Children's ADHD Assessments in Oxford
If your child finds it hard to focus, sit still or think before acting, and it is affecting school, friendships or family life, a specialist assessment can give you answers and a clear plan.
Contact Us
Email : connect@oxbam.co.uk
Phone: 07922744469
107 Percy St, Oxford OX4 3AD, United Kingdom
Get in touch to discuss your needs, book an appointment, or ask any questions about our services. Reach out via phone, email, or our online form below for a confidential and professional consultation.
Send us a message
Thanks also to Sanjay at Oxford Brain and Mind for dealing so efficiently and sensitively with the administrative side of things.
The assessment itself was thorough but felt relaxed – the clinician made sure I understood each step and answered all my questions. I never felt rushed, and they genuinely listened to everything I had to say, which was such a relief. By the end, I felt like I finally had some clarity and a clear plan for what to do next.
The whole process was smooth, and booking was a breeze too. If you’re considering an ADHD assessment or any kind of support, I highly recommend this clinic. They really know their stuff and made what could have been a stressful experience into a very positive one.
ADHD Assessments for Children and Young People
ADHD looks different in children than it does in adults, and different again from one child to the next. Some children are visibly restless and impulsive: always on the go, interrupting, unable to wait their turn. Others are quietly inattentive: daydreaming, losing things, drifting off part-way through a task and being labelled ‘lazy’ or ‘not trying’. Many show a mixture of both. Girls in particular are often missed, because inattentive symptoms are easier to overlook than disruptive ones.
For a diagnosis, the difficulties need to show up in more than one setting, usually home and school, and to have been present for some time rather than appearing suddenly. It is worth considering an assessment if teachers are raising concerns, if homework and daily routines have become a battle, or if your child’s confidence is suffering because they cannot keep up with what is expected of them.
At Oxford Brain and Mind we assess school-age children and young people up to the age of 18. Every assessment is led by a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and draws on what you, your child and their school tell us, so the conclusion reflects the whole picture rather than a single appointment. If you are unsure whether now is the right time, get in touch and we will talk it through with you first.
Why choose Oxford Brain and Mind?
A children’s ADHD assessment at Oxford Brain and Mind is led from start to finish by a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist: a medical doctor who specialises in the mental health of children and young people, and who is qualified to diagnose ADHD, to prescribe, and to manage medication over time.
That matters because a diagnosis is only the first step. Many clinics can assess but cannot prescribe, so families are sent back to their GP or onto an NHS waiting list at exactly the point they need help. Here, the same consultant who assesses your child can, where it is appropriate and you choose it, start medication, adjust it carefully and review how your child is getting on at home and at school.
Children with ADHD often have other things going on too, such as anxiety, low mood, sleep problems or autistic traits. Our consultant psychiatrist will provide a comprehensive evaluation of ADHD and any other psychiatric problems. Because our consultants are trained across the whole of child and adolescent mental health, these can be recognised and addressed within the same pathway rather than needing a separate referral. With your permission we also liaise with your child’s school, so that our recommendations are put into practice where they are needed most. A further appointment may be needed if other psychiatric conditions are complex to evaluate as part of the ADHD assessment.
Contact Us
Email : connect@oxbam.co.uk
Phone: 07922744469
107 Percy St, Oxford OX4 3AD, United Kingdom
Get in touch to discuss your needs, book an appointment, or ask any questions about our services. Reach out via phone, email, or our online form below for a confidential and professional consultation.
Send us a message
Thanks also to Sanjay at Oxford Brain and Mind for dealing so efficiently and sensitively with the administrative side of things.
The assessment itself was thorough but felt relaxed – the clinician made sure I understood each step and answered all my questions. I never felt rushed, and they genuinely listened to everything I had to say, which was such a relief. By the end, I felt like I finally had some clarity and a clear plan for what to do next.
The whole process was smooth, and booking was a breeze too. If you’re considering an ADHD assessment or any kind of support, I highly recommend this clinic. They really know their stuff and made what could have been a stressful experience into a very positive one.
What a Children’s ADHD Assessment Involves
A reliable ADHD diagnosis in a child rests on evidence from more than one place. Here is how we gather it and what happens at each stage.
Initial Enquiry
You can contact us directly; no GP referral is needed. We will talk through your concerns, confirm that an ADHD assessment is the right starting point, and explain the process and fees before you commit to anything.
