Signs and symptoms of ADHD

Inattentiveness:

Children/ Young people with inattentiveness may struggle with poor concentration, easy distractibility, poor working memory, forgetfulness and organisation, and poor attention to detail.

Hyperactivity:

Children/Young people with hyperactivity may be constantly on the go, fidgety, restless, talkative and unable to play quietly. 

Impulsivity:Children/Young people with impulsivity may be impatient, engage in dangerous activities, constantly interrupt conversations, and find to wait their turn or wait in a queue.

Our ADHD Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Assessment Clinic Approach:

Before the Appointment 

When you first request an assessment for ADHD, we will tell you if the assessment can proceed after screening your request. If your child is accepted for an assessment, we will send you our child and family form, which you must complete fully. You will then be notified of your first appointment with the ADHD Specialist (virtual). 

At the initial appointment

The ADHD Specialist will take a thorough neurodevelopmental history and check the information recorded on your Child and family form. The neurodevelopmental history will include a history of ADHD symptoms and signs. Your child will be required to be present at some point during the virtual consultation. The ADHD Specialist, as part of the assessment, will request further information from you, your child (if applicable), school and relevant professionals. This information gathering is a crucial step in the diagnostic procedure – often, parents are surprised by how much depth our clinicians go into. However, it is critical to ensure the correct diagnosis is given.

During the assessment

At the initial appointment, The ADHD Specialist will take a thorough neurodevelopmental history and check the information recorded on your Child and family form. The neurodevelopmental history will include a history of ADHD symptoms and signs. Your child will be required to be present at some point during the virtual consultation. Following the initial consultation with the ADHD Specialist, your child will be referred for the ADHD Computer Performance test (QbCheck). Please click on the link for more information about the QbCheck. A trained Paediatric Nurse will conduct the QbCheck. This will usually be face-to-face and will involve some observations, which will then be fed back to the Neurodevelopmental Consultant. 

After the assessment

A further follow appointment will be carried out to discuss the assessment findings. The consultant will provide a detailed, comprehensive report detailing the diagnosis, where one can be made, any further assessments recommended for your child, and treatment plans will be provided to you. You may circulate copies of your report to the school and relevant professionals.

Management of Children with ADHD

There are a combination of different approaches when managing  ADHD symptoms in children and young people. The approach is usually multi-modal or holistic, and include parent support /training, social skills training, educational support , cognitive behaviour therapy for older children and adolescents and ADHD medication . The ADHD specialist will also signpost you to useful ADHD resources and websites . It is however essential to liaise with your child’s GP to signpost you to your local ADHD parent support organisations and resources.

There are a combination of different approaches when treating ADHD such as:

Management of Children with ADHD

There is a combination of different approaches when managing ADHD symptoms in children and young people. 

The approach is usually multi-modal or holistic and includes:

• Parent support /training.
• Social skills training.
• Educational support.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy for older children and adolescents and ADHD medication.

The ADHD specialist will also signpost you to useful ADHD resources and websites. It is, however, essential to liaise with your child’s GP to signpost you to your local ADHD parent support organisations and resources

ADHD Medication 

ADHD medication can reduce the symptoms of ADHD, especially when all other relevant interventions for the child/young person and parent have been established. Our ADHD specialist may commence ADHD medication if your child is deemed eligible for treatment in private clinics. Eligibility will be decided by the ADHD Specialist and discussed with the parent/carer. Medication will not be commenced, for example, in children presenting with complex medical or mental health issues. Medication is generally available only in the short term until safe transfer to the NHS. Medication options will be thoroughly covered in the clinic, and benefits and side effects will be thoroughly discussed. Parents/carers will be expected to sign a medication consent form before ADHD medication is commenced. Due to ADHD medications being controlled drugs, children/young people commenced on ADHD medication will be monitored closely by the ADHD Specialist.

Our children's ADHD service is available at our private clinics based in Charlwood in West Sussex, Horley in Surrey, and Wimbledon in London. This makes us ideally placed to welcome young patients from all nearby areas, as well as Dorking, Crawley, Kent, Brighton, Worthing, and further afield.