ADHD Assessments & Therapy
What is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person’s ability to regulate attention, manage impulses, and organise thoughts and behaviours. It’s not about being lazy, distracted, or simply disorganised, it’s about how the brain is wired.
ADHD can show up differently in each person. For some, it looks like restlessness, impulsive decisions, or talking over others. For others, it’s more internal zoning out, forgetfulness, or feeling overwhelmed by routine tasks. Many people with ADHD also experience difficulties with emotional regulation, time blindness, and a deep sense of frustration or shame from years of being misunderstood.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person’s ability to regulate attention, manage impulses, and organise thoughts and behaviours. It’s not about being lazy, distracted, or simply disorganised; it’s about how the brain is wired.d and are lifelong. A diagnosis of ADHD is suggested when these symptoms occur often and negatively impact functioning in several areas, including psychological, social, academic, occupational, and activities of daily living and leisure. These symptoms usually persist throughout one’s life and usually require ongoing treatment and support.
People with ADHD can display markedly diverse symptoms. The symptoms they experience tend to be situationally dependent and influenced by the level of interest or reward value in the situation or task.
People with ADHD also have numerous strengths related to ADHD features. These include the ability to generate novel ideas, adventurousness, and the ability to hyperfocus, which can result in high levels of productivity.
There are three presentations of ADHD with different combinations of symptoms:
- Predominately inattentive presentation
- Predominately hyperactive-impulsive presentation
- Combined presentation, when clinically significant levels of both inattention and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms are present
Often, people with the inattentive presentation of ADHD may be less obvious and receive their diagnosis later in life.
What Are The Most Common Symptoms?
ADHD in Children
In children, ADHD symptoms often show up early—usually before the age of 12—and are most noticeable in structured environments like school or group settings.
Common symptoms include:
- Excessive activity including difficulties sitting still, excessively talkative
- Difficulties with learning, not being able to concentrate on learning, particularly in areas of less interest to the child
- Day-dreaming and not appearing to listen, needs instructions repeated
- Struggles with organising themselves, is messy, late, easily distracted and forgetful
- Difficulties regulating emotions. Easily upset and sensitive, particularly to criticism from others, often taking a long time to calm down and re-regulate
- Anxiety – worries about judgement from others, failing at tasks, may result in attempts to be perfect / perfectionistic behaviours
- Peer problems – may be seen as different to peers resulting in bullying, fewer friendships and difficulties maintaining friendships. Peer problems may become more pronounced over time as social relationships
ADHD in Adolescents
During adolescence, the external signs of hyperactivity may lessen, but difficulties with attention, self-regulation, and impulse control often remain, and can become more complex due to increased demands. Common symptoms include:
- Difficulty focusing in class or while studying
- Disorganisation (forgetting assignments, misplacing items, poor time management)
- Procrastination and difficulty initiating tasks
- Impulsive decision-making
- Emotional reactivity or mood swings
- Struggles with peer relationships or social cues
- Persistent self-doubt or low self-esteem, especially if undiagnosed
- Academic underachievement despite potential
- Increase or onset of difficulties with learning as more independent study is required including homework (e.g. Year 10 onward). This often includes a dramatic decline in academic performance
- Development of low mood and depression into secondary school, usually due to difficulties with keeping up academically or due to decline in academic achievement, being excluded from peers, and the negative self-view that develops from these
- Adolescents with ADHD are at increased risk of co-occurring issues such as anxiety, depression, or oppositional behaviour, particularly if their struggles have gone unrecognised or unsupported.
ADHD in Adults
In adults, the presentation of ADHD tends to shift toward issues with internal restlessness, focus, and emotional regulation. Many adults go undiagnosed until later in life, often after years of struggling with work, relationships, or self-perception.
Common symptoms include:
- Struggling at university including failing subjects and not completing courses, without apparent cause e.g. is intelligent but not able to achieve at this level
- Overlooking or missing details, doing work that is inaccurate, impacting on their work performance or life administration
- Missing deadlines, having poor time management, having severe procrastination, impacting study, work, relationships, and self-view
- Having difficulty completing tasks that take a long time, such as preparing reports, completing forms or reviewing lengthy papers, impacting study, work
- Often losing things, like keys or phones
- Being easily distracted and side-tracked by things that happen around them and by their own constant thoughts that diverts attention.
- Often forgetting to do important things, like paying bills or returning calls or completing important life administration such as tax returns
- Having a constantly busy mind, feeling restless, not being able to sit still for a long time in meetings or restaurants
- Not being able to relax, even on holidays and needing frequent stimulation
- Being behind their peers in usual life milestones e.g. moving out of family home, having a partner, getting married, having children, owning own home
- Adults with ADHD also have a high prevalence of co-occurring disorders, with up to 80% having at least one additional mental health disorder. The highest rates of co-occurring mental health disorders in adults with ADHD are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.
The Assessment Process
We offer a comprehensive ADHD assessment for adolescents and adults via secure telehealth. The process is structured across three sessions and includes a detailed psychological report with standardised assessment scoring and diagnostic formulation.
Session 1 – Clinical Interview
We explore your developmental history, current concerns, mental health, academic/work functioning, and family background. This helps identify whether ADHD symptoms are present, and if so, how they’ve shown up across your life.
Session 2 –Behavioural Assessment
You’ll complete standardised ADHD screening tools and behavioural rating scales, often involving input from a parent, teacher, or partner (if relevant). We also screen for other conditions that may overlap with or mimic ADHD (e.g. anxiety, trauma, depression).
Session 3 – Feedback and Discussion
We review your results, diagnostic impressions, and discuss treatment or support options. You’ll receive a formal psychological report which can be used for school, university, workplace accommodations, or referral to medical professionals.
The Report
Your comprehensive report includes:
- · Results from standardised ADHD measures
- · Summary of presenting concerns
- · Background and developmental history
- · Differential diagnosis and co-occurring factors
- · Diagnostic outcome (where relevant)
- · Evidence-based treatment recommendations
- · Support options for education, work, and home
This process follows best practice guidelines and meets requirements for referrals to psychiatrists, GPs, NDIS, and educational institutions.
Therapy For ADHD
We offer evidence-based psychological therapy to support people living with ADHD, drawing on approaches such as:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
To address unhelpful thought patterns, procrastination, time management, and emotional dysregulation
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
To help you navigate shame, frustration, and self-criticism by reconnecting with values
Executive Function Coaching
To build skills around planning, organisation, and managing overwhelm
Psychoeducation
To help you understand your ADHD profile, identify strengths, and use strategies that actually work for your brain
Emotional Regulation and Nervous System Support
Integrating mindfulness, body-based strategies, and personalised routines