If you're wondering whether you or your child might have ADHD, you're not alone. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions, yet many children and adults go years without a clear answer — often because they're unsure what an assessment actually involves, how long it takes, or whether it's worth the investment.
As a Clinical Psychologist and Educational and Developmental Psychologist in Berwick, I see families and individuals navigate this uncertainty every week. This post walks you through what an ADHD assessment looks like at Brain Helpers Psychology, so you can make an informed decision about whether it's the right next step.
What is an ADHD assessment?
An ADHD assessment is a comprehensive evaluation conducted by a psychologist to determine whether someone meets the criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It's not a single test — it's a process that brings together information from multiple sources to build a complete picture of how a person thinks, learns, and functions day to day.
At Brain Helpers Psychology, every ADHD assessment is tailored to the individual. I avoid a rigid one-size-fits-all methodology. Instead, I think about the specific concerns and referral questions, then design an assessment plan that will give the clearest, most useful answers.
Signs that an ADHD assessment might be helpful
For children and teens, parents and teachers often notice:
- Difficulty staying focused during tasks or schoolwork that aren't highly engaging
- Frequently losing belongings, forgetting instructions, or struggling with organisation
- Restlessness, fidgeting, or difficulty staying seated when expected to
- Acting impulsively — blurting out answers, interrupting, or difficulty waiting their turn
- Underperforming at school despite seeming bright and capable
- Emotional outbursts or frustration that seems disproportionate to the situation
For adults, ADHD can look quite different:
- Chronic difficulty with time management, deadlines, and follow-through
- Feeling overwhelmed by tasks that others seem to manage easily
- A pattern of starting projects but not finishing them
- Difficulty sustaining attention in meetings, conversations, or while reading
- Restlessness or a constant need to be "doing something"
- Relationship difficulties related to forgetfulness or inattention
- A sense that you've always had to work harder than others to keep up
If several of these feel familiar, an assessment can provide clarity — whether the answer turns out to be ADHD, something else, or a combination.
Two things people often miss: impact and context
It's a common misconception that ADHD is just about symptoms — being inattentive, restless, or impulsive. But the DSM-5-TR (the diagnostic manual psychologists and psychiatrists use) is explicit about two extra criteria that frequently get overlooked, and they matter a great deal.
1. The symptoms have to actually impact your life
Lots of people have moments of inattention, distractibility, or impulsivity. Plenty of children fidget. Plenty of adults forget appointments. ADHD is only diagnosed when those symptoms are clinically significantly impairing — meaningfully getting in the way of academic, social, or occupational functioning. If someone's life is humming along well, even with quirky concentration, that on its own isn't ADHD.
This is why a thorough assessment doesn't just ask "do you have these symptoms?" — it asks "how are they affecting your life, your work, your relationships, your studies, your sense of self?" The functional impact piece is what separates a personality trait from a clinical condition, and it's what makes the recommendations useful afterwards: I can't tailor strategies to your life if I don't understand what's actually getting in the way.
2. The symptoms have to show up in more than one setting
DSM-5-TR specifies that symptoms must be present in two or more settings. For a child, that might be home and school. For an adult, that might be work and home, or study and social life. ADHD is wired into the person, not into a particular environment — so it should travel with them.
This is exactly why I gather input from multiple sources during an assessment. For children, that means parent reports and teacher reports. For adults, it means asking about both work performance and home life, and sometimes seeking input from a partner, family member, or close friend.
Without these cross-context observations, it's easy to mistake situational stress, a difficult workplace, or an under-stimulating classroom for ADHD — and miss the real diagnosis. Or the reverse: someone might function brilliantly at work because they've engineered their environment around their symptoms, while quietly struggling everywhere else. Looking across settings is what makes the picture honest.
What happens during an ADHD assessment at Brain Helpers Psychology?
The process typically involves several stages:
1. Initial consultation
The assessment begins with a conversation. We discuss your concerns, history, and what you hope an assessment will give you. For children, I explore developmental history, behaviour at home, and school experience in depth. This session helps me design the right assessment plan for the situation.
2. Cognitive testing
Most ADHD assessments include a cognitive assessment to understand how the brain processes information. For children, I use the WISC-V (ages 6–16) or WPPSI-IV (ages 2.5–7.7). For adults, I use the WAIS-5. These assessments measure areas like working memory, processing speed, and reasoning — all of which can be affected by ADHD.
3. ADHD-specific measures
I use a combination of standardised rating scales, behavioural questionnaires, and clinical interview techniques. For children, I gather information from both parents and teachers — this is what gives the cross-context picture the DSM-5-TR requires, and it's often where the diagnostic clarity actually comes from. For adults, I explore both current functioning and childhood history, since ADHD is a condition that begins in childhood even if it wasn't identified at the time. I'll also ask about how symptoms show up across the different domains of your adult life — work, home, relationships, study — for the same reason.
Throughout, I'm looking not just at what the symptoms are but at how much they're impacting day-to-day life. That impact piece is a diagnostic criterion in its own right.
4. Feedback and report
Once the assessment is complete, I prepare a detailed report explaining the findings, the diagnosis (or reasons a diagnosis wasn't given), and practical recommendations tailored to your life. I walk you through everything in a feedback session so you can ask questions and we can deepen your understanding.
The recommendations might include strategies for home or school, workplace accommodations, whether medication might be worth exploring with your GP or a psychiatrist, and therapeutic approaches that can help.
How long does an ADHD assessment take?
An ADHD assessment at Brain Helpers Psychology typically involves around 7 hours of clinical work in total. This includes the consultation, face-to-face testing, scoring, report writing, and the feedback session. The testing itself is usually completed across one to two sessions, depending on the individual.
A thorough assessment is what leads to accurate answers and genuinely useful recommendations, rather than a quick label without direction.
ADHD assessment cost
ADHD assessments at Brain Helpers Psychology start from $1,750 (at a rate of $250 per hour). The final cost depends on the complexity of the assessment — some individuals need more extensive testing than others, and I'll give you a clearer estimate after the initial consultation.
Who can diagnose ADHD in Australia?
In Australia, Psychologists and Psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD. As a registered Clinical and Educational and Developmental Psychologist, I can conduct the full assessment, provide a diagnosis, and write a comprehensive report. If medication is something you'd like to explore, I can guide you through the referral process to see a Psychiatrist.
Why choose Brain Helpers Psychology for your ADHD assessment?
I started Brain Helpers Psychology because I understand firsthand what it's like to struggle with focus and attention. My personal experiences growing up — grappling with anxiety and concentration difficulties — are a big part of why I became a psychologist. That lived experience, combined with my training and research background at Monash University, shapes how I approach every assessment.
What I hear most from families after an assessment is that they finally feel understood. The goal isn't just a diagnosis — it's clarity, practical guidance, and a sense of direction.
Brain Helpers Psychology is located at 13 Clyde Rd, Berwick, in Melbourne's south-east. I see clients from across Berwick, Narre Warren, Officer, Pakenham, Cranbourne, Beaconsfield and surrounding areas.
Ready to take the next step?
If you're considering an ADHD assessment for yourself or your child, you're welcome to have a brief chat before committing to anything. You can request a consultation here or call 0435 100 605. I usually respond within 24 to 72 hours.
You can also read more about the full range of psychological assessments and services.
Dr Sharon Mittiga is a Clinical Psychologist and Educational and Developmental Psychologist at Brain Helpers Psychology in Berwick, VIC. She holds a PhD from Monash University and provides ADHD and autism assessments, counselling, and Gottman Method couples therapy for children, teens and adults.