Smiler’s ADHD Assessment
As I mentioned in my opening post, Smiler recently received his private ADHD diagnosis.
In this post, I want to share what the actual assessment process looked like for us - when I was doing my own research online, I found it hard to picture what to expect, so I hope this might be helpful for other families at a similar stage.
Smiler had been on the NHS waiting list for a long time, with no end in sight. The waiting times to be seen by CAMHS are so lengthy, and because of Smiler’s age and stage, we felt we had no option but to pursue a private assessment. We were fortunate to be in a position to do this.
The first hurdle was finding someone reputable to do the assessment. There are so many providers out there, and it felt like a minefield trying to work out who would be the right choice. Psychologists, psychiatrists, specially trained ADHD nurses - all had different qualifications and limitations, and I honestly didn’t know where to start.
Thankfully, a trusted friend recommended a psychiatrist who also works within the NHS, and that gave us the confidence to go ahead. The benefit of choosing a psychiatrist is that they are the only professionals able to prescribe medication, which meant we avoided the complication of having to go elsewhere later if we wanted to consider that option.
Looking back, we couldn’t have chosen better. The psychiatrist was warm, compassionate, and put us all at ease from the very first meeting.
The Assessment Process
Smiler’s assessment was split into three hour-long appointments.
At the first appointment, Smiler came with us. We talked through all of the challenges he faces, and for the first time it felt like we could say everything out loud in a supportive, non-judgemental space. Smiler was completely himself, totally unmasked, and afterwards we all felt an enormous sense of relief, just to have started the journey.
The second appointment was just my husband and me. This time, we covered Smiler’s full developmental history, from before birth to the present day, with a particular focus on his early years. We also talked through family history, which echoed some of the familial patterns I mentioned in my previous post. We brought along all of Smiler’s school reports, from his very first year at primary school onwards. Re-reading them, it was striking to see how many ADHD behaviours had been there all along.
Between appointments, there were lengthy questionnaires for us as parents, for Smiler himself, and for his school to complete - around 100 questions each. Unsurprisingly, Smiler found it difficult to stay focused while filling his in!
The final appointment involved Smiler again. The psychiatrist explained that Smiler had clearly met the threshold for diagnosis and carefully talked us through how she had reached this conclusion, by drawing on the information from our sessions, the questionnaires, and her own observations of him. She framed everything in such a thoughtful, positive, and matter-of-fact way, but most importantly, she seemed to truly “get” Smiler.
We ended the last appointment with a discussion about the possibility of medication and agreed to take some time to think about it.
A few weeks later, we received Smiler’s full diagnostic report. It was lengthy and detailed, including all of the questionnaire results and comparisons with typical 14-year-old peers. The findings were conclusive, and while it was affirming, it was also sobering to see in black and white just how much Smiler has been up against. But it has already been invaluable - we’ve been able to use the report to work with school and get new accommodations in place.