ADHD
ADHD can impact your work, study and everyday life. Getting a diagnosis or support through a needs assessment can help to understand yourself, validate your experiences and excel in everyday life. Discover how an ADHD assessment with Aim Forward could help you.
Diagnostic assessments
Our diagnostic assessments can tell you if you have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD.
We can offer remote video assessments or in-person appointments in Yorkshire.
Needs assessments
If you think or know you have ADHD, our one-to-one online needs assessments aim to understand how you currently learn and work. We’ll then create personalised strategies and recommend assistive technologies that will help you excel.
What is ADHD?
ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, though many people across research, healthcare and the general population now prefer not to call it a disorder. In medical terms, ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition. This means that it first appears while the brain is still developing, either before birth or during early childhood. In the past, the stereotype of ADHD was a hyperactive young boy who can’t focus or sit still. Recent research and accounts from adults with ADHD have highlighted that not all ADHD is hyperactive. Women and girls are also much more likely to have ADHD than we used to think.
Common traits of ADHD
Like many neurodevelopmental conditions (which include autism and dyslexia), ADHD is complex and influenced by many factors including our genes, our environment and our childhood experiences. This means that ADHD can look different for different people, but there are some things that many people with ADHD commonly find they have difficulty with:
- Focusing on certain tasks for extended periods of time
- Finishing the details in work or homework
- Frequently making mistakes and missing them in review
- Forgetting important events or appointments
- Staying committed to projects or hobbies
- Finding themselves easily distracted
How is ADHD treated?
In the UK, the most common treatments for ADHD used by the NHS are medication and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It’s important to note that medication for ADHD can only be accessed after a medical diagnosis, which can only be provided by a psychiatrist, paediatrician or otherwise qualified healthcare professional who specialises in ADHD (according to the NICE guidelines).
ADHD medication
ADHD medication is split into stimulants and non-stimulants:
- Stimulants prescribed for ADHD in the UK are the most commonly prescribed medications for ADHD in both children or adults.
- Non-stimulants prescribed for ADHD in the UK are prescribed when people with ADHD have another health condition that makes it high-risk or difficult to take stimulant medication, such as heart conditions or anxiety disorders.
A common misunderstanding about ADHD is that people with ADHD are too stimulated (hyperactive), so it sounds strange to prescribe stimulants. In reality, ADHD can actually be thought of as a lack of stimulation in the brain when thinking about or completing certain tasks or during social functioning.
ADHD medication mainly works by increasing levels of two chemicals that naturally occur in the brain – dopamine and noradrenaline. By increasing the levels of these chemicals, also known as neurotransmitters, tasks and social functioning that require attention, focus and decision-making can feel less challenging and consuming for people with ADHD.
CBT is a type of counselling designed to help people identify and manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviours and how they interact with each other. In CBT for ADHD, there are specific focuses on:
- Education about what ADHD is and how it can impact everyday life
- Organising and planning
- Coping with distractibility
- Adaptive thinking
Although CBT for ADHD looks different to CBT for conditions like depression or anxiety, it still aims to help people with ADHD better understand their brains and develop strategies that support their wellbeing and day-to-day functioning.
Coaching is another technique that some people with ADHD find helpful, for understanding how they learn and work best and sticking to strategies that make everyday life feel more manageable and move them towards their overall goals. After a ADHD assessment with Aim Forward, your assessor can become your coach. They can work with you to put your personalised strategies in place, refine them and make them lasting habits, as well as building your confidence and celebrating your wins.
ADHD diagnosis
How is ADHD diagnosed?
In the UK, a medical ADHD diagnosis can only be provided by a psychiatrist, paediatrician or otherwise qualified healthcare professional who specialises in ADHD (according to the NICE guidelines). One of the reasons for this is that most ADHD medications are controlled drugs in the UK, and patients being prescribed them need to be monitored very closely for negative effects on their health, as well as signs of misuse or addiction.
ADHD Assessment with Aim Forward
At Aim Forward, our qualified assessors are able to provide a diagnosis of specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD for adults and young people aged 16 or over. This is different to a medical diagnosis and does not provide access to medication, but it can give you valuable insight into how those traits of ADHD impact the way you learn and work and the type of strategies that could help you be more productive to reach your goals. This diagnosis is also recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, enabling you to access reasonable adjustments in work or study, and government support schemes such as Access to Work and Disabled Students’ Allowance.
Understanding how you work best and having personalised strategies to support you can have a lasting, positive impact on how you experience life day-to-day and achieve your goals
What are the benefits of an ADHD diagnosis?
Identifying yourself as being neurodivergent does not require a diagnosis and is supported by many in the neurodivergent community. Having said this, some people feel that they would benefit from having specific terms for their experiences and access to specific treatment options. A diagnosis can also make it easier to discuss reasonable adjustments at work or personal learning plans at school or university. This is because it is recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. It can also give you access to government support schemes such as Access to Work and Disabled Students’ Allowance.
What is a diagnostic assessment for ADHD?
A diagnostic assessment for specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) is a formal assessment of an adult or young person aged 16 or over, who thinks they may have an SpLD, by a qualified assessor who is trained to identify SpLDs. At Aim Forward, all our diagnostic assessments are performed by either educational psychologists who are registered with HCPC or specialist assessors with an Assessment Practicing Certificate.
