SPECIALIST ADHD ASSESSMENTS AND TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (6-17)
Gold standard assessments by Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists in a Private ADHD Clinic located in London’s Harley Street Medical area
You’re reading this because you suspect or already know your child has ADHD and you need to take the next step. This is almost always booking an assessment to make a diagnosis and thereafter a treatment plan uniquely tailored to your child or young person’s needs. You certainly want a doctor with expertise and experience working with children and young people to carry out this assessment; and you want a thorough, high quality evaluation done once and for all. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Our consultants are General Medical Council registered specialists with several years working with children and adolescents in the NHS and private sector. Take that next step here, and book your appointment with the ADHD Doctor for what our patients describe as an empowering, incredibly child-centered, informative, sensitive and life-changing experience.
…avoid the delay in diagnosis…
Between 5-6% of children and adolescents are affected by ADHD around the world. That’s roughly 2 children per average UK class size; making ADHD one of the most frequently encountered disorders/conditions within child and adolescent psychiatry. ADHD presents in many different ways and it may overlap with other conditions. It is also sometimes not readily observed by teachers and a host of factors often lead to a delay in diagnosis. The average age of diagnosis in the UK is around 11 years. We lag behind the USA in this and here at the ADHD doctor, we advocate for early recognition of symptoms and prompt referral for assessment and treatment. Our assessment model is well liked by children and adolescents, and parents report feeling heard and understood by our doctors. The aim is an early/timely diagnosis to prevent further delay in missed opportunities which often accompany ADHD impairments. We also utilize the recently FDA approved continuous performance computer based QBCheck to optimize the diagnostic process whenever indicated.
ADHD SUMMARY FACTS
YOU NEED TO KNOW
ADHD is a treatable neurodevelopmental condition. It occurs more often in boys and is easily missed in girls. In the UK, there’s often a delay in diagnosis, with the average age at diagnosis reported as 11 years. ADHD affects each individual differently, and everyone’s story of living with ADHD is uniquely different. The difficulties from ADHD are present at home, at school and in other social settings such as sporting clubs. ADHD has a heritability of between 60-70%, which suggests that it runs in families. It is believed to be the result of several genes, each with a small effect contributing to the clinical picture. It occurs in about 5-6 in every 100 children, regardless of geographical or cultural variation. ADHD symptoms are categorised as difficulties of impairments in three domains: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD will persist into adulthood in about two-thirds of children diagnosed with the condition.
COMPLEX ADHD
ADHD Plus
Oftentimes, a child or young person may have ADHD alongside other behavioural, emotional or neurodiverse conditions such as autism, oppositional defiance disorder, conduct disorder, substance misuse problems or a mood and anxiety disorder. This coexistence (or co-morbidity) may complicate the clinical picture and make diagnosis and treatment a bit more difficult. Complex ADHD also presents young people with even more difficulties and challenges.
ADHD UNTREATED?
FIX it EARLY
Outcomes may be categorised into academic attainment, anti-social behaviour, non-medicinal drug use/addictive behaviour, obesity, occupational difficulties, self-esteem, relationships and social functioning. Without treatment, children and young people with ADHD have poorer outcomes in all categories. Treatment for ADHD improved long-term outcomes compared with untreated ADHD*
*Shaw et al, BMC Medicine 2012, 10:99 | Arnold et al, Journal of Attention Disorders 2020, vol.24 (1) 73-85
GET STARTED IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS
Book a gold standard assessment at our London ADHD clinic to confirm the diagnosis. A ‘gold standard’ assessment has four elements. First, we’ll get you and your parents to complete a general health form. Then, we’ll send you, your parents, and your teacher a link to complete Conners’ assessment forms. The consultant psychiatrist then meets you for a clinical interview during which the Young DIVA-5 is completed. There’s also a review of any relevant school or previous assessment reports.