Assessments available from August 2025

Contact assessments@pmpsych.co.uk to arrange a complimentary 15 minute telephone call to discuss your requirements.

What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a life-long neurodevelopmental disorder which impacts upon an individual’s behaviour.

ADHD causes two key groups of symptoms:

Inattention

• Short attention span, jumping from one activity to another.
• Poor focus and concentration.
• Forgetfulness and losing things.
• Trouble initiating tasks or remaining on task.
• Poor planning and organisation skills.
• Impulsivity and hyperactivity
• Struggling to remain seated and still when this is expected.
• Fidgetiness and/or agitation.
• Excessive movement.
• Excessive talking or difficulties with turn-taking and interrupting others.
• Acting without thinking, making poor decisions.
• Having little regard for danger.

Many people with ADHD have difficulties in both areas. However, there is a subtype of ADHD called ‘Inattentive Subtype’ whereby the primary symptoms are poor attention and focus, with hyperactivity being much less apparent. Research suggests that females are more likely to present with the inattentive subtype, but this is not always the case. Roughly 3 in 10 of those with ADHD are thought to have the inattentive subtype. In general, boys are much more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.

Symptoms & Causes of ADHD?

Is Your Child Struggling with Focus, Impulse Control, or Behaviour?

If you suspect ADHD, early assessment can make all the difference. Our comprehensive, compassionate evaluations help you understand your child’s needs and get the support they deserve.

Is It Possible You Have ADHD and Never Knew?
Many adults go undiagnosed, only to realise later in life that ADHD may be behind their struggles with focus, organization, and impulse control. Our thorough, compassionate assessments can help you understand what’s been holding you back and chart a path to support and success.

There are often other symptoms present for those with ADHD, including broader executive functioning difficulties such as poor planning and organisation skills, difficulties following instructions, and poor working memory. There may be poor decision-making skills resulting from impulsivity. Time management can be a challenge.

Due to their symptoms, children often struggle in school and require additional support and adjustments to help them manage.

Symptoms of ADHD are generally apparent from early on in school-aged children, but a formal diagnosis cannot be made until six years old. Symptoms must be pervasive; that is, they are observable in all environments, such as at school and at home in the case of children.

While the causes of ADHD are still not fully known, as with many neurodevelopmental conditions, it sometimes seems to run in families. If a parent has ADHD, their child is much more likely to have ADHD.

Other factors that increase the likelihood of having ADHD include being born prematurely, having a low birth weight, or suffering hypoxic injury during birth. Being prenatally exposed to alcohol, tobacco smoking and some other substances also substantially increase the likelihood of ADHD. The majority of children with FASD have secondary ADHD. Other forms of acquired or traumatic brain injury can also result in ADHD symptoms.

While ADHD is a lifelong condition, many adults report improvement in their symptoms compared to how they experienced them in childhood. However, the degree of improvement varies in different people, and according to the underlying cause of the ADHD. For example, if ADHD is part of a broader diagnostic profile rather than being a person’s sole diagnosis, this can mean symptoms are more persistent.

Our Diagnosis Procedure

Our Psychologists offer a comprehensive, evidence-based ADHD assessments in Newcastle following NHS NICE guidelines. Whilst we are unable to offer medication / titration services, we are able to look at a wider range of factors and considerations as to what influences an individuals behaviours.

Advantages of diagnosis via our Psychologists are outlined below:

Comprehensive, Holistic Assessment
We take a multi-faceted approach to ADHD assessment, considering a wide range of factors that could be influencing an individual’s behaviour and cognitive functioning We use a combination of standardised tests, behavioural assessments, parent / teacher / workplace questionnaires, and structured interviews to assess ADHD symptoms in context, exploring:

• Cognitive abilities (e.g., attention, working memory, executive function)
• Emotional and behavioural patterns
• Social and academic history
• Environmental influences (e.g., family, school, workplace)

Our Psychologists will conduct thorough, long-form assessments that offer more in-depth insight into how ADHD is impacting different areas of the individual’s life, rather than focusing only on medical or diagnostic criteria. This multi-dimensional approach can result in a more personalised and accurate understanding of the condition.

1. In-Depth Psychological Testing
Our Psychologists will use psychometric testing, which is a detailed, standardised process that evaluates cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning. For ADHD, our psychologists use tools that assess areas such as:

• Attention and focus: Tests that measure sustained attention, selective attention, and impulse control.
• Executive functions: Evaluations of planning, organization, problem-solving, and time management.
• Processing speed and memory: These are critical areas affected by ADHD that can impact academic and occupational performance.

These objective assessments provide valuable data to help understand the specific strengths and challenges of an individual, which can be useful not just for diagnosis but for tailoring treatment plans and strategies to manage symptoms.

