ADHD Assessment for Teenagers (12 to 17 Years)
in the Sutherland Shire and Sydney

Evolving Minds provides ADHD assessments for teenagers aged 12 to 17 years from our Menai practice in the Sutherland Shire and via secure telehealth across Australia.

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If you have been searching for an ADHD test for your teenager, it's important to know that diagnosing ADHD involves much more than a single test. A comprehensive ADHD assessment explores how attention, organisation, executive functioning and emotional regulation affect your teenager's life across home, school and other settings.

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Many families seek an ADHD assessment after noticing that everyday tasks seem much harder for their teenager than they should. Difficulties with attention, organisation, emotional regulation or completing schoolwork may have been present for many years, or they may become more noticeable as academic demands, independence and social expectations increase.

 

An ADHD assessment provides a clearer understanding of your teenager's strengths and challenges, helping determine whether ADHD best explains their experiences and providing practical recommendations to support home, school and everyday life.

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Signs of ADHD in teens

 

ADHD can present differently from one teenager to another. Parents often notice changes becoming more apparent as the demands of high school increase.

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Signs of ADHD in teens may include:

• forgetting homework, school equipment or personal belongings

• difficulty starting assignments or leaving work until the last minute

• problems with organisation, planning or time management

• emotional outbursts or frustration that seem out of proportion to the situation

• difficulty concentrating in class, even when they understand the work

• feeling increasingly overwhelmed as school and social demands increase

 

These experiences can overlap with typical teenage behaviour, which is why a comprehensive assessment considers your teenager's developmental history, current presentation and experiences across different settings rather than relying on a single sign or behaviour.

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ADHD can also present differently in girls, who may develop strategies to compensate for their difficulties until increasing academic, social and organisational demands during adolescence make those strategies more difficult to maintain.

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What does the assessment involve?

 

Our ADHD assessment follows a structured, evidence-based diagnostic process completed over three appointments across approximately four to six weeks. This includes two assessment appointments and a feedback appointment.

 

The assessment includes:

• clinical interviews with your teenager, parent or caregiver

• developmental history

• standardised ADHD assessment measures

• review of attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation and everyday functioning

• consideration of school, home and social experiences

• review of previous reports where available

• teacher questionnaires or school information where clinically appropriate

 

Following the assessment, you will receive:

• a comprehensive written report outlining the assessment findings and diagnostic conclusions

• individualised recommendations for home, school and ongoing support

• a feedback appointment to discuss the findings and answer any questions

 

Parent involvement

 

Parents or caregivers play an important role throughout the assessment process.

 

Your knowledge of your teenager's early development, behaviour across different settings and current concerns provides valuable information that helps develop a complete clinical picture. Where appropriate, we may also seek information from your teenager's school to better understand how they are functioning across different environments.

 

Our neuro-affirming approach

 

Our psychologists take a neuro-affirming approach that recognises the diversity of ADHD presentations.

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Every teenager experiences ADHD differently. Rather than relying on stereotypes, we consider your teenager's developmental history, strengths, current presentation and individual circumstances to develop a comprehensive understanding of how ADHD affects their everyday life.

 

Our goal is to provide a respectful, thorough assessment that helps families better understand their teenager and supports informed decisions about future support.

 

Telehealth ADHD assessments for teenagers

 

Teenagers across Australia can complete the assessment via secure telehealth.

 

The telehealth assessment follows the same structured process as our in-person assessments and includes the same clinical interviews, assessment measures, written report and feedback appointment.

 

Assessment fee

 

The fee for a comprehensive ADHD assessment for teenagers is $1,550.

 

The assessment fee includes:

• two assessment appointments

• evidence-based assessment measures

• comprehensive clinical formulation

• written diagnostic report

• personalised recommendations

• feedback appointment with your psychologist

 

Medicare rebates may be available for eligible people under 25 years of age when the assessment is completed under the Medicare Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder assessment pathway. Eligibility depends on the referral pathway and individual circumstances

 

What happens after the assessment?

 

Following the assessment, we'll meet with you to discuss the findings, explain the recommendations and answer any questions you or your teenager may have. Our aim is to help you understand how the assessment findings relate to your teenager's everyday experiences and what supports may be helpful moving forward.

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Depending on the outcome of the assessment, some families choose to continue with ADHD therapy or ADHD coaching to help their teenager develop practical strategies, strengthen executive functioning skills and implement the recommendations from the assessment. Where appropriate, we can also provide guidance regarding school supports or accommodations.

 

If ADHD is identified and your family wishes to explore medication, we can discuss appropriate referral pathways to a paediatrician or psychiatrist for further assessment and ongoing medical management.

 

Related assessments

 

If your teenager also experiences social communication differences, sensory sensitivities or characteristics associated with autism, you may wish to consider our Combined ADHD and Autism Assessment for Teenagers.

If you are looking for assessment for autism only, please see our Autism Assessment for Teenagers page.

 

For an overview of all assessment options, visit our ADHD and Autism Assessments page.

 

ADHD assessments for teenagers in Sydney and Australia

 

We provide ADHD assessments for teenagers aged 12 to 17 years from our Menai practice for families across the Sutherland Shire, including Bangor, Illawong, Alfords Point, Menai, Miranda, Gymea, Kareela, Jannali, Engadine and Sutherland.

 

Families living elsewhere in Sydney and throughout Australia can complete the same comprehensive assessment via secure telehealth.

 

To enquire about an ADHD assessment for your teenager or request an appointment, contact Evolving Minds on 02 8519 4197 or complete our secure online appointment request form.