Everyone who has a diagnostic assessment with us completes a background questionnaire first. During a diagnostic assessment, the assessor will talk with you about your background, but they will also ask you to complete tasks to assess your strengths and weaknesses in different areas.
While you may have contacted us about signs of ADHD, the tasks your assessor asks you to complete may also check for signs of other SpLDs, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, if any of the traits have been identified from your background information. This is because it is common for people to display characteristics of more than one SpLD.
How long does a diagnostic assessment for ADHD take?
A diagnostic assessment for specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD can take up to 3 hours, but we offer breaks as often as you need them. Our assessors will ask you to complete multiple tasks during the assessment, as well as talking with you, which is why it can take some time. These tasks are designed to test your strengths and weaknesses in different abilities, such as:
- Language and practical tasks
- Memory
- How long it takes you to process information
- Reading ability
- Writing and spelling skills
What is the difference between a screener, a diagnostic assessment and a medical diagnosis for ADHD?
A screener is a checklist or questionnaire that you complete yourself, usually online, which is designed to indicate whether personal difficulties or traits may be the result of a condition like ADHD. The results do not form a diagnosis, they are only indicative. There are many different types of screening tests, and they can be a useful place to start when you are in the early stages of exploring your neurodivergence, but they cannot give you a diagnosis. They only offer limited insight into your experiences, and they are not always considered accurate.
A diagnostic assessment can be provided by a qualified assessor, who is either an educational psychologist registered with the HCPC or a specialist teacher with an Assessment Practicing Certificate. If you are an adult or young person aged 16 or over, a diagnosis of specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD can provide you with more insight about ADHD, your cognitive profile, and how your traits impact the way you learn and work in everyday life. It may also identify traits of other SpLDs such as dyslexia or dyspraxia if they are present in your cognitive profile as well.
A medical diagnosis can only be provided by a psychiatrist, paediatrician or otherwise qualified healthcare professional who specialises in ADHD (according to the NICE guidelines). Medical ADHD diagnosis in the UK is the only way to access medication for ADHD, which can be highly effective for reducing the negative effects of symptoms, but is not suitable for or wanted by everyone with ADHD. Medical ADHD diagnosis can also provide access to specialised therapy for ADHD through the NHS, but this can also be available to people without a diagnosis if you pay privately.
At Aim Forward we provide diagnostic assessments, but we do not provide medical diagnosis for ADHD.
What is the benefit of a diagnostic assessment for ADHD?
Although you don’t need a diagnosis to accept and start embracing your neurodivergence, some people feel they benefit from being able to associate specific terms to their experiences. A diagnostic assessment can help identify the strengths and weaknesses you experience as a result of your ADHD and how your traits impact the way you learn and work in everyday life. A diagnosis of specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD is also recognised under the Equality Act 2010 and can help with getting reasonable adjustments at work or personal learning plan at school or university, as well as making you eligible for government support schemes such as for Access to Work or Disabled Students’ Allowance.
What happens after the ADHD assessment?
Around 10 working days after a diagnostic assessment for a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD with Aim Forward, you will receive a personalised report which contains:
- Summary of the report
- Diagnostic decision
- Your cognitive profile
- Your strengths and weaknesses
- Recommended sources of additional information or support
If you have any questions after you receive and read through your report, our Support team is always on hand to help.
How much does a diagnostic assessment for ADHD cost?
A diagnostic assessment for specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD costs £820 (inc VAT)
Does Aim Forward offer child and adult ADHD assessments?
Aim Forward can offer diagnostic assessments for specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD for both adults and young people aged 16 and over. This is the age group we are most confident that we can help with our experience and expertise. This is also where we see the greatest barriers to insight and support due to the current backlogs in NHS mental health care, especially where people have not had their ADHD traits identified when they were much younger.
How do you test for ADHD in adults and young people aged 16 and over?
During a diagnostic assessment with Aim Forward, you will be asked to complete several tasks. These are not pass or fail tests – they are designed to highlight indicators of a specific learning difficulty (SpLD), your cognitive profile, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. The following areas will be explored:
- Language and practical tasks
- Memory
- How long it takes you to process information
- Reading ability
- Writing and spelling skills
The diagnostic assessment also involves a background information questionnaire, which you complete before the diagnostic assessment. This provides the assessor with information about your educational background, medical history and any previous assessments.
The diagnostic assessment for specific learning difficulty (SpLD) with traits of ADHD will be provided by a qualified assessor, who is either an educational psychologist registered with the HCPC or a specialist assessor.
What is it like having an assessment for ADHD with Aim Forward?
You can read a a personal perspective on what it’s like to work with us from one of our clients here.
ADHD support
What other types of support are available for ADHD?
Whether you choose to pursue a diagnosis of ADHD or not, you can gain insight into your neurodivergence with Aim Forward through a needs assessment. In a needs assessment, you will work with an experienced assessor to understand how your ADHD is impacting your work, study and everyday life. Together you will create personalised strategies and practical solutions to help you learn and work your way, whatever life looks like: freelancing, employment, studying A-levels or GCSEs, at college or university.
