In short
- ADHD should be diagnosed by a professional with specialist training in ADHD, such as a paediatrician, a child psychiatrist, or a specialist nurse or psychologist. GPs and teachers can raise concerns and refer.
- The NHS route usually starts with school and your GP. It is free, but waits can be long.
- Privately, you can usually contact a clinic directly. At BZ Clinic no GP referral is needed.
- There is no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Diagnosis rests on a full history and information from home and school.
- Bring school reports, any previous reports and a few honest examples of what you see.
If you have been asking yourself "can I get my child tested for ADHD privately?", the short answer is yes. In the UK there are two main routes. One is through the NHS, usually starting with school and your GP. The other is private, where you contact a specialist clinic yourself. Both should lead to the same kind of assessment, carried out by the same kind of doctor. This guide explains how each one works, so you can choose what suits your family.
One thing first. If you are reading this because life at home has become hard, that is not a sign you have done something wrong. ADHD is not caused by parenting. What you have noticed about your child is some of the most useful information any assessment will have.
Who can diagnose ADHD in my child?
NICE, which sets the standards for the NHS in England, says ADHD should only be diagnosed by a specialist psychiatrist, a paediatrician, or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in ADHD. For children, that is often a consultant paediatrician or a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and some services also use specialist nurses or psychologists trained in ADHD assessment.
Your GP cannot make the diagnosis. NICE is clear that GPs should not make the first diagnosis or start ADHD medication in children. What the GP can do is listen, look at how much the difficulties affect your child and your family, think about other explanations, and refer on.
Teachers, SENCOs and educational psychologists matter too, because they see your child in a different setting. They can describe what they notice and put support in place, but they do not diagnose ADHD.
At BZ Clinic both doctors are consultant paediatricians. That means they look at your child's general health and development as well as attention and behaviour.
How do I get my child tested for ADHD in the UK on the NHS?
The NHS route usually runs in this order:
- Talk to school. Start with your child's teacher. They will usually involve the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), who can arrange support in class and with homework. Older children can speak to a teacher themselves.
- See your GP. If you are still worried, book an appointment. The GP will ask about your child's difficulties and how they affect daily life, and may consider other possible causes such as anxiety, autism or Tourette's.
- Early support. Your GP may suggest a short period of watching and waiting, which NICE puts at up to 10 weeks, or a parent support group. This is not a judgement on your parenting. NICE says plainly that being offered parent training does not imply bad parenting.
- Referral. If the difficulties carry on and are causing real problems, the GP or school can ask for a referral to a community paediatrician or child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
An NHS assessment is free. The difficulty for many families is time. The NHS itself says children may wait several months or years, and waits vary a great deal between areas. While you wait, your child should still get support at home and at school. In England you may also be able to use Right to Choose through your GP. We explain that, and how it compares with going private, in our guide to NHS or private ADHD assessment.
Can I get my child tested for ADHD privately?
Yes. Most private clinics let you get in touch yourself, without a GP referral. At BZ Clinic, families contact us directly. Camille, our clinic manager, handles every enquiry and booking by phone or email. There is no online booking.
A private assessment should follow the same NICE standards as an NHS one. What changes is who you see, how much time you have with the doctor, and who pays. A new assessment at BZ Clinic costs £1,700. It includes 90 minutes with the doctor, questionnaires for you, school and, where appropriate, your child, and a QbCheck. You can see the full breakdown on our private ADHD assessment cost page.
After the assessment, your GP is sent the letter, so your child's health records stay joined up.
What happens in an ADHD assessment for a child?
A good assessment is much more than a checklist. NICE says the diagnosis should rest on:
- a full clinical and psychosocial assessment, including how your child is managing in the different parts of their life
- a full developmental and mental health history, from early milestones onwards
- reports from people who know your child well, such as parents and teachers, and an assessment of how your child is in themselves
NICE also says a diagnosis should never be made from rating scales or observation alone. Questionnaires are helpful tools, but they are not the answer on their own.
For a diagnosis, the difficulties with attention, activity or impulsivity need to meet recognised diagnostic criteria. They need to cause at least a moderate impact on your child's life, and they need to happen often, in two or more important settings, usually home and school. This is why information from school matters so much.
A careful doctor will also look for anything else that might explain the picture or sit alongside it, and will consider your child's physical health and how the whole family is coping. At BZ Clinic the doctor screens for other conditions, including autism, Tourette's syndrome, dyspraxia, dyslexia and other learning difficulties, and signposts you where needed. The clinic itself assesses ADHD only.
How an assessment at BZ Clinic works
- Before the appointment, you, your child's school and, where appropriate, your child complete questionnaires.
- Your child does a QbCheck, a computer-based test of attention, activity and impulsivity. It is usually done at home before the appointment, and Glenda, our clinic co-ordinator, is happy to help with any questions. It is one part of the picture, not a pass or fail test, and never used on its own.
- You and your child meet the doctor face to face for 90 minutes at our rooms in West Byfleet.
- Usually the doctor can give you a clear answer on the day, with recommendations for home and school.
There is more detail on our what to expect page.
Is there a blood test or scan for ADHD?
No. ADHD is one of the most researched conditions of childhood, yet there is still no blood test or brain scan that can show whether a child has it. The diagnosis is clinical. An experienced doctor brings together your account, the school's view, your child's history and how your child presents. If you are offered a single test that claims to diagnose ADHD on its own, it is worth asking more questions.
What age can ADHD be diagnosed?
ADHD symptoms usually start before the age of 12, and many are visible much earlier. Lots of young children are busy, distractible and impulsive, especially under 5, and that is often simply part of being small. Specialists take extra care with very young children for that reason. BZ Clinic sees children and young people aged 5 to 18.
ADHD is sometimes noticed later, particularly in quieter, inattentive children and in girls, who NICE says are more likely to be missed. Our guide to ADHD in teenagers looks at this.
What to bring to your child's ADHD assessment
You do not need a perfect account. A few honest examples are enough. It helps to gather:
- recent school reports, and anything school has written about attention, behaviour or learning
- any previous reports, for example from a speech and language therapist, an educational psychologist or another doctor
- your child's red book or any notes on early milestones, if you have them
- a list of medicines your child takes and any health conditions
- short notes on when you first noticed concerns, what is hardest now, what makes things worse and what already helps
- the questions you most want answered
If you would like to put your thoughts in order first, our ADHD questionnaire can help. It does not give a diagnosis, but it is a useful starting point for the conversation.
Which route is right for your family?
There is no wrong choice. Some families wait for the NHS, some use Right to Choose where they can, and some decide a private assessment is right for them. Whichever you choose, look for an assessment that follows NICE guidance, gathers information from home and school, and is carried out by a specialist paediatrician or psychiatrist.
If you would like to talk about a private ADHD assessment for your child, you can get in touch with Camille by phone or email.
Questions parents ask
Who can diagnose ADHD in my child?
A healthcare professional with specialist training in ADHD, such as a paediatrician, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, or a specialist nurse or psychologist. Your GP, your child's teacher or the school SENCO can raise concerns, put support in place and help with a referral, but NICE says GPs should not make the diagnosis themselves.
Can I get my child tested for ADHD privately?
Yes. Most private clinics let you get in touch directly. At BZ Clinic you do not need a GP referral: you can call or email Camille, our clinic manager, and your GP is sent the letter after the assessment.
How do I get my child assessed for ADHD on the NHS?
Start by talking to your child's teacher, who will usually involve the SENCO. If you are still worried, see your GP. If the difficulties carry on despite support, the GP or school can refer your child to a community paediatrician or CAMHS for assessment.
How is ADHD diagnosed in children?
Through a full clinical assessment by a specialist. This includes your child's developmental and health history, information from you and from school, and time with your child. Questionnaires and computer-based tests help, but a diagnosis should never rest on them alone. There is no blood test or scan for ADHD.
What age can ADHD be diagnosed?
ADHD symptoms usually start before the age of 12, and specialists take particular care with children under 5, because many young children are naturally busy and distractible. BZ Clinic assesses children and young people aged 5 to 18.