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ADHD Services for Children
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can affect each child differently. The right diagnosis means your family can move forward with confidence, knowing your child can access the expert support they need to thrive.
With you at every step
How an ADHD assessment works
To be able to help your child in the most positive way, you first need to fully understand their neurodevelopmental makeup and needs. Our specialist team will conduct a thorough, expert assessment to ascertain if your child does, or doesn’t have ADHD.
step 1
Screening
If you’re worried that your child may have ADHD, our free screening process will give clarity and insight. It will be carried out by our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist. If the results are indicative of ADHD, we’ll recommend a diagnostic assessment to give a definitive answer.
step 2
Information Gathering - School/pre-school report
We ask your child’s school to fill in a report form and an online screening questionnaire, so we can understand their behaviour in different social settings. It helps our clinical team with their assessment and to understand your child’s strengths and needs better. If your child is home-schooled, don’t worry, this won’t affect the assessment and we will ask for a report from another suitable professional or someone who knows your child well, outside of the home.
step 3
Diagnostic Assessment
The diagnostic assessment is carried out by either a clinical psychologist, consultant paediatrician or consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, who are experts in identifying ADHD in children and young people. Where indicated, we will triage your referral in order to determine the most appropriate professional for you. During the assessment, the clinician will ask you and your child some questions about their strengths, needs, likes, and dislikes as well as their development, including information around key milestones in their early years. During the course of the appointment, the expert will also be discreetly observing your child’s mannerisms and behaviours. They will bring all the information gathered during the screening and questionnaire stages and the clinical interview together and assess this against the DSM-5 criteria to determine if a diagnosis is clinically appropriate or not. The outcome will be presented to you, along with recommendations on further support and/or treatment for your child immediately after the assessment is complete.
step 4
Diagnostic Report
Working closely together, our team will produce a comprehensive report giving a full breakdown of the assessment. The outcome will be clear and easy to understand and include our recommendations for further support and adjustments for both home and school. As our assessments are fully NICE compliant, you will have peace of mind, knowing that our diagnostic reports and outcomes are fully accepted by both the NHS and education systems.
step 5
Treatment / Support
If the results of the assessment indicate that your child has ADHD, we will go through all the relevant support options with you. This usually looks like a ‘menu’ of possibilities (including medical, behavioural and psychological) and we’ll help you select those you feel would work best for your child. If you choose to opt for medication to treat your child’s symptoms, a specialist prescriber will assess their suitability for treatment, carry out some routine tests and if appropriate, initiate a treatment plan for your child. After the first prescription, your child will need to attend regular reviews with your prescriber. They will monitor the efficacy of the medication and any side effects your child might have. When you, your child and their clinician feel that the treatment is working and a stable dose has been reached, we will make a referral to your local NHS ADHD service or GP, who will take over the management of the prescriptions and routine monitoring.
Understanding ADHD
Cherishing unique minds
Neurodiversity is part of being human; a fact of life for many millions of children and adults alike. And having a neurodevelopmental (ND) condition doesn’t mean you have a disease that needs to be cured, but that your neurological functions are organised differently to people who are neurotypical. It’s your unique mind.
However, neurodevelopmental differences can cause great distress when not recognised or understood. Once fully assessed and diagnosed, we can offer advice, support and treatment to help individuals move forward with positivity, peace and productivity.
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ADHD Signs
Your child may be experiencing…
Although there are many things that children with ADHD share, every child’s brain is unique, so ADHD can be experienced in different ways.
Challenging Behaviours
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Challenging Behaviours
Children with ADHD can be very tricky to manage as they are not always able to respond to your requests and direction. Due to their impulsivity and high levels of activation, they might find it difficult to listen, stay on task or sit still. This can be very stressful, especially with the pace of life and competing demands from family, school and work. Families can get stuck in unhelpful cycles, where parents become frustrated with their children and children act-up more as they can’t always do want is wanted.
Difficulties with friends
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Difficulties with friends
Social relationships at school can also suffer due to ADHD. Children can be unintentionally bossy or directive with their friends – their impulsivity and hyper-focus make it difficult to maintain positive relationships. Girls with ADHD might show their traits differently and have more internalised difficulties. They may also struggle with their self-esteem.
Difficulties at School
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Difficulties at School
Children with ADHD can find it hard to reach their potential and often feel ‘told off’ more than their peers due to their difficulty in sticking to the rules. ADHD has nothing to do with how clever a child is but when a child can’t concentrate long enough to solve a problem, they won’t be able to show their true potential.
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Testimonials
Some words from our patients
To give you an idea of how we work and how we might help you.
I was made to feel at ease straight away
The doctor was very patient and understanding and I was treated with the utmost respect. I came away feeling well informed and I have a plan moving forward for my condition.
Fantastic clinic. I would highly recommend.
I chose to go here to get diagnosed with autism privately. Sadly I have been let down by the NHS since my childhood in the 1980’s and I decided I had to go private, but I would say it was worth every penny and the long drive from my home. Lovely professional staff. Thank you.
Thank you once again for all of your help Psicon!
An outstanding company. Are always willing to help on the phone with any questions, concerns or problems. I would recommend them to anyone.
Quick efficient service.
I could not have been happier with timescales, responses and communication.
The centre is a lovely welcoming place and the professionals put my highly anxious son at ease.
