I only see children and young people by appointment and need a referral from a health professional (e.g. GP, paediatrician, psychologist) before I can see a patient. I will always need a letter of support from your child's SENCO/teacher before I can accept a referral for an ADHD assessment.
The first appointment lasts 1 1/2-2 hours. It is often most helpful to see the child/young person together with the parents the first time to try and get a sense of everybody's view. Often, I will also see the child/young person on their own and I am, of course, also happy to see the parents separately.
At the end of the first meeting, we will discuss the diagnosis/formulation and agree on a plan for how the child/young person and the family best can be helped to overcome the difficulties.
If I need to see the child/young person again the following appointments will last 30-60 minutes.
A school report is often useful, and I might ask permission to contact the school after the appointment. If you have any reports from other professionals, please send me a copy beforehand or bring them with you to the first appointment.
Occasionally, I will need to do a physical examination of your child. If there is a need for further investigations (such as blood tests, ECG, cardiology or neurology assessments), these will need separate arrangements.
I will write a report to you and the referrer after the appointment.
