ADHD screening vs a full assessment: what is the difference?

What screening does

Screening collects consistent information and scores configured questionnaires using their defined rules. It can identify a pattern that is above or below a screening threshold, describe functional difficulties and organise examples that might otherwise be hard to explain in one appointment.

ADHDassess adds clinician review before the report is released. That review checks whether the written summary reflects the answers and keeps the conclusion within a screening boundary. It does not turn the service into a diagnostic assessment.

What a full assessment adds

The NICE ADHD guideline says diagnosis should be based on a full clinical and psychosocial assessment, developmental and psychiatric history, observer reports and assessment of mental state. Symptoms also need to cause meaningful impairment and occur in more than one important setting.

During a full assessment, a specialist may explore:

• childhood and developmental history
• current symptoms and impairment
• physical and mental health
• education, work, family and social life
• other explanations or coexisting conditions
• information from someone who knows the person well

The exact process varies by provider and by the needs of the person being assessed.

Which one do you need?

Screening can be a sensible first step if you are unsure whether to pursue diagnosis or need help presenting the pattern clearly. A full assessment is the route if you want a diagnostic decision or need treatment that depends on diagnosis.

You can also go directly to a full assessment provider. A separate screening report is not a universal requirement, and no provider is required to accept it in place of its own triage process.

Sources

• NICE guideline NG87: recommendations on diagnosis
• NHS: what happens at an adult ADHD assessment