ADHD Assessment
Melbourne
A more efficient ADHD journey
There is no standard approach to the journey of ADHD diagnosis in Australia, and people are often unsure of where to start.
You will probably be required to see both a psychologist and psychiatrist (or a paediatrician for children) and will likely encounter extensive waitlists for health practitioners, dragging out the process of a diagnosis up to 12 months.
-
Using a structured, evidence-based process all clients and families experience a consistent process, with personalised reviews and consultations with collaborative specialists throughout the client journey.
At NorthPsych we believe it is important to have a full understanding your individual diagnosis. Everyone is an individual, with unique strengths, outlooks, values and goals.
NorthPsych offers a streamlined service spanning assessment through to treatment for all clients. We offer ongoing therapy, coaching and family support workshops to significantly improve your understanding of the potential impacts of ADHD has at school, at work, and at home.
To make an appointment, call reception on 1300 674 392 or email melbourne@northpsych.com.au
ADHD testing at NorthPsych
Before your assessment, you will need to provide information such as school reports, previous assessments and medical reports.
You will need to fill out questionnaires. School-aged clients will also need to have questionnaires filled out by parents and teachers; adults will need them completed by partners, parents, friends and roommates.
-
The first appointment is a clinical interview between yourself and your psychologist. For children's assessments, this appointment will be for the parents only and they do not need to attend.
For children, adolescents and younger adults, you will return on another day for further assessment. This will include cognitive and academic assessments and will take from two to four hours.
About three weeks later you will be given a comprehensive written report and have a follow-up appointment to discuss the results.
How common is ADHD?
It is estimated that 1 in 20 Australians have ADHD (which is about 5% of the population).
ADHD in kids + teens
It's normal for little kids to be distracted, restless, impatient or impulsive but for some kids these things continue and begin to cause problems at school and at home.
What causes ADHD?
It's not clear what causes the brain differences of ADHD, but there is strong evidence that ADHD is genetically linked.
If your child or teen is diagnosed with ADHD
There are many ways you can support your young person in managing an ADHD diagnosis.
How is ADHD treated?
Treatment for ADHD usually includes medication, behaviour therapy, parent training and school support.
ADHD in adults
For many years we thought that children grew out of ADHD. We now know that it is not that the ADHD goes away but that symptoms change.
What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric condition that causes differences in brain development and activity that affect many areas of daily function.
ADHD myths
Because ADHD isn’t fully understood, there are many myths around its causes, possible treatments, how it presents and the people who have it.
What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric condition with strong genetic links. A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect many areas of daily function.
The area of functioning we think of most as being impacted is attention, but ADHD impacts all areas of executive functioning including impulsivity, memory, forward planning, organisation, time management and mental flexibility. It can also impact social skills and relationships.
There are three types of ADHD:
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype
Predominantly inattentive subtype
Combined subtype
How common is ADHD?
It is estimated that 1 in 20 Australians have ADHD (5% of the population). By the end of 2022, Australia’s population was 26,268,359, meaning that around 1,313,418 Australians have a diagnosis of ADHD.
There is an historic lack of knowledge around ADHD that has resulted in many people going undiagnosed, particularly those above school age and females of all ages. With greater understanding of ADHD, these numbers are expected to grow.
What causes ADHD?
It's not clear what causes the brain differences of ADHD. There’s strong evidence that ADHD is mostly inherited. Many people who have ADHD have a parent or relative with it. Children can be more at risk for it if they were born early, are exposed to environmental toxins, or their mothers used drugs during pregnancy.
How is ADHD treated?
Treatment for ADHD usually includes:
Medication: This improves the brain's ability to pay attention, slow down and use more self-control.
Behaviour therapy: Therapists can help people develop the executive functioning, social, and emotional that can be challenging in ADHD.
Parent training: Equipping parents with the skills to respond to problematic behaviours that are part of ADHD.
School support: Working with teachers to equip them with the skills to manage behaviour in the classroom and enjoy school more.
The right treatment and management will reduce the impact that symptoms of ADHD have on a person’s life, improving their quality of life.
When ADHD is not treated, it can be hard for people to succeed. This may lead to low self-esteem, depression, oppositional behaviour, school failure, risk-taking behaviour and family conflict.
ADHD myths + misunderstandings
ADHD is:
a mental health disorder
comprised of many symptoms
often genetically inherited
disruptive to one’s life
diagnosed by its symptoms
manageable
a lifelong disorder
ADHD is not:
caused by poor parenting
caused by diet, food additives or refined sugar
curable
‘being lazy’
a ‘made up’ disorder
strictly a childhood disorder
caused by too much screen time
Myth: if you have ADHD, you also have other conditionsIt is common to have coexisting conditions with ADHD, such as anxiety, depression, learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorder. However, having ADHD does not mean you have all or any of these co-existing conditions. Every person’s diagnosis is unique.
Myth: ADHD medication will create drug problems for my childADHD medications are not the gateway to drug and alcohol abuse. However, a teenager or young adult with ADHD without a clinical diagnosis and treatment is more likely to self-medicate with substances such as alcohol or illicit drugs.
ADHD in kids + teens
It's normal for little kids to be distracted, restless, impatient or impulsive – this always mean that a child has ADHD. Attention, activity and self-control develop as children grow and learn these skills.
But some kids don't get much better at paying attention, settling down, listening or waiting. When these things continue and begin to cause problems at school, home and with friends, it may be ADHD. Kids with ADHD can show signs in any or all of these areas:
Inattentive
Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing, concentrating and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful and lose track of their things.
Hyperactive
Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump or roughhouse when they shouldn't. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.
Impulsive
Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren't theirs or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.
Many kids with ADHD also have learning problems, oppositional and defiant behaviours, or mood and anxiety problems. Health professionals usually treat these alongside ADHD.
ADHD can improve when kids get treatment, eat healthy food, get enough sleep, exercise and have supportive parents who know how to respond to ADHD.
If your child or teen is diagnosed with ADHD
Be involved. Learn all you can about ADHD. Follow the treatment your child's health care provider recommends. Go to all recommended therapy visits.
Give medicines safely. If your child is taking ADHD medicine, always give it at the recommended time and dose. Keep medicines in a safe place.
Work with your child's school. Ask teachers if your child should have an IEP or 504 plan. Meet often with teachers to find out how your child is doing. Work together to help your child do well.
Parent with purpose and warmth. Learn what parenting approaches are best for a child with ADHD and which can make ADHD worse. Talk openly and supportively about ADHD with your child. Focus on your child's strengths and positive qualities.
Connect with others for support and awareness. Join a support group like CHADD to get updates on treatment and other information.
For many years we thought that children grew out of ADHD, now we know that is a myth. While many of the symptoms seen in childhood are not present in adulthood, it is not because the ADHD has gone but that symptoms have shifted.
What may have been a child leaving their seat to run around a restaurant, will be the adult remaining seated but bobbing their leg up and down and fidgeting with their fork.
Symptoms of ADHD can continue to impact people even in adulthood, and requires ongoing management. Some adults successfully learn to manage their lives with ADHD, some just get through knowing they are capable of more, too many struggle and fail without the help which will allow them to reach their potential.
There are more than one million people with diagnosable ADHD in Australia, most of whom are adults with no diagnosis or access to treatment that could improve the quality of their lives. We know the cost in economic terms is huge, but the personal cost is immeasurable, not only for the person with ADHD but also for their families and friends.