ADHD Assessment & Treatment in Adelaide
Discover your strengths and challenges
ADHD support for children aged 5+, teenagers and adults — in person in Adelaide or by Telehealth across SA.
Your first step is a standard initial consultation with a psychologist. You can discuss the concerns that brought you here, whether an ADHD assessment may be appropriate, and what information or further appointments may be useful. Because every person’s needs differ, the scope and timeframe are discussed after that first appointment.
Many families experience delays between assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning for ADHD. At NorthPsych, we help reduce these timeframes by providing timely psychological assessment and supporting smooth collaboration with external specialists such as paediatricians and psychiatrists. We work closely with families, schools, and healthcare providers to create a coordinated, team-based approach that supports each client’s needs.
A more efficient ADHD journey
ADHD assessments at NorthPsych are available with Jeremy Paterson, Clinical Psychologist, and Dr Michael Kreminski, Registered Psychologist and Clinical Psychology Registrar. Dr Michael assesses children aged 5+, teenagers and adults, and can diagnose ADHD where clinically appropriate. NorthPsych does not prescribe medication. If medication is being considered, you will need to speak with an appropriate medical practitioner, such as a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Assessment may include interviews, questionnaires, review of relevant records and, where clinically appropriate, further testing. For children, parent/carer or school input may be requested. ADHD assessment can be offered in person or by Telehealth; learning-disability testing is not offered remotely.
To make an appointment, call reception on (08) 7082 0832 or email adelaide@northpsych.com.au.
ADHD testing at NorthPsych
You do not need a referral or Mental Health Treatment Plan to book. A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not provide a rebate for psychological testing or report preparation. Medicare rebates may apply to eligible therapy consultations. We will confirm the service, likely scope and fees before you proceed.
Who we help
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric condition with strong genetic links. A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity that affect many areas of daily function.
The area of functioning we think of most as being impacted is attention, but ADHD impacts all areas of executive functioning including impulsivity, memory, forward planning, organisation, time management and mental flexibility. It can also impact social skills and relationships.
There are three types of ADHD:
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype
Predominantly inattentive subtype
Combined subtype
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It is estimated that 1 in 20 Australians have ADHD (5% of the population). By the end of 2022, Australia’s population was 26,268,359, meaning that around 1,313,418 Australians have a diagnosis of ADHD.
There is an historic lack of knowledge around ADHD that has resulted in many people going undiagnosed, particularly those above school age and females of all ages. With greater understanding of ADHD, these numbers are expected to grow.
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Treatment for ADHD usually includes:
Medication: This improves the brain's ability to pay attention, slow down and use more self-control.
Therapy: Therapists can help people develop the executive functioning, social, and emotional that can be challenging in ADHD.
Parent training: Equipping parents with the skills to respond to problematic behaviours that are part of ADHD.
School support: Working with teachers to equip them with the skills to manage behaviour in the classroom and enjoy school more.
The right treatment and management will reduce the impact that symptoms of ADHD have on a person’s life, improving their quality of life.
When ADHD is not treated, it can be hard for people to succeed. This may lead to low self-esteem, depression, oppositional behaviour, school failure, risk-taking behaviour and family conflict.
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ADHD is:
a mental health disorder
comprised of many symptoms
often genetically inherited
disruptive to one’s life
diagnosed by its symptoms
manageable
ADHD is not:
caused by poor parenting
caused by diet, food additives or refined sugar
‘being lazy’
a ‘made up’ disorder
strictly a childhood disorder
Myth: if you have ADHD, you also have other conditions. It is common to have coexisting conditions with ADHD, such as anxiety, depression, learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorder. However, having ADHD does not mean you have all or any of these co-existing conditions. Every person’s diagnosis is unique.
Myth: ADHD medication will create drug problems for my child. ADHD medications are not the gateway to drug and alcohol abuse. However, a teenager or young adult with ADHD without a clinical diagnosis and treatment is more likely to self-medicate with substances such as alcohol or illicit drugs.
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It's normal for little kids to be distracted, restless, impatient or impulsive – this does not always mean that a child has ADHD. Attention, activity and self-control develop as children grow and learn these skills.
But some kids don't get much better at paying attention, settling down, listening or waiting. When these things continue and begin to cause problems at school, home and with friends, it may be ADHD. Kids with ADHD can show signs in any or all of these areas:
Inattentive
Kids who are inattentive (easily distracted) have trouble focusing, concentrating and staying on task. They may not listen well to directions, may miss important details and may not finish what they start. They may daydream or dawdle too much. They may seem absent-minded or forgetful and lose track of their things.