2. Non-Medical Approach to Diagnosis
Our Psychologists are trained to evaluate behaviour and cognitive function without immediately relying on medication or treatment interventions. This means that our psychologist’s assessment focuses more on identifying the root causes of difficulties and understanding them in context. Our psychologists take a behavioural and psychodynamic approach to ADHD, helping individuals gain a deeper understanding of their behaviour patterns, coping strategies, and emotional challenges.

Our Psychologists offer recommendations for behavioural interventions or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help individuals develop coping mechanisms for ADHD-related challenges, rather than focusing solely on prescribing medication.

3. Identifying Co-occurring Conditions
ADHD often coexists with other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Our Psychologists are highly skilled at differentiating between ADHD and other conditions that may present with similar symptoms, such as:

• Anxiety (which can cause difficulty with focus and restlessness)
• Depression (which can mimic inattention or lack of motivation)
• Learning disabilities (which can affect academic performance but are not ADHD)

Through comprehensive assessments, our psychologists can identify these co-occurring conditions and help develop a more accurate diagnosis that addresses all contributing factors. This enables them to create more effective, integrated treatment plans.

4. Longer, More Detailed Assessment Process & Focus on Behaviour and Cognitive Strategies:
Our Psychologists allocate more time to conduct thorough assessments compared to psychiatrists. Psychiatrists, as medical professionals, often have limited time with patients due to the nature of their medical practice. In contrast, our psychologists will conduct extended evaluations to provide a much deeper and more detailed understanding of how ADHD manifests in the individual’s life to allows them to make well-rounded recommendations for therapy, lifestyle changes, and coping strategies.

Our focus on practical, evidence-based interventions can be particularly helpful for individuals who prefer non-medication approaches or who want to develop life skills to manage ADHD more effectively.

5. Detailed Reports and Recommendations
A key advantage of our psychologist’s ADHD assessment is the detailed report they provide after the evaluation which can include:

• A thorough explanation of the assessment process
• An analysis of how ADHD symptoms affect different aspects of the individual’s life (e.g., academic, work, social, family)
• Specific, actionable recommendations for treatment, accommodations, and support
• Insights into possible co-occurring conditions that should be addressed

This comprehensive report can be invaluable not only for medical and therapeutic purposes but also for providing evidence for academic accommodations, workplace adjustments, or special education needs.

Why Choose Us?

Our Psychologist’s ADHD Assessment vs. a Psychiatrist’s Diagnosis

While psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication, our psychologists offer a more comprehensive, holistic, and non-medical assessment process, providing a more detailed understanding of ADHD’s impact on an individual’s life.

Our psychologists are able to evaluate a broader range of factors, identify co-occurring conditions, and deliver personalised strategies and interventions that extend beyond medication.

For individuals looking for a deeper understanding of their symptoms or who prefer non-medical interventions alongside potential medication, our psychologist’s ADHD assessment can be an excellent choice.

Our Step by Step Process for child ADHD assessments:

• Enquiry is made via assessments@pmpsych.co.uk, with a follow up 15 minute telephone consultation to ensure you are directed towards the most appropriate consultation and discuss potential assessment dates and payment options.
• Pre Assessment Questionnaires
  These will be issued for completion prior to the assessment. We will issue questionnaires for parents and also education settings to be completed prior to the assessment. We would also ask that any supporting evidence from school / education settings be collated prior to the assessment to allow full examination prior to the assessment.
• Applying for your child’s medical records.
  We will need to have access to your child’s full medical records to form part of the assessment and we will talk you through the process of how to obtain these.
• Book assessment appointments
  Your assessment will take place over four appointments.

The first assessment will be via zoom with you as parents to discuss your child’s history and concerns to allow our Psychologist to ensure they have the correct tools for your child’s face to face assessment. This first assessment should last around 90 minutes.

The second assessment will be face to face for your child and will consist of the subjective testing to allow for diagnosis. This location will be in the DH area and should last around 90 minutes. In this appointment it is preferable our Psychologist is alone with your child but we understand this is not always possible and we will work around this where possible. We allow for a greater time window to give your child time to relax into the environment without the added pressure of completing tasks in the specified time window. We allow 120 minutes in total for this assessment.

Following this we may arrange a 30 minute appointment via zoom with the parent to discuss any other topics that may be used to form part of the diagnosis.
The final appointment will take place via zoom around 2 weeks after your report to discuss any questions you may have and any recommendations for the future and we expect this will take around 30 minutes.

Diagnosis & Report
Your child’s report will be available 4 weeks following your assessment and will be sent via an email with the opportunity to discuss the findings in the follow up appointment via zoom. We are also happy to answer any clarification questions you may have via your client liaison via email.