Many people come to us thinking they want a diagnosis, but often what makes the biggest difference to their everyday lives are personalised solutions and strategies that they can put into action.
Choosing whether or not to pursue a diagnosis is a personal choice. But if you want to find solutions to shape your future, our ADHD assessment is a great place to start. We created our needs assessments based on 10+ years of experience in neurodivergence and mental health conditions. We work with you to create personalised strategies that focus on how your ADHD is impacting you, and what you can do differently to excel in your work, studies and everyday life.
The needs assessment is personalised to you, but it could cover areas like:
- Reading and research – how well can you temporarily hold and manipulate information in your mind to interpret and summarise what you find for work or studying?
- Writing and composition – how well can you plan and structure your writing or presentations?
- Meetings, presentations and note-taking – how easy do you find it to stay focused and keep track of what’s happening in meetings or presentations?
- Time management and organisation – how easy do you find it to plan ahead, switch between tasks and keep track of the time?
- Revision and exam preparation – how well can you hold and retain information for future use, particularly if you lack interest in the subject?
- Environment – how easy do you find starting work or staying focused in cluttered or distracting environments?
- Wellbeing – how does your ADHD impact your energy levels, mood and self-esteem?
- Potential reasonable adjustments – what changes to the way you work or learn, like having your tasks prioritised, would help you in your day-to-day activities?
It also explores assistive technologies that might support you day-to-day, like:
- Wellbeing and mental health software or apps – helping maintain structure or routine in a busy daily schedule
- Text to speech software – reading content as you hear it spoken to you can help process and retain information
- Speech to text software – letting your ideas flow into words on a page, without worrying about typing or spelling
- Mind mapping software – capturing your ideas quickly, while the software structures documents for you in programmes like Word or Powerpoint to avoid “blank page fear” and procrastination
- Spell checking software – less time worrying about red lines and more time on content with sophisticated spell checks
- Grammar checkers – focusing on your content, while the software ensures consistency and professionalism in the text
- Note-taking software and apps – reducing the impact of inattention or distractions in meetings with automatic note-taking
After your needs assessment, Aim Forward can provide coaching with your assessor to support you in building lasting habits, helping you to adapt and refine your strategies based on what works for you day-to-day.
The ultimate aim of our diagnostic and needs assessments is to provide solutions to shape your future, empowering you with confidence in and knowledge about your neurodivergence so that you can excel in everyday life.
What are the benefits of a needs assessment for ADHD?
Understanding how you work best and having personalised strategies to support you can have a lasting, positive impact on how you experience life day-to-day and achieving your goals. Our one-to-one online needs assessments aim to understand how you currently learn and work, then create personalised strategies and recommend assistive technologies that will help you excel.
For over 10+ years we have seen needs assessments transform the way people with ADHD can excel in their studies, work and everyday life, and clients have reported increased:
- Wellbeing
- Productivity
- Career opportunities
- Grades
Our needs assessors hold a variety of disability-specific qualifications, alongside decades of experience working with neurodivergence, mental health conditions and other disabilities including lived experience. This puts us in a unique position to provide needs assessments that recognise co-occurring conditions (where you experience more than one condition at the same time). Over 20% of our needs assessment clients have two or more formally diagnosed conditions, but many more experience undiagnosed traits or symptoms. For example, you may have a diagnosis of ADHD, but also be experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our needs assessments focus solely on you and your unique needs.
How much does a needs assessment cost?
A needs assessment with one of our assessors costs £600 (including VAT). This cost includes your personalised report. Your report will highlight personalised strategies for working and learning your way, as well as any assistive technology recommendations your assessor has discussed with you in the assessment.
What is it like having an assessment for ADHD with Aim Forward?
If you would like a personal perspective on what it’s like to work with us, one of our clients kindly agreed to share their experience: you can read it right here.
FAQs
Have more questions? Ready to start shaping your future? Our friendly Support team is here to help you.
My needs assessment was the first time I felt really heard or listened to about my ADHD. My assessor was friendly, understanding, and validated my feelings. They were an expert in linking my difficulties to new strategies that can help achieve my goals at work and life.
How do I know if I have ADHD?
Contact us for a diagnostic assessment here.
What support do you offer for ADHD?
Whether you choose to get a diagnosis of ADHD or not, we know that understanding how it impacts you, how you work best and having personalised strategies to support you can have a lasting, positive impact on how you experience life day-to-day and achieving your goals.
We also know that ADHD can often occur alongside other neurodivergent or mental health conditions. Aim Forward can provide needs assessments where you will work with an experienced assessor to understand how your ADHD and anything else you might be experiencing impacts on your work, study and everyday life. Together you will create personalised strategies and practical solutions to help you learn and work your way, whatever life looks like: freelancing, employment, studying A-levels or GCSEs, at college or university.
Learn more about our diagnostic assessments by clicking here needs assessments by clicking here and follow-on coaching here.
What are reasonable adjustments for ADHD?
Contact us here to find out more about needs assessments. Needs assessments can look at potential reasonable adjustments for your ADHD in your work or studies.