Assessment
Only a specialist, such as a psychiatrist, can carry out an ADHD Assessment and one of the most common ways of getting this assessment is to be referred by your GP. There are also private clinics but they tend to be expensive.
Unfortunately, at the present time in Scotland, seeking a referral can be more difficult than it should be. This is mainly due to GPs’ lack of knowledge. Neurological conditions (including ADHD) are currently not part of a GPs compulsory training and in a recent study, PhD Student, Blandine French, discovered that out of 150 GPs questioned 68% had received absolutely no training on ADHD. This means it can be a bit of a lottery whether you experience a straight-forward process or not.
Either way, it is important to go fully prepared with as much evidence of requirement as possible. I would highly recommend taking along a filled in copy of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. It may also be helpful to get someone else to fill this out on your behalf.
The Scottish ADHD Coalition put together this:
PRIVATE ASSESSMENT IN SCOTLAND
Resources
Symptom-check questionnaire.
A test created by Don Baker, MA, LMHC.
An article in ADDitude magazine reviewing the symptoms, causes, types, and tests associated with ADHD.
Information for adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD.
This online tool has been created by Blandine French to train GPs by equipping them with enough knowledge about ADHD to make accurate referral decisions. It also has a module for anyone to use to raise their awareness of what ADHD is.