At SA Psychology and Wellness, we provide comprehensive ADHD assessments to help individuals gain clarity and receive the support they need.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects both children and adults. It can impact focus, impulse control, and overall daily functioning. At SA Psychology and Wellness, we provide comprehensive ADHD assessments to help individuals gain clarity and receive the support they need.
Do you struggle to maintain focus? Do you frequently interrupt conversations? Are you forgetful, restless, overly self-critical, or anxious? Do you find yourself battling low self-esteem?
Our comprehensive ADHD assessments are designed to meet the unique needs of every child, teen, and adult we work with. Through specialized ADHD testing, we can help you gain insight into your cognitive profile and develop practical strategies for success.
In Australia, ADHD is estimated to impact approximately 6-8% of children and 3-5% of adults. With updated clinical guidelines now being introduced, we can expect a rise in the number of diagnoses.
Common signs of ADHD include constant fidgeting or restlessness, difficulties with maintaining focus and organization, and challenges with self-control or impulsivity. Although these symptoms often persist into adulthood, they typically manifest differently in adults compared to children or teenagers. This condition can significantly influence academic performance, work, personal life, and relationships.
Both children and adults with ADHD can experience substantial benefits from therapy. Given that ADHD is a lifelong condition, seeking professional guidance for early identification, accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and ongoing support is essential. Prompt diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan can lead to improved long-term outcomes and a better quality of life.
There are different types of assessments, and the cost of each varies according to the different elements necessary. You may visit our FAQ’s page for more specific pricing information. We encourage you to contact us or ring 08 7081 1477 to discuss further.
Prior to your assessment date, we will gather intake information electronically to assist the testing clinician(s) preparations.
Most assessments take approximately 3 hours to complete. Specific guidance will be provided dependent on the type of assessment being conducted.
An optional feedback meeting to help you understand the results of your assessment is available. A plan for support and implementation going forward will be explained and discussed.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition. That is, it is a condition that affects the development of the brain. These include areas to do with emotional regulation, motivation, distractibility, attention, and reward processing.
Often, when people think of ADHD, they think of it being a childhood condition. Yes, in a lot of cases ADHD is detected and diagnosed during childhood, but this doesn’t mean that it’s something that people outgrow as they age. Some symptoms of ADHD may lessen as individuals get older, but other characteristics of ADHD can remain quite pervasive.
It’s common for ADHD to go undetected throughout the school years, particularly predominantly inattentive ADHD. Often, children who display more disruptive behaviours will receive a diagnosis, while those who experience more internalized behaviours can be overlooked and labelled as a daydreamer, talkative, or lazy.
Problems with organisation – Adults with ADHD can have chaotic lives due to their difficulties organising and handling their responsibilities. A lot of the time, aspects of everyday life such as work, bills and household tasks feel like an overwhelming juggling act. This is usually reflected in a messy home or cluttered work desk.
Forgetfulness - Due to struggles with disorganisation, adults with ADHD can be very forgetful. Constantly misplacing items like keys, wallet, or phone and forgetting appointments or arrangements is a regular occurrence.
Poor time management - Adults with ADHD may struggle with running late. Lateness to work and appointments often occur due to difficulties with time management and prioritization.
Difficulties concentrating on everyday tasks – Adults with ADHD can be easily distracted when required to focus on dull tasks and become bored easily if activities don’t stimulate their interests meaning they tend to miss important details. This also extends into attention difficulties when listening where, for instance, individuals may struggle following directions or remembering conversations.
Hyperfocus – Although ADHD causes inattention towards boring tasks, it can also cause individuals to become overly engrossed in tasks they find interesting, which is known as hyperfocus. Some adults with ADHD have such a strong hyperfocus that they can forget what is going on around them or lose track of time.
Hyperactivity – As the name suggests, ADHD can cause hyperactivity in some adults. Not all adults with ADHD will experience hyperactivity, but for the ones who do it usually presents itself in feelings of restlessness (which can cause repetitive fidgeting), feeling overly energetic, and/or excessive talking.
Impulsivity - Adults with ADHD tend to act on impulse, which is when people act or react without thinking things through first. They may overindulge in activities like shopping or eating, act recklessly or inappropriately, and interrupt conversations without thinking.
Lack of emotional control - Due to difficulty with self-control, adults with ADHD may also have a hard time controlling their emotions. They can be short-tempered, highly sensitive, and easily stressed out, which can cause their behaviour to appear overly reactive.
ADHD impacts a child’s social, emotional, and academic development. ADHD can impact a child’s self-confidence both as a student and an individual. ADHD behaviours impact how a family functions, and relationships within a family. If you suspect your child may have ADHD, it can be helpful to seek more information.