Hyperactive
Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless and easily bored. They may have trouble sitting still or staying quiet when needed. They may rush through things and make careless mistakes. They may climb, jump or roughhouse when they shouldn't. Without meaning to, they may act in ways that disrupt others.
Impulsive
Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking. They often interrupt, might push or grab, and find it hard to wait. They may do things without asking for permission, take things that aren't theirs or act in ways that are risky. They may have emotional reactions that seem too intense for the situation.
Many kids with ADHD also have learning problems, oppositional and defiant behaviours, or mood and anxiety problems. Health professionals usually treat these alongside ADHD.
ADHD can improve when kids get treatment, eat healthy food, get enough sleep, exercise and have supportive parents who know how to respond to ADHD.
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Be involved. Learn all you can about ADHD. Follow the treatment your child's health care provider recommends. Go to all recommended therapy visits.
Give medicines safely. If your child is taking ADHD medicine, always give it at the recommended time and dose. Keep medicines in a safe place.
Work with your child's school. Ask teachers if your child should have an IEP or 504 plan. Meet often with teachers to find out how your child is doing. Work together to help your child do well.
Parent with purpose and warmth. Learn what parenting approaches are best for a child with ADHD and which can make ADHD worse. Talk openly and supportively about ADHD with your child. Focus on your child's strengths and positive qualities.
Connect with others for support and awareness. Join a support group like CHADD to get updates on treatment and other information.
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For many years we thought that children grew out of ADHD, now we know that is a myth. While many of the symptoms seen in childhood are not present in adulthood, it is not because the ADHD has gone but that symptoms have shifted.
What may have been a child leaving their seat to run around a restaurant, will be the adult remaining seated but bobbing their leg up and down and fidgeting with their fork.
Symptoms of ADHD can continue to impact people even in adulthood, and requires ongoing management. Some adults successfully learn to manage their lives with ADHD, some just get through knowing they are capable of more, too many struggle and fail without the help which will allow them to reach their potential.
There are more than one million people with diagnosable ADHD in Australia, most of whom are adults with no diagnosis or access to treatment that could improve the quality of their lives. We know the cost in economic terms is huge, but the personal cost is immeasurable, not only for the person with ADHD but also for their families and friends.
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Women and girls experience the same general symptoms of ADHD as men and boys. However, the way the symptoms are expressed in their behaviours can appear different.
This difference in expression is one of the reasons girls and women are under diagnosed. Clinicians, parents and other adults who work with children look for the male model of ADHD symptoms that focuses on hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
When girls demonstrate symptoms of inattention, overly sociable behaviour, forgetfulness, talkativeness or difficulties with time management, those behaviours are attributed to other causes or cultural expectations.
Women and girls can present with inattentive, hyperactive and combined ADHD just as men and boys do.
ADHD in girls + women
For women and girls, inattentive presentation can appear as:
Daydreaming quietly in class
Forgetful in daily activities and easily distracted
Loses things easily
Feeling anxious or sad
Exhibiting silliness or apparent ‘ditziness’
Acting shy/inattentive
Difficulty sustaining attention
Struggling to follow instructions
Difficulty with organisation
Trouble maintaining friendships
Picking at cuticles on the skin
Being a perfectionist
Hyperactive presentation can appear as:
Talks excessively
Fidgets and often needs to get up and walk around
Acts impulsively or speaks without thinking
Appears to daydream but says her thoughts are ‘going a million miles a minute’
Trouble keeping her mind on one topic
Easily makes friends but has trouble sustaining friendships
Adopts a compensatory strategy, working three times harder than peers to be equally successful
What an ADHD Assessment Costs in Adelaide
We know cost is one of the first things on your mind, so we’d rather be upfront than make you ask. ADHD assessments are charged at an hourly rate, and the total depends on the scope of what’s involved — so we’ll always talk through the likely scope and cost with you before we begin, with no surprises. Please note that an ADHD assessment itself is not covered by a Medicare rebate. If you go on to have treatment sessions afterwards and have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, a Medicare rebate may apply to those sessions. If anything about the cost is worrying you, please call us on (08) 7082 0832 — we’re happy to talk it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Assessments are charged at an hourly rate, and the total depends on the scope of the assessment. We’ll discuss the likely scope and cost with you upfront, so you always know what to expect.
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The assessment itself isn’t Medicare-rebatable. If you have a Mental Health Care Plan, rebates may apply to treatment sessions afterwards.
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Yes — we provide ADHD assessment and treatment for children, teenagers and adults.
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Not to book an assessment. A GP referral and Mental Health Care Plan are needed to claim Medicare rebates on treatment sessions (not on the assessment itself).
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The scope and expected timing depend on what is needed. Your psychologist will discuss this with you after the initial consultation and before further assessment or report work proceeds.