ADHD assessment for teenagers

An ADHD assessment for a teenager is different from one for a younger child. By 13, your child has their own view of what is hard, and they may have spent years quietly coping. At BZ Clinic, a consultant paediatrician assesses young people up to the age of 18, face to face in West Byfleet, Surrey.

The process and the price are the same as our main private ADHD assessment for children and young people. What changes is how much of the conversation your teenager leads.

How a teenage ADHD assessment differs

Your teenager fills in their own questionnaire

Before the appointment, we ask for questionnaires from you and from school, and teenagers usually complete one about themselves too. Young people often notice things adults do not: how long homework really takes, how hard it is to start, or how tiring it is to hold it together all day. NICE guidance says a child's or young person's own views should be taken into account when deciding how much ADHD is affecting their life.

Time to talk

The appointment lasts 90 minutes. The doctor sees your teenager on their own for part of it, and also sees you as their parent. Many teenagers are anxious or unsure about talking, and that is completely normal. Nobody is expected to give a perfect account.

School input from secondary school

In secondary school, your teenager may have many teachers, and no single one may see the full picture. We usually ask for a questionnaire from a teacher or tutor who knows your child well. If school has no concerns but home feels very different, that is useful information too, not a reason to stop.

QbCheck

Every new assessment includes a QbCheck, a computer-based test of attention, activity and impulsivity. Older children can usually do it online at home with a parent nearby, and Glenda, our clinic co-ordinator, is happy to help with any questions. It is one part of the assessment, never used on its own, and it is not a pass or fail test.

ADHD diagnosis in teenage girls

NICE says ADHD is thought to be under-recognised in girls and women. Girls are less likely to be referred, more likely to go undiagnosed and more likely to be given a different diagnosis first. Many teenage girls with ADHD are not disruptive. They may daydream, lose track of work, and spend a great deal of energy hiding how hard things feel. This is sometimes called masking.

Masking can mean school sees a quiet, capable pupil while home sees exhaustion, tears and last-minute panic. A careful assessment listens to both. Our guide to ADHD in girls explains more.

Exam years

Families often come to us during GCSE or A level years, when the demands on organisation and focus go up sharply. After the assessment, the doctor's letter includes recommendations for school, which can help the school plan support. Decisions on exam access arrangements are made by the school and exam boards, not by the clinic. You can read more in our guide to ADHD and school.

Independence and consent

Teenagers are growing up, and their consent matters. The NHS explains that young people aged 16 and 17 are presumed able to make decisions about their own treatment, and younger teenagers can do so if they fully understand what is involved. We want your teenager to feel the assessment is something done with them, not to them.

For under 16s, a parent or carer with parental responsibility comes to the appointment. If medication is discussed, the doctor talks it through with both of you, and your teenager's views are always part of the decision.

After the assessment, parents always receive the doctor's letter. Young people over 16 receive a copy too.

What happens at 18

BZ Clinic sees young people up to 18. NICE recommends that young people having ADHD treatment are reassessed around school-leaving age, with planning for adult services usually completed by 18. If your teenager is 17, it is worth asking Camille at the start how care would continue after their 18th birthday.

Cost and how to book

A new assessment for a teenager costs £1,700, the same as for younger children. It includes the questionnaires, the QbCheck and 90 minutes with the doctor. See our private ADHD assessment cost page for review appointments and prescriptions.

You do not need a GP referral. Call Camille, our clinic manager, on 07957 909754 or email admin@bzclinic.org. If you are still deciding, our ADHD questionnaire can help you put your concerns in order. If your teenager already has a diagnosis, see existing ADHD diagnosis.