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It is a question many parents ask. Both professionals can assess ADHD, but they may help your family in different ways.
A psychologist can explore your child’s attention and behaviour alongside their learning, emotions and day-to-day functioning. An educational psychologist may also assess whether learning difficulties are contributing to challenges at school. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can assess ADHD, consider medical factors and discuss medication when appropriate. Depending on your child’s needs, the two may work together.
There is no single test that confirms ADHD. An assessment should build a picture of the child over time and across settings. This usually means speaking with the family, gathering information from school, considering when the difficulties began and understanding how they affect daily life.
The clinician should also consider other possible explanations, such as sleep difficulties, anxiety or learning challenges. These can sometimes resemble ADHD or occur alongside it. Rating scales are useful, but their scores need to be understood in context. A child does not necessarily need every available cognitive or computerised attention test for an assessment to be thorough. Health Hub guideline on diagnosing ADHD.
Families may seek an assessment to understand classroom struggles, access suitable support or consider treatment. These are valid reasons to ask for help. The most useful outcome, however, is a clear explanation of what your child is experiencing and what support fits their needs—whether or not the assessment leads to an ADHD diagnosis.
If you are unsure where to begin, tell the professional what concerns you most: attention, behaviour, learning, emotions or medication. That conversation can help you decide which assessment or referral your child needs.
Considering an ADHD Assessment? Contact CHEERS to discuss your child’s concerns and the most suitable next step.
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