ADHD can significantly impact people in many different areas of their lives - whether at home, at work, or in their studies. Undiagnosed, it can lead to a great deal of frustration and difficult emotions. If you think you have ADHD, an assessment and diagnosis can provide you with a better understanding of yourself and help you to move forward with your life.
If you suspect that you could have ADHD, you may want to consider undergoing an assessment to find out for sure. Receiving a diagnosis of ADHD can help to understand and make sense of some of the things you might struggle with or find difficult.
At Turning Tides Psychology we aim to provide a high-quality, in-depth assessment quickly. We use gold-standard assessment measures and ensure our reports adhere to NICE guidelines for best practice. You will be assessed by two highly qualified, experienced Clinical Psychologists who have both received additional training in the assessment and diagnosis of ADHD.
Your assessment at Turning Tides will involve a few different steps:
You’ll speak briefly with one of our psychologists, and will be sent some questionnaires to complete to provide us with some more information about the difficulties you are experiencing.
Initial phone call -We will ask you to provide details of a friend or family member who knows you well (and preferably has known you since childhood) so we can ask them for further information about signs of ADHD they might have observed in you.
Information from family or friends -You will have two appointments with our psychologists. The first of these will last around an hour to 90 minutes and is an opportunity for us to find out more information about your developmental, psychiatric/medical history.
Initial appointment -This takes up to 2 hours and will be a more structured interview, focusing specifically on the signs and symptoms of ADHD and how these impact your day-to-day life.
Second appointment -You will have a feedback appointment where we can communicate the outcome of the assessment with you. During the feedback session, you are welcome to ask us any questions you have so we can provide a referral pathway to further support (e.g. medication).
Further to your final appointment a comprehensive report will be sent to you within 4 weeks.
Feedback appointment -At Turning Tides Psychology, we have many years experience of working with neurodiversity. Our combined experience, training and thorough assessment process mean that following diagnosis, you can go on to get the support that you need. Our specialist assessments are NHS standard, just without the long waiting time. Get in touch today and see how we can help you.
We charge a set fee of £1250 for an adult ADHD assessment. This covers all of the appointments mentioned in the above process, as well as the written report. The ADHD assessment itself is carried out by two clinical psychologists. We aim to turn the vast majority of assessments around within 4-6 weeks.
ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that presents symptoms such as difficulties with attention or focus, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. ADHD affects people of all ages. It is estimated in the UK around 3-4% of the adult population have ADHD, with the majority of people undiagnosed.
Signs and symptoms usually appear in childhood and can change or develop as people get older. Common signs of ADHD in adults often relate to problems with ‘executive functioning’, which involves self-regulatory processes and how people manage their thoughts and behaviours.
Examples of this include problems with prioritising tasks, being disorganised, finding it hard to maintain focus, being impulsive and struggling with emotional regulation. This can lead to job instability, risky impulsive behaviour, and poor self-esteem. Substance misuse commonly occurs with ADHD.
There are three main types of ADHD depending on the symptoms the person experiences which can present as mild, moderate or severe. They are:
For those with ADHD, symptoms like impairment in attention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity are severe and interfere with their daily lives. People with ADHD have difficulties in the following areas:
Inattention– Finding it hard to stay on task, procrastinating, struggling with managing their time and regularly forgetting or losing items.
Hyperactivity– Struggling to sit still and fidgeting. They may appear restless or very talkative.
Impulsivity– Acting without thinking and struggling to delay immediate gratification.
The exact cause of ADHD is still unknown but there are several risk factors. While these are not direct causes of ADHD, they are associated with an increased risk of the condition:
Genetics: ADHD is highly heritable and studies have found that the risk of ADHD for those who have a sibling with ADHD is 9 times greater than for those who do not.
Environmental factors: These include prenatal factors such as maternal stress in pregnancy, as well as factors such as premature birth or low birth weight.
ADHD is also more common in males than females. When females do have ADHD, they tend to show more symptoms of inattention than hyperactivity/impulsivity.
ADHD can be more difficult to spot in women as it can present differently, with females showing more signs of inattentiveness. Girls are more likely to mask behaviours like hyperactivity and impulsivity. Females’ symptoms may present in more socially acceptable ways, such as being talkative or appearing to be a ‘social butterfly’.
Females are often better at forming coping strategies to help manage their symptoms, such as doodling or playing with their hair. They may underachieve in school which can lead to problems with low self-esteem. As a result, they may begin to over-achieve, becoming a perfectionist.
Females are also more likely to internalise their symptoms which can cause problems with anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
People with ADHD can also be diagnosed with other conditions. These are called comorbidities and can manifest as anxiety, depression, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia and substance misuse. The exact relationship between ADHD and these conditions is currently unknown.
Common symptoms of ADHD are listed below under three categories:
Hyperactivity -
There are several treatment options for ADHD including medication and therapy. While medication can help with inattention, it does not help with factors such as disorganisation or poor time management. Coaching can help develop strategies to manage ADHD better. We can help you find the best treatment solution.
If you choose Turning Tides Psychology to complete your adult ADHD assessment, you will be assessed by two clinical psychologists. Both clinical psychologists who complete the assessment have specific additional training around ADHD.
All clinical psychologists are educated to the doctoral level. This means as a minimum they have completed a degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
At Turning Tides, our team of Psychologists are highly trained and have many years of experience working with common conditions like ADHD.
A psychologist will then be in touch to arrange a free 15-minute no-obligation call, where we can discuss your requirements in more detail and you can get a feel for whether Turning Tides is the right psychology practice for you.
If we’re not right for you, we’ll try and signpost you to somewhere that is.
Please note – Turning Tides is not a crisis service, and if you feel you need urgent support or are experiencing a mental health crisis then it is important that you contact your GP if they are available, or attend A&E.