Questionnaires and School Information
Before the appointment we will send some standardised screening questionnaires as part of the screening process. These may include the SNAP-IV 26-item rating scale (ages 6–18, completed by parents and teachers, covering inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional behaviour), the Conners Comprehensive Behaviour Rating Scales (ages 8–18, completed by parents, teachers and the young person), and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS, ages 8–18, completed by parents and the young person) to help identify any other difficulties such as anxiety or low mood. We may also ask for recent school reports or any previous assessments. These scales are indicative only, not diagnostic on their own, and are always interpreted in clinical context alongside the rest of the assessment.
Assessment with Your Child
The consultant meets your child for a structured clinical interview and observation, pitched to their age. It is a conversation, not a test to pass or fail. Older children and teenagers have the chance to speak for themselves; younger children are usually seen with a parent present.
Parent Interview
Alongside the session with your child, the consultant takes a detailed history from you: early development, school life, family history and how symptoms show up day to day. This is also where we screen for other conditions that can look like ADHD or sit alongside it.
Diagnosis and Plan
Bringing together the questionnaires, the school’s account and both interviews, the consultant reaches a diagnostic conclusion and discusses it with you. If ADHD is confirmed, you leave with a management plan covering practical strategies, support at school and, where appropriate, medication.
Report and Follow-up
You receive a comprehensive written report suitable for sharing with your GP and your child’s school. Where medication is started, the same consultant oversees the titration and reviews, so your child’s care stays with someone who already knows them.
Feedback and Understanding
After the assessment, the consultant psychiatrist will offer you a dedicated feedback session to discuss the findings and report. This is often highly valued by parents, giving time to understand what your child is going through, ask questions, clarify the diagnosis and recommendations, and consider how best to support your child moving forward. Having a consultant psychiatrist directly involved throughout the assessment and feedback process provides continuity, clinical expertise and professional insight that other services may not provide.
Could it be ADHD, autism, or both?
ADHD and autism frequently occur together, and in children the overlap can be hard to untangle: attention difficulties, sensory sensitivities and struggles with friendships can belong to either. Where there are questions about both, we can assess for the two conditions within a single, integrated pathway led by the same consultant, rather than running two separate processes.
You can read about our approach, including combined AuDHD assessment, on our Child Autism Assessments page.
FAQ: Children’s ADHD Assessment
We assess school-age children and young people up to 18. ADHD is rarely diagnosed reliably in very young children, because attention span and activity levels vary so widely at that age. If you are unsure whether your child is old enough, contact us and we will advise before you book anything.
No. Parents can contact us directly. We also accept referrals from GPs and schools if you would rather come that way, and with your consent we will share the report with your GP afterwards.
Our assessments are carried out by a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in line with NICE guidance, and the report is written to be used by schools, GPs and local authorities when planning support. Whether an NHS service later takes over prescribing under a shared-care arrangement varies by area; we can advise on this for your situation.
If ADHD is diagnosed and medication is appropriate, the same consultant can prescribe and manage it. Medication is never automatic: it is a decision made with you and, depending on their age, with your child. Many families start with strategies at home and school first. Details of assessment and medication fees are on our Fees page.
You will still leave with a clearer understanding. Sleep problems, anxiety, learning difficulties and autism can all look like ADHD from the outside. If another explanation fits better, the consultant will explain what they found and what would help, and we can arrange further assessment if it is needed.
ADHD is mainly about attention, activity level and impulse control. Autism is mainly about social communication, flexibility and sensory experience. The two often overlap and a child can have both, which is why we offer a combined assessment. See our Child Autism Assessments page for more.
We will give you a realistic timescale when you first get in touch, covering the wait for the first appointment and how soon after the assessment you can expect the written report. Gathering information from school takes a little time, so returning the questionnaires promptly helps keep things moving.
Our Child & Adolescent ADHD Specialists
Dr Mamas Pipis
CONSULTANT CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST
MD, MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, MRCPsych
Dr Pipis leads our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and has extensive experience of assessing and treating ADHD in children and young people. He works closely with parents and schools so that a diagnosis translates into practical support at home and in the classroom. Dr Pipis’s profile
Dr Melanie Bruneau
CONSULTANT CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIST
MD, MRCPsych, MSc
Dr Bruneau is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with particular expertise in neurodevelopmental conditions. She assesses ADHD and autism in children and young people, including where the two occur together, and also leads our Child Autism Assessments. Dr Bruneau’s profile
Dr Kate Green
CONSULTANT CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
BA; Doctorate (D.Clin.Psychol); CPsychol; HCPC registered
Dr Green is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who works alongside our consultant psychiatrists on children’s neurodevelopmental assessments. Where a child’s learning profile needs to be understood in more depth, she carries out cognitive assessment using the WISC, and she contributes to complex or combined presentations. Dr Green’s profile