We went to the children's centre to get my son aged 17, a private Autism assessment. From the start the staff were informative and helpful. The centre is a lovely welcoming place and the professionals put my highly anxious son at ease. In fact he even asked when we were going back! After negative experiences with the NHS and school, my son felt that he could finally access support that was right for him. Thank you 😊
Would highly recommend Psicon for any assessments
Absolutely amazing with my son, very easy to talk to and my son loved interacting with the staff.
I would recommend this service to anyone that I know.
I attended the practice in June of 2022. The practice had such welcoming and kind staff members. This really eased any anxieties I had about going to the practice, and set a very calming atmosphere.
Excellent communication and explanation throughout the assessments.
All staff seemed very knowledge, were prompt and courteous and we were given a conclusion by the end of the assessment
From the minute we arrived staff were welcoming and professional.
From the minute we arrived staff were welcoming and professional. Thank you for listening and helping my son to be as comfortable as possible. You were so attentive to his ways and the consultant, speech and language therapist had extensive knowledge and were able to pick up on things I wasn’t even aware of. The support throughout was amazing, everything was explained in detail and I would definitely recommend Psicon to others. Thank you again.
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable
All practitioners were friendly, understanding and really knowledgeable and informative about autism, but also girls and autism. They managed to put my anxious daughter at ease. They listened carefully, and were responsive to what we were saying. They also gave helpful suggestions to think about with the school and within the family.
They treated me like I was a person
They treated me like I was a person and demonstrated they treat each individual on a case to case base using treatments tailored to the individuals needs. They listened without judgement offering to treat individuals with complex needs.
Exceptional service.
The sessions were well organised. The psychologist was outstanding and it was like they knew me after just a couple of sessions. I would 100% recommend this service. I feel so much better and am going forward with several tools to keep me mentally healthy. I cannot recommend this service enough.
As a parent, it gave me the reassurance that my daughter will grow up knowing how her mind works
My daughter came out of her ADHD assessment feeling very positive about herself and empowered. As a parent, it gave me the reassurance that my daughter will grow up knowing how her mind works and what she needs to put in place to help herself along the way. We are very grateful to have been given such high quality care.
All staff are trained immaculately!
All staff are trained immaculately! Very kind, very helpful. Just wonderful. I could not have asked for a better service!
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Frequently Asked Questions
We're here to answer your questions
Taking the first steps to understanding why your child feels different, unhappy, or is struggling takes courage. We’re here to help you make sure you find the right support for your child and your family.
See all our FAQs
What is involved in the medical treatment of ADHD?
We can provide treatment for ADHD in the form of medication for children who have been diagnosed and are deemed suitable for treatment. If you choose to opt for medication to treat your child’s symptoms, a specialist prescriber will assess their suitability for treatment, carry out some routine tests and if appropriate, initiate a treatment plan for your child. After the first prescription, your child will need to attend regular reviews with your prescriber. They will monitor the efficacy of the medication and any side effects your child might have. When you, your child and their clinician feel that the treatment is working and a stable dose has been reached, we will make a referral to your local NHS ADHD service or GP, who will take over the management of the prescriptions and routine monitoring.
What happens if my child is not diagnosed?
If your child does not receive a diagnosis, this does not mean there isn't a problem. ADHD can present like many other conditions and part of the assessment is ensuring that we can evidence that the traits we see are neurodevelopmental. A child’s experiences can influence how they operate and sometimes this can look like ADHD. It is important to establish the cause of the difficulties so that the best support and understanding can be offered. If a child’s presentation is better understood by behavioural or psychological factors, the approach would be very different than if they have ADHD.
My child's school doesn't have any concerns; how will this affect the assessment?
We always take the school’s observations into account, as this is an integral part of the assessment. To diagnose ADHD, it must be clear in multiple environments. As school is very structured, it is often a great place to be able to see it. However, if school does not report any observations of ADHD traits, it does not mean there will be no diagnosis, as there can be other reasons for this. Not all children present with clearly with ‘classic’ observable signs of ADHD – particularly females. Children with ADHD can concentrate extremely well if they are working on a task that is exciting or interests them and not all children show their hyperactivity by moving and fidgeting. Just as it’s true that not all children who fidget and are distractable have ADHD. It’s our job to look deeper and see what might be expected and what might be ADHD.
What if the assessing clinicians don't see what I see (masking)?
Having assessed thousands of children for ADHD, we are used to seeing it present in many different ways. Our assessments are designed to take masking and camouflaging into account – especially with girls. Our team are very well trained in understanding this area and our assessment includes information gathered from both home and school, as well as data captured from what’s called a QB check. A QB check is an online test created by experts in the field to objectively compare the reactions of your child against key ADHD symptoms, the results of which are compiled in a report which is used by the clinician to inform the diagnostic assessment.
Will my child's diagnosis be accepted by the NHS/school?
Our assessments fully comply with NICE guidelines, and we use the highest quality and well-regarded clinical model within our service. Importantly, your child will be seen by a doctor (paediatrician or psychiatrist) as part of the assessment, which isn't always the case with private assessments. We are also a trusted NHS provider and often support different NHS Trusts and ICBs with waiting lists. This means a diagnosis made by our service should be accepted the NHS and schools/colleges.
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We're with you at every step
Everyone’s mind is unique. Many of us are neurodiverse. And while the neurological differences that make us individuals can bring challenges, we believe that with understanding, empathy and expert support, everyone can thrive.