The Ultimate Guide to ADHD Assessments

(Hopefully a 7 minute read, but take your time bbz)

Hey there, fellow fabulous City Girls! 👋🏻

Ever feel like your brain is running on ten cups of coffee while your body is still in bed? Welcome to the world of ADHD! If you’ve found yourself wondering whether the scattered thoughts, procrastination, and random bursts of energy are just “who you are” or if maybe – just maybe – you’ve got ADHD, this guide is for you! And let me tell you, as someone who diagnoses and meets the diagnostic criteria herself - I’ve got you girl.

I know everyone likes to say that ADHD is the flavour of the month and “everyone has it these days”, but I’d argue that’s because women and girls have been chronically under-diagnosed for years. Let’s leave that debate for another article though - we’ve got important stuff to cover today!

Jennie Canty, Cognitive Behavoural Psychotherapist, EMDR Therapist and Owner of Chiltern ADHD Clinic

So, what’s ADHD then?

First off, ADHD is not just about being a little forgetful, impulsive or hyperactive. Imagine your brain is an internet browser with fifty tabs open, one playing music you can’t find, another buffering endlessly, and pop-ups demanding your attention.

Exhausting, right?

It can look like:

• Constantly misplacing things - your keys, purse, phone, new AirPods… oops.

• Chronic procrastination - I’ll do that thing tomorrow…or next week, month..year..

• Difficulty staying focused - OMG look at the dog! Where do squirrels sleep? Is Pluto a planet again? Wait, what was I doing?

• Feeling overwhelmed - by everything and nothing all at once.

• Being forgetful - so you may forget your appointments, or be SO attached to your diary - life as you know it will crumble without it.

• Fidgeting or restlessness - jiggling your foot, always having something in your hands, always having to be doing something, finding it hard to sit still.

“Imagine your brain is an internet browser with fifty tabs open, one playing music you can’t find, another buffering endlessly, and pop-ups demanding your attention.”

Women with ADHD might also notice:

• Rejection sensitivity - that awful feeling that people don’t like you or being especially sensitive to criticism, even if that’s not how they meant it.

• Mental hyperactivity - having a ‘busy brain’, lots of overthinking and worrying, the occasional ‘post mortem’ of a social situation. Sound familiar?

• Sensory sensitivities - finding lights too bright, places too noisy, disliking certain textures of food or materials.

I get it – it’s like living in a whirlwind of distractions, where your brain is always on the move but never quite landing on anything. Fun, right? 😩

How Does an ADHD Assessment Work?

Ok, so let’s get to the nitty-gritty. First of all, no, it’s not just a 5-minute chat with someone where they ask if you can “sit still for five seconds.” ADHD assessments should be thorough. Here’s what ours involve at Chiltern ADHD Clinic:

1. Initial Screening: This is a quick screen of potential symptoms. We don’t go into lots of detail here, just trying to get a general overview. If it doesn’t seem like ADHD, we can tell you before embarking on the full assessment - which is a lot!

2. Standardised Questionnaires: Think of these as the “What’s your brain really up to?” quizzes. They help us to identify symptoms consistent with ADHD and screen for differential diagnoses, for example, depression and anxiety disorders. Yes, we’ll ask if you get bored easily, because apparently, that’s a thing.

3. Diagnostic Assessment: This is a formal assessment of ADHD symptoms where we discuss inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and we score the outcome. Good times.

4. ‘Informants’: These are people who knew you in childhood and/or who know you well now (don’t worry, I’ll coach them so they don’t reveal that phase where you thought dressing like a Spice Girl was peak sophistication - symptoms of ADHD only here!).

5. Further Assessment: This is where we now dive into your history. We’re talking childhood, trauma, relationships, bereavements, run ins with the law, and struggles with work or studies.

6. Reviewing Collateral Information: So we want to know it ALL! Let’s have a look at your school reports, relevant medical records, your performance reviews at work - maybe not those text messages from your ex though!

7. Computer Based Tasks: Brace yourself for 20 minutes of a computer based task that feels like trying to concentrate while someone eats crisps loudly in your ear. I don’t think I’m exaggerating, I hated every second of mine!

“There’s a common misconception that ADHD assessments have to be completed by a Doctor, which isn’t actually the case.”

After all that, we bring it all together, analyse everything, make a diagnosis (if appropriate), and come up with some recommendations such as therapy, coaching or medication.

There’s a common misconception that ADHD assessments have to be completed by a Doctor, which isn’t actually the case. If you want to get nerdy (I will at every opportunity!!) then check out the NICE Guidelines where it states that the person has to be ‘an appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD’ 🤓

Within my clinic, discussions are made between a Psychotherapist (🙋🏻‍♀️), Psychiatrist and Psychologist, and usually take around ten hours of time with the client and their informants. Look out for clinics which have Multi Disciplinary Team discussions and spend more than ninety minutes with their client #shadeintended. 

Why Is It Worth the Investment?

So, you’re probably asking, “But is all this really necessary? Can’t I just Google it and call it a day?” Well, sure, you could do that, but here’s why an assessment is worth it:

• Clarify what’s really going on: Is it ADHD, anxiety, or just a result of juggling 10 things at once? An assessment clears up the confusion.

• Find the right solutions: ADHD treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. Getting an official diagnosis means we can create a plan that’s tailored to you and not just some generic “fix” or fad that only works for half the people.

• Stop the cycle of feeling “broken”: The number one thing I hear from women with ADHD is that they feel like they’re failing at life. You are NOT lazy, stupid or useless. ADHD is just a quirky brain wiring, and an assessment helps you understand why things are harder – and what you can do about it.

Finally, you can learn how to manage your ADHD a bit better. Whether it’s with therapy, medication, or simply learning how to work with your brain instead of against it, understanding your ADHD can be life-changing.

So, if you’ve been wondering if this could be the missing piece of your self-discovery puzzle, book that assessment! You’ve got nothing to lose (except maybe your keys… again).

Want to learn more? Book a discovery call? Arrange an assessment? Organise some specialist Therapy or Coaching sessions? 

Stay up to date on our socials @chilternadhdclinic or visit our website www.chilternadhdclinic.co.uk 

Reach out to us anytime - I’ll be the one staring off into space while trying to remember what I was going to say ✨

Written by Jennie Canty

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Chiltern ADHD Clinic offers in-person appointments at their clinic in Milton Keynes and virtual appointments for those living further afield. They offer access to affordable ADHD support and treatment to those with ADHD.

This article is part of our Wellness Budget campaign, sharing different ways that the City Girl Network audience can spend their money, time and energy on improving their health and wellbeing.