What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects the way people behave.
People with ADHD are often restless, finding concentration difficult and may act impulsively.
Many people find the name very unhelpful, as when you examine ADHD, it’s not about an attention deficit, someone with ADHD can show incredible focus (hyperfocus), it is just that the choice of what someone with ADHD focuses on is often not their own.
ADHD is more commonly associated with childhood, but evidence suggests that around a third of children with ADHD go on to be adults with ADHD, meaning somewhere between 2-5% of adults may have ADHD.
(Adapted from ADHD Adult UK, Jan 2025. https://www.adhdadult.uk/what-is-adhd/)
Signs of ADHD in adults
There are 3 types of ADHD:
- Predominantly inattentive ADHD.
- Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive ADHD.
- Combined type ADHD (signs of both inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity)
Diagnosis is based upon…
The signs of inattentiveness:
- A short attention span and being easily distracted.
- Making careless mistakes.
- Appearing forgetful or losing things.
- Inability to stick to tedious or time-consuming tasks.
- Inability to listen to or carry out instructions.
- Constant changing of activities or tasks.
- Difficulty organising tasks.
The signs of hyperactivity/impulsivity:
- Inability to sit still.
- Constant fidgeting.
- Inability to concentrate on tasks.
- Excessive physical movement.
- Excessive talking.
- Inability to wait their turn.
- Acting without thinking.
- Interrupting conversations.
- Little or no sense of danger.
(Adapted from ADHD Adult UK, Jan 2025. https://www.adhdadult.uk/what-is-adhd/)
I think I might have ADHD. What should I do?
STEP 1: Screening
Use this online screening tool to identify if you have any traits of ADHD.
The screening tool can’t provide a diagnosis, but it can help you decide if further investigation is justified.
Clinical Partners – ADHD Screening Tool for Adults*
*Not affiliated with the University of Worcester. All online screening tools should be used with caution and do not replace or supersede a diagnosis by a trained professional. Other online screening tools are available.
STEP 2: Referral and ‘Right To Choose’
After using the screening tool, if you want to be assessed for ADHD by an appropriate professional, you will need to ask your GP for a referral.
Assessments are available through the NHS, or they can be paid for privately.
NHS assessment waiting times may be many months, or even years, depending on your local NHS trust.
If your GP is in England, you can use the ‘Right To Choose’ pathway. This is when you let your GP know where within the English NHS system you want to be referred to. NB – you can not use Right To Choose retrospectively; you must let your GP know where you want to be referred to before a referral is made. The default location your GP would otherwise refer you to is typically your local NHS trust. Right To Choose isn’t available if your GP is based outside of England.
There are numerous private organisations to which you can be referred for an ADHD assessment through the Right To Choose pathway, with the cost of the assessment being covered by the NHS.
Your local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) plans and pays for many NHS services in your area.
Across England, more people are seeking ADHD support than the NHS budget can currently cover. New NHS guidance allows ICBs to manage this by setting temporary rules about what they will fund at certain times.
This means an ICB may tell Right to Choose providers to temporarily stop booking some assessments. This pause usually stays in place until more funding is available.
Your GP may have a list of assessors whom they prefer to refer their patients to. You can also find assessors by using an internet search engine.
ADHD UK lists some providers and their current waiting times ADHD UK – Right to Choose Wait Times.
Other organisations include:
Organisations listed on this web page are for information purposes only. Inclusion shouldn’t be considered as either an endorsement or a recommendation. The University of Worcester hasn’t assessed the quality of any of the mentioned organisations.
STEP 3: Disabled Students’ Allowance and Reasonable Adjustments.
If you are diagnosed with ADHD, you should send the Disability and Dyslexia Service a copy of the letter confirming the assessment outcome and book an appointment with a Disability Adviser to discuss any adjustments you may need.
You may also be able to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance.
Please read our web page on Setting Up Your Support