ADHD and autism assessments in the UK
Waiting for an assessment? Here's what actually happens.
Plain-English guides to the ADHD and autism assessment journey, from wondering whether to ask to what comes after. Written for adults, parents and carers. No jargon, no clinic, nothing to buy.
Start where you are
Where are you right now?
I'm wondering whether to ask
What assessments are for, what the screening questionnaires can and can't tell you, and how to decide.
I've been referred, and I'm waiting
How referrals work, the Right to Choose in England, and what helps while you wait.
My assessment is coming up
The interviews, the questionnaires and the tools with odd names, and what the report looks like.
I've had the assessment
Medication and shared care, support that doesn't need a prescription, and what you're entitled to.
I'm asking for my child
The school's part, the records worth keeping, and support that doesn't wait for a diagnosis.
The guides
Five guides, in the order things happen.
Guide 1 of 5
Is it worth asking?
What an assessment is for, what the screening questionnaires can and can't tell you, and how to decide whether to ask.
Guide 2 of 5
Getting referred
The GP appointment, what to bring, how referrals and waiting lists work across the UK, and the Right to Choose in England.
Guide 3 of 5
What the assessment involves
What happens on the day, for ADHD and for autism: the interviews, the questionnaires, the tools with odd names, and what the report looks like.
Guide 4 of 5
After a diagnosis
Medication and titration for ADHD, shared care with your GP, support that doesn't need a prescription, and what you're entitled to at work and in study.
Guide 5 of 5
For parents and carers
How a child's assessment usually starts, the school's part, the records worth keeping, and the support that doesn't wait for a diagnosis.
The checklist
Thirty small things that make an assessment go better.
A readiness checklist you can tick through on your phone and print for the day. Ticks are saved on your device only; nothing is sent anywhere.
What this site is, and isn't
Clear about what this is.
Not a clinic.
This site can't refer, assess, diagnose, prescribe or book anything, and it isn't part of the NHS. If a page here makes you think you should ask for an assessment, your GP is the next step.
Checked against the guidance.
Each guide lists its sources: NHS pages, NICE guidelines, gov.uk and established charities. Every guide shows when it was last reviewed. If something is out of date, tell us and it gets fixed.
Written from the inside.
Built by someone who spent years inside an ADHD and autism assessment pathway, reading the referrals and seeing what made assessments go well, and badly.
Questions
Things people ask first.
Can I book an assessment here?
No. This is an information site. Assessments come through your GP, your local service or, in England, a provider you choose under the NHS Right to Choose. The referral guide explains each route.
Is the information up to date?
Each guide shows its last review date and its sources. Services, waits and medication supply change by area and by year, so always check with the service you've been referred to.
Does it cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Mostly. The assessment itself is similar across the UK because the clinical guidance is shared. Referral routes, waiting lists and some rights differ (Right to Choose is England only), and the guides say so where it matters.
Who's behind it?
Jordan Brookes, who worked inside an ADHD and autism assessment pathway and now builds websites. The About page has the honest version.
Start with the guide that matches where you are.
Ten minutes of reading now saves a lot of guessing later.