What to expect from a private adult ADHD assessment: What questions are asked?

Attending an ADHD assessment as an adult is a big deal. Many people have gone through their lives sensing that something was different about the way they focus, process and do things, and many have had this pointed out, labelled or judged by others. It may have caused various issues in school, work, relationships and at home. At Unlock Psychology, we recognise that attending an assessment to talk this through is a big step.

In this blog, we look at what to expect when you attend an ADHD assessment, and what will be involved.

What questions are asked in an adult ADHD assessment?

An adult ADHD assessment, whether it happens in the NHS or a privately funded service, should follow what are called the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (see here). These are clinical guidelines that recommend best practice. An ADHD assessment that follows NICE guidelines should last around 3 hours in total, and should include:

• A full diagnostic interview, where all of the signs of ADHD are explored in detail throughout your life, including how they have impacted you

• Your mental health and physical health throughout your life

• Your early development, from the pregnancy, birth, early years and development since then

• Include an informant wherever possible, ideally who knew you as a child to talk about your early development and signs of ADHD, and/or someone who knows you now as an adult

• Validated questionnaires, some filled in by you, and others by an informant

During your ADHD assessment, you will be asked a series of questions relating to your symptoms and signs of ADHD, following a gold standard diagnostic interview tool. A question focusing on inattentive symptoms may be ‘Do you often have difficulty organising tasks and activities?’, and a question focusing on hyperactivity and impulsivity may be ‘Do you often feel restless’. You will be asked to recount prevalence and examples of these in both your current life and in childhood. It does require a lot of remembering.

Flow Chart of the ADHD Assessment Process

Where can I get an adult ADHD assessment in Warwickshire?

From May 2025, Coventry and Warwickshire NHS with the Integrated Care Board (who decide which services are paid for) have paused their funding for adults over 25 years old to obtain ADHD referrals under the NHS or Right to Choose (for more information, please read this BBC article), which may affect how you go about getting an assessment.

If you are under 25, you can speak to a GP and ask for a Right to Choose referral to proceed with your diagnosis (please see the ADHD-UK website here for more information). However, if you are over 25, there are a few options available for you to be assessed for ADHD:

• If you have a job, you may be able to get an assessment under your work’s insurance policy, or under occupational health. We recommend you speak with your manager or HR to enquire about whether this is something that the company provides. Alternatively, after speaking with them, they may be able to provide you with occupational adjustments without a formal diagnosis, to help you manage your workload with your symptoms.

  
  

• If you are in education, student support services can often assist with managing your ADHD symptoms through providing counselling, academic adjustments (such as getting extra time in assignments and exams), and they may even help with screening you for ADHD.

  
  

• If you wish to receive a formal diagnosis, you can also seek a private clinical psychology service such as Unlock Psychology. This will also reduce the wait time for your assessment and potential diagnosis. Make sure your provider follows NICE guidelines and is a registered clinical psychologist, medical doctor or similar.

How do I book a private adult ADHD assessment?

If you are an adult seeking an ADHD assessment, we offer a free 20-minute initial consultation with a clinical psychologist to discuss your suitability for an assessment. If this is something you are interested in, you can book that here.

If you are still unsure about getting a full assessment, we also offer an optional 1-hour screening consultation where you can talk with a clinical psychologist about your symptoms and signs and fill out all of the questionnaires to gain their professional advice regarding whether or not you should proceed with the full assessment. This will cost £150; however, it will be deducted from the total if you go ahead with the full assessment.

The full assessment costs £950 and can be requested by filling out this form or emailing us at info@unlockpsychology.co.uk today. Our waiting list is around 2-4 weeks for this.