One of the most common questions we get from members of the public at the Scottish ADHD Coalition is “Can you recommend a clinic for an ADHD assessment?”
As an impartial body, interested in growing support for ADHDers, we have always struggled to answer that question. There are a lot of factors that go into making a recommendation, because what is suitable for one person, might not be suitable for others.
This challenge was on our roadmap for addressing, however we were delighted when ADHD Compare wrote to us to ask us to look at their website. We don’t promote other people’s websites or products unless they are exceptional. In this case, ADHD Compare is filling a need that no one else currently meets. And, quite frankly, they have far more technical skill and capacity in this area than we do, so we are happy to highlight them. Anything that makes life easier for ADHDers.
ADHD Compare don’t charge for their listings, are UK-based and registered with the ICO. The comparisons they offer are fact-based, impartial and they are responsive to emails when adding or updating clinics, so if you want to find a suitable clinic for an ADHD assessment, either in-person or online, do check out their website.
That said, it still leaves some questions…
Things you may want to ask a clinic
- Are you registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland? (this is a legal requirement for Scotland-based organisations)
- What is your waiting list time?
- Are you able to prescribe medication, as well as doing the assessment? (we typically recommend that it is best to find a clinic that does both, as that makes the paperwork easier)
- What are the costs of an assessment? (here it is often useful to ask for a combined Autism and ADHD assessment if you can afford it – more details on this below)
- What are the costs of titration appointments, and how often will they happen? (titration is the process of finding out what medication is right for you, as it is highly individualistic)
- What are the costs of being prescribed medication each time, after titration?
- Do you offer in-person appointments, online or both? (each option has their pros and cons)
- Have any Scottish GPs recently accepted your assessments under a Shared Care agreement? (this is fairly rare these days, but does happen from time to time; you would also need to check with your GP as to whether they would accept it)
- Do you offer any other services to support ADHDers beyond assessment and medication? (this is a stretch goal, and many clinics do not offer this)
Also consider “vibe”. Getting on with the clinicians tends to have a measurable improvement on the outcomes. Trust Pilot may also give you some insights here, although – as with all comparison sites – these things can be gamed, so read the actual reviews to get a real sense of where each clinic’s strengths and weaknesses are.
ADHD, Autism and other highly co-occurring conditions
Autism and ADHD highly co-occur, that it is to say that if you have one there is approximately a 40% chance you will have the other. Although there are no medication options for autism, for many people having the diagnosis helps them further understand themselves and gives ideas for avenues of support and investigation.
Similarly with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, tourettes and bi-polar, these often co-occur. If you think you may have one or more these, seeking a clinic with experience of supporting these can be highly beneficial.
For example, with both an autism and ADHD assessment, there are elements of commonality and interaction, so having both assessments combined saves time and money in comparison to having both separately, so it is something to be considered if you can afford it, have the “brain space”, and think you are likely to have autism. You can do an initial autism “screening” check here – this shows whether it is a reasonable possibility that you have autism.
Medication is only part of the answer
Medication is beneficial to ADHDers in 80%-90% of cases, but it is not a complete solution. It only addresses some of the challenges that someone with ADHD can experience.
We’ve produced a guide to the extra options you might want to consider and note that ADHD Compare will also be listing counselling, CBT/DBT and coaching services in due course, although the current focus is on ADHD assessment clinics.
Disclaimer
We have vetted ADHD Compare to the best of our abilities and there has been no incentive (financial or otherwise) for writing about ADHD Compare. We hope you find this a useful resource for navigating the world of ADHD assessment, but recommend you do your own research too.
The Scottish ADHD Coalition brings together voluntary organisations providing support to adults and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and their parents, carers and families. You can sign up to our mailing list here, read our FAQs, or find your nearest support group.