ADHD Assessment for Adolescents and Adults
If you are seeking clarity about ADHD, I provide a comprehensive ADHD assessment for adolescents and adults in Darwin and across Australia via telehealth. My approach is structured, thoughtful and neuro affirming, with clear outcomes and practical recommendations.
Understanding ADHD in Adolescence and Adulthood
ADHD does not always look the way people expect. In adolescents and adults, it may present as chronic overwhelm, difficulty starting or finishing tasks, disorganisation, emotional intensity, restlessness, or persistent self doubt about capability. Many people seeking an ADHD assessment describe feeling bright and capable, yet inconsistent in performance.
Inattentive presentation is especially common in teenagers and adults. This can include forgetfulness, internal distraction, mental fatigue and difficulty prioritising. These differences are often missed in childhood, particularly for girls and women, where masking, high effort coping and internalised distress can delay a formal ADHD diagnosis.
An ADHD diagnostic assessment explores developmental history, executive functioning patterns, academic or workplace experiences and current daily functioning. My aim is not to pathologise difference, but to understand how your brain works and whether ADHD provides a helpful framework for that understanding.
Inattentive and Internalised ADHD
Not all ADHD is hyperactive or externally disruptive. Many adolescents and adults experience internal restlessness, mental clutter and difficulty regulating attention. These patterns can be exhausting and often misunderstood.
Late Diagnosis and Female Presentation
Females at birth frequently mask symptoms, overcompensate academically or socially, and internalise distress. An adult ADHD assessment can bring clarity to long standing patterns that were previously overlooked.
Executive Functioning Differences
ADHD affects planning, organisation, working memory and task initiation. Understanding executive functioning differences helps explain why effort does not always equal outcome.
What an ADHD Assessment Can Support
A formal ADHD diagnosis can provide clarity, validation and direction. For adolescents, it may support educational planning, exam adjustments or learning accommodations. For adults, it can inform workplace adjustments, university provisions or personal strategies to reduce overwhelm.
Where appropriate, documentation from an ADHD assessment may support applications relating to workplace accommodations or disability services. If you are exploring NDIS eligibility, the broader combined assessment pathway is explained on my Combined Autism and ADHD Assessment page.
An ADHD assessment Darwin families seek often begins with wanting to understand why school or daily life feels harder than it should. Adults across Australia frequently describe a similar search for answers later in life. My role is to provide a clear, careful ADHD diagnostic assessment grounded in current Australian standards.
For full details of the overall structure and steps involved, please see the Combined Autism and ADHD Assessment page.
ADHD in Adolescents
During adolescence, ADHD may show up as inconsistent academic performance, difficulty managing assignments, emotional intensity, sleep disruption or social strain. Some young people work extremely hard yet feel constantly behind. Others appear disengaged but describe significant internal distraction.
An ADHD assessment in adolescence looks at developmental history, school experiences, family observations and current executive functioning. I consider how attention, organisation and emotional regulation impact learning and wellbeing. The goal is not simply to determine whether criteria are met, but to understand how your teenager’s brain processes information and manages demands. Clear outcomes can guide school planning, support discussions and next steps.
Adult and Late Diagnosed ADHD
Many adults seeking an ADHD assessment describe years of feeling different, disorganised or overly sensitive to stress. High achievement can coexist with internal chaos. Others report career changes, burnout or relationship strain that prompted deeper reflection.
Late diagnosis is particularly common for women who learned to mask symptoms, overprepare or internalise difficulty. An adult ADHD assessment explores these lifelong patterns with care and nuance. Understanding your cognitive profile can reduce self blame and support practical change. A formal ADHD diagnosis in Australia can also assist with workplace or university accommodations where appropriate, creating a clearer path forward.
Executive Functioning and Daily Life
Executive functioning refers to the mental skills that help us plan, prioritise, initiate tasks and regulate attention. In ADHD, these processes can operate differently. You may know exactly what needs to be done, yet struggle to begin. You may hyperfocus intensely on one task while other responsibilities fade into the background.
An ADHD diagnostic assessment examines these patterns across home, study and work environments. We look at how working memory, time perception and organisation affect everyday life. Understanding executive functioning differences allows for tailored strategies rather than generic advice. This clarity often brings relief, as difficulties are reframed as neurological patterns rather than personal failure.
ADHD Assessment in Darwin and Australia Wide
I provide ADHD assessment in Darwin and via telehealth across Australia. The assessment begins with a comprehensive questionnaire pack, which allows me to gather detailed background information before we meet. This ensures our diagnostic session is focused, thorough and meaningful.
Following the structured diagnostic appointment, I prepare a detailed written report with clear conclusions and practical recommendations. A feedback session allows us to discuss findings and next steps in a calm, collaborative way. If you are also considering whether Autism may be relevant, you can read more about the integrated approach on the Combined Autism and ADHD Assessment page.
