​ADHD Assessment Process

 

An ADHD assessment is a structured, collaborative process designed to develop a comprehensive understanding of attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and overall day-to-day functioning. The goal is not only diagnostic clarity, but also recommendations that support real-world change.

 

Initial Consultation and Goal Setting

 

The process begins with an initial intake appointment with Marilyn. This session focuses on understanding your current concerns, developmental and personal history, and the challenges that have led you to seek assessment.

 

As part of this appointment, we also complete a structured goals and formulation worksheet. This helps clarify what you are hoping to change through therapy or assessment and supports a collaborative understanding of your current difficulties. Areas explored may include emotional and behavioural goals, patterns that feel unhelpful or “stuck,” coping strategies currently in use, important life domains (such as relationships, work, or study), and any external or internal barriers that may be getting in the way of change. This process helps ensure that the assessment is tailored to your lived experience and meaningful to your day-to-day life.

 

Together, this information helps determine whether a comprehensive ADHD assessment is clinically indicated.

 

Comprehensive Assessment

 

If an assessment proceeds, a multimethod approach is used to develop a clear and accurate picture of your functioning. This typically includes standardized questionnaires completed by you and, where appropriate, by individuals who know you well.

 

Additional collateral information may also be reviewed when available, such as previous reports or academic records, to better understand patterns over time. The assessment also includes careful consideration of other psychological or medical factors that may better explain or contribute to attentional and executive functioning difficulties.

 

Report and Feedback

 

Following completion of the assessment, Marilyn prepares a comprehensive written psychological report.

 

The report provides diagnostic clarification regarding whether ADHD best accounts for your experiences, outlines how identified difficulties may be impacting daily functioning, and offers individualized recommendations for support, strategies, and/or accommodations where appropriate.

 

Child and Adolescent Assessments

 

For children and adolescents, the assessment process typically includes additional collateral information from parents or caregivers, as well as school-based input, in order to understand functioning across multiple environments.

​

​

​