Private ADHD assessment - help!

[VashtaNerada]

DD (17) has really struggled with concentration and focus post-Covid. She thinks it could be ADHD. I have no idea. She’s at a new school who don’t really know her so they’re not sure either. She’s very bright so could well have had it all along but been good at masking up until the work got harder for her GCSEs. We’ve had bad experiences with CAHMS in the past so are thinking about doing a private diagnosis just to see if there is any advice for her / us / the school if she does have it but a) we’re not made of money, and b) I can’t work out how you know a private company is reputable and not just a money making scam.
Any advice / experience would be much appreciated!

It If money is limited, if DD would like to try medication if she is diagnosed, check if the GP will accept shared care. Not all will.

Make sure any HCP you use follows the NICE guidelines &/or works/worked for the NHS. That way, the validity of any assessment is less likely to be questioned.

I am not sure if ds' experience is relevant but in case it helps in any way.

Ds was diagnosed at 18, literally a few weeks before his A level exams. He was struggling to focus during his revision, a fact he hid for years (is this masking?), even for GCSEs. Bright kid but it did not reliably translate to good grades. Now we know it is ADHD. Poor boy.

We went for a private diagnosis due to the urgency for the sole purpose of getting drugs. We had to find a psychiatrist who had availability at short notice. There was only one so we took it. We filled in some forms, got the school to fill in a form and 2 weeks later, had the assessment appointment. Ds got his diagnosis another 2 weeks later and was issued the drugs on the day itself.

So all in, it took 4 weeks and $800 for the diagnosis. I thought that was a really reasonable cost. The drugs cost about 100 pounds a month private, depending on strength of the dose. Subsequently, we got the GP to share care and now ds' drugs are free.

Although your dd may be new to the school, can her previous school fill in the form. One thing to ask the current school is whether they would rely on a private diagnosis to give your dd extra time in exams and a quiet space. All this is important for the mocks and A levels.

Medication has been transformational for ds. His self esteem was on the floor but now he has got his mojo back. He was able to focus on his revision and even enjoyed taking some of his papers. He is a changed boy. It is worth every penny to get the diagnosis and medication. We should have done it earlier.

Thank you both. This has made me think it’s worth finding the money! Did you literally just google ‘private ADHD assessment near me’ or is there more to it than that?

It is best to look for recommendations. If you want F2F, ask around locally or search MN for someone near you.

You could look at Dr Maite Ferrin.

Recommendations.

ADHD is quite a common thing these days. Ds said 50% of his friends are on medication (ok, maybe just ds' friends and a bit of exaggeration there).

If your dd knows anyone with ADHD, ask if they are privately diagnosed and the name of the psychiatrist/practice. Similarly, if you know any parents whose dcs have ADHD.

My ds is at an independent school so many of the children just go straight to private diagnosis. Those folks will know.

I am not supposed to tell you this and this is absolutely not recommended. Ds took one of his friends' medication (methylphenidate) to see if it worked for him. He said it did. So we knew it was worth getting a proper diagnosis and prescription. It is a stimulant and leaves the body within 24 hours.