inability to concentrate.

Attention can vary significantly depending on interest, novelty, urgency, stimulation and motivation. Some people with ADHD can concentrate very intensely on particular activities while finding it extremely difficult to direct or sustain attention on less stimulating tasks.

Yes. ADHD can occur alongside anxiety, low mood and other emotional or mental health difficulties.

A comprehensive assessment considers whether another condition may explain the difficulties, whether conditions are occurring together and what support may be helpful.

The purpose of assessment is to understand the person's profile rather than to confirm a diagnosis.

If diagnostic criteria for ADHD are not met, the clinician will explain the findings and, where possible, identify other factors that may help make sense of the difficulties described. Recommendations and possible next steps will be discussed.

Yes. Following the assessment and clinical review, you will receive a comprehensive report summarising the assessment evidence, outcome and recommendations.

Recommendations may relate to education, employment, reasonable adjustments, emotional wellbeing, executive functioning, further assessment or post-diagnostic support depending on individual needs.

Yes. Lycali provides a range of post-diagnostic support including psychoeducation, neurodivergent coaching, psychological therapies and practical support with executive functioning, emotional regulation, confidence, self-advocacy and everyday life.

Lycali does not currently prescribe ADHD medication directly.

We work in partnership with a prescribing team and can provide further guidance about medication pathways following diagnosis.

Please request our medication guidance by emailing info@lycali.co.uk.