ADHD Assessments
ADHD Assessments for Adults in Ontario
An ADHD assessment can help adults better understand longstanding difficulties with attention, concentration, organization, impulsivity, restlessness, executive functioning, or managing everyday responsibilities.
At the Centre for Psychodynamic Insights, we provide psychological assessments for adults who are wondering whether Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may help explain difficulties they have experienced at work, school, in relationships, or in daily life.
ADHD assessments are available virtually to patients located anywhere in Ontario. No referral is required.
Patients who are interested in beginning psychodynamic psychotherapy may book a consultation with one of our clinicians. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is available to patients across Canada.
What Is an ADHD Assessment?
An ADHD assessment is a structured psychological assessment designed to evaluate whether a person's experiences and functioning are consistent with ADHD.
ADHD can present differently from person to person. Some adults primarily experience difficulties sustaining attention, completing tasks, managing time, organizing responsibilities, or remembering important information. Others may experience impulsivity, internal restlessness, difficulty slowing down, emotional dysregulation, or a combