Realising you may have ADHD can be a real lightbulb moment; it may help you start to make more sense of your past and present experiences with the world around you. But transitioning to the next stage - seeking an official assessment - can feel daunting when you don't know what to expect.
We’ve created this simple but thorough guide to Right to Choose ADHD assessments at ProblemShared to help you understand what our processes look like.
What to expect during your ADHD assessment with ProblemShared
Firstly, you’ll need to contact your GP and ask to be referred to us for an ADHD assessment under the NHS' Right to Choose scheme. We’ve written a separate guide on how to approach this conversation with your GP if you’d like to know more.
After being referred to our service by your GP, getting an ADHD assessment with ProblemShared is simple. Here are the steps you can expect to take on your assessment journey:
- Pre-Assessment Questionnaires
You will receive an email confirming that your referral to our service has been accepted, and asking you to complete some pre-assessment forms.
To be completed by you:
- A Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS-S)
- A self-report questionnaire
- A physical health questionnaire
To be completed by your informant:
- Informant Questionnaire
Please note that you need to download the Informant Questionnaire from your client dashboard and send it to your informant to complete. When they are finished, they can send it back to you to re-upload onto your client dashboard with the rest of your pre-assessment forms.
An informant is someone who has known you since early childhood, like a parent or carer. We've created an article to help you understand how to choose the best informant for your ADHD assessment.
- Assessment date given
Once both your pre-assessment questionnaire and informant questionnaire have been completed and returned to us, you will receive another email with the date and time of your ADHD assessment.
- Assessment occurs
Your assessment will take place via our secure video conferencing platform and will last up to 2 hours. When you join your online assessment call, you will be joined by one or two qualified practitioners, who will introduce themselves and their professional standing.
If you are joined by two registered professionals, don't worry - this is a normal part of the process.
Both assessors will be involved in your diagnosis, although during the session, one will act as the primary assessor and will lead the conversation. You will be asked at the beginning of the meeting if you are comfortable with this process, or whether you have any questions before the assessment begins.
We aim to give you the outcome of your ADHD assessment on the same day.
- Report
A full report of your ADHD assessment will be sent to you via email 4-6 weeks after your assessment.
How to prepare for your ADHD assessment with ProblemShared
Seeking a formal assessment can be a daunting process. However, ensuring you are well-prepared for your ADHD assessment can help ease some of the anxiety surrounding it.
Here are some tips on how to best prepare for your assessment with ProblemShared:
1. Do some research. Before embarking on an ADHD assessment journey, you could take some time to familiarise yourself with the common traits and behaviours associated with ADHD, to gain a better understanding of the condition.
2. Gather relevant information. Before your assessment, you could gather any previous evaluations or reports related to your symptoms or academic performance to support your assessment. This isn’t crucial, but it could provide valuable insights for our clinical team.
3. Keep a symptom log. Track the way that your ADHD shows up in your daily life leading up to the assessment, noting its intensity and impact. This record will give our clinicians a clearer picture of your experiences.
4. Prepare some questions. Write down any questions or concerns you have about ADHD or the assessment process beforehand so that you can ask your clinician when the time comes.
5. Be open and honest. During the assessment, be candid about your experiences without second-guessing yourself or trying to present yourself in a certain way - this will help to ensure an accurate diagnosis. Remember that it’s not a test – you can’t “fail”.
Ongoing care and support for clients who are diagnosed with ADHD
If you receive an ADHD diagnosis following your assessment with us, we offer a range of ongoing support options to our clients. We can prescribe stimulant and non-stimulant ADHD medication where appropriate, and provide psychoeducation sessions where you can learn more about your diagnosis with our team of expert clinicians.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about the NHS Right to Choose scheme, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the Resources section of our website, or explore our FAQs.
