ADHD assessment for children: how it works in Australia

An ADHD assessment for a child in Australia usually starts with your GP. The GP refers your child to a paediatrician, child psychiatrist or psychologist with ADHD experience. There's no single test. The clinician puts together interviews with you and your child, questionnaires from home and school, and your child's developmental and medical history. They also check for other conditions before deciding whether your child meets the criteria for ADHD.^[][]

This guide covers who does what, the steps, what to bring, and how public and private pathways differ. For what ADHD is and how therapy helps afterwards, see our ADHD page.

Who can diagnose ADHD in children

Several professionals can be involved, and they have different roles.^[][]

• Paediatricians can assess, diagnose and prescribe ADHD medication.
• Child and adolescent psychiatrists can assess, diagnose and prescribe.
• Psychologists can assess and diagnose.
• GPs are usually the first stop and make the referral. Several states are introducing GP-led ADHD care, where GPs who complete extra training can diagnose and prescribe. Ask your GP what's available where you live.

Psychologists can assess for ADHD, but they can't prescribe medication. If your child is diagnosed by a psychologist and you want to consider medication, a paediatrician will need to assess your child and confirm the diagnosis first.^[]

GP diagnosis is changing. In Victoria, some GPs are being trained from September 2026 to diagnose, treat and prescribe for ADHD in children aged 6 and over.^[] The rules differ between states, so ask your GP what applies where you live.

The steps in an ADHD assessment

The exact order varies between clinicians, but most families go through something like this.

1. Write down what you're seeing. Note specific examples from home, school and activities, and when they started.
2. See your GP. The GP can do general health checks and refer your child on. Vision and hearing tests may be part of the picture.^[]
3. Get a referral. The GP refers your child to a paediatrician, psychiatrist or psychologist.^[][]
4. Have the assessment. Expect interviews with you, your child and other carers, plus questionnaires completed by you and your child's teacher. The clinician will also take a medical, developmental and family history and may observe your child.^[][] Some children also have learning, language, speech or movement assessments.^[]
5. Check for other explanations. Many things besides ADHD can affect attention and behaviour, such as anxiety or autism. The clinician has to rule these out or identify them alongside ADHD.^[]
6. Get feedback. You hear the outcome, usually get a written report, and talk through next steps.

To diagnose ADHD, the clinician looks for signs that started before age 12, have lasted at least six months, and show up in two or more settings, such as home and school. The signs must also significantly affect everyday life and not be better explained by another condition.^[]

What to prepare

Good preparation saves time and gives the clinician a fuller picture. Gather these before the first appointment:

• school reports and any written comments from teachers or your child's early childhood educator
• the parent and teacher questionnaires, completed and returned early if the clinic sends them ahead
• notes on milestones, such as when your child first walked and talked, and any early concerns
• medical history, including sleep, hearing and vision results, and any medications
• family history of ADHD, learning difficulties or mental health conditions
• reports from any previous speech pathology, occupational therapy or psychology assessments
• a short list of real examples, such as what mornings or homework time look like

It also helps to ask the clinic these questions when you book:

• Is a teacher questionnaire included, and who sends it to the school?
• Does the fee include a feedback session and a written report?
• If my child is diagnosed, can you prescribe, or will we need a paediatrician as well?

What the Australian ADHD guideline says

Australia has a national clinical guideline for ADHD, developed by the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association and approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council. It was released in October 2022 and is endorsed by professional bodies including the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.^[]

A few of its recommendations matter most for families going through an assessment:^[]

• A diagnosis needs a thorough assessment by an appropriately trained clinician.
• The assessment should include a history and examination to look for medical causes of the symptoms, and should check for other conditions.
• Screening questionnaires on their own aren't enough. A positive screen should be followed by a full clinical assessment.
• For young children, an expert in child development and early childhood ADHD should be involved.
• Parent or family training should be offered to families of children with ADHD.

If a clinician makes a diagnosis after one short appointment and a single checklist, you can ask how their process fits the guideline.

Public and private pathways

Public. Public hospital paediatric clinics and community child development services assess children for ADHD.^[] Medicare and the public hospital system let eligible people get care free or at low cost.^[] The trade-off is waiting time. Evidence given to a 2023 Senate inquiry described long waits for public assessments. WA Health, for example, reported public waits for children of around 24 to 29 months at the time.^[] Waits differ by region and change over time, so ask your GP about current local options.

Private. You can see a private paediatrician, psychiatrist or psychologist. You can only claim a Medicare benefit for a medical specialist if you have a current referral from your GP.^[] The same Senate inquiry heard that out-of-pocket costs were a major barrier, and one parent told the inquiry that neither Medicare nor their private health insurance covered any of the assessment.^[] Fees vary widely. Ask for a written quote that says what's included before you book.

Many families do both. They join a public waitlist and book privately if they can, or use a GP-led assessment where their state offers one.

After the assessment

If your child is diagnosed, the next step is a plan that fits your child. That might include parent training, classroom adjustments, child psychology for emotional regulation, occupational therapy for day-to-day skills, and, if you choose, a medication discussion with a doctor. If the assessment doesn't find ADHD, help is still available from psychologists, occupational therapists and other professionals for whatever is making things hard.^[]

If you're also wondering about funding, read whether ADHD qualifies for the NDIS and how Medicare rebates work.

Start with your GP if you're worried, and bring the school reports. If you'd like to talk about therapy support after a diagnosis, you can send Hey Sprout an enquiry.