ADHD Assessment

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects a person's behaviour and cognitive function. Adolescents and adults with ADHD often experience difficulties with the  following:

Inattention – difficulty sustaining attention, easily distracted, often forgetful. They may find it hard to organise themselves, plan effectively, finish tasks and are prone to procrastination.

Impulsivity – interrupts others, acts without thinking. People with impulsive type ADHD may find social interactions challenging, and may be known as people who intrude into situations without realising that they are interrupting others.  They may struggle to manage money, stick to jobs or relationships and find that maintaining friendships can be challenging. Waiting in queues, sitting in traffic is often maddening for them. 

Hyperactivity – restless, seems overly active, often fidgets. 

These symptoms often affect many aspects of a person's life, sometimes causing difficulties in social relationships, self-esteem and academic and job performance. If a person with ADHD doesn't receive  appropriate help in managing their symptoms, they are placed at a higher risk of risky behaviours, depression, anxiety, and relationship and occupational problems. As a result, it’s important to identify and treat ADHD as early as possible.

How is ADHD diagnosed?

At The Psych Edit, our Psychologists conduct structured clinical interviews that are tailored to the client's age and presentation.

For adults, we use the DIVA-5, which stands for Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults version 5. It’s based on the DSM-5 (TR) and looks at how ADHD symptoms have presented across both childhood and adulthood, including areas like attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The assessment also includes mental health screening tools to better understand the full picture. For adults, we also use the DASS-42, that’s the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales, a self-report questionnaire that helps measure levels of emotional distress.

For children and adolescents, we use the Young DIVA, which is a developmentally appropriate version of the DIVA-5. It helps gather information from both the child and the caregiver about how symptoms show up at home, school, and in social settings.  The assessment also includes mental health screening tools to better understand the full picture. For children and adolescents, we use the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS), which is a questionnaire that screens for symptoms related to anxiety and depression in young people.

These assessments are our preferred choice for ADHD assessment due to their evidence-based foundation, ensuring a rigorous and reliable evaluation process supported by scientific research, leading to more accurate diagnoses and effective treatment strategies. 

It may be useful to have a parent or partner present to ascertain the extent of the symptoms and when they have impacted a person across their life span, especially with regard to presentation during childhood. Our ADHD assessment process involves the following steps:

1. Initial Consultation: Conducted with parents or caregivers to gather background information (for child clients). Note that an initial consultation is not compulsory but strongly recommended for all clients, as it provides important contextual information for our psychologists to understand how ADHD symptoms may be impacting all domains of their lives. It comes at an additional cost of $275, which is Medicare-subsidised.
2. Functional Assessment: Conducted individually with the client. The assessment duration is typically 1-2 hours. 
3. Results Interpretation and Report Preparation: Please allow 2 weeks following the assessment. Kindly note that any additional reports, such as school reports with recommended adjustments, can be provided for an additional cost of $150. 

Once reporting has been provided to the client and psychiatrist, where appropriate, clients are welcome to book in additional sessions with the psychologist. 

Our Psychologist Cassandra Tallon offers assessments for clients aged 8+.

*Kindly be aware that The Psych Edit provides ADHD assessments specifically designed for fully verbal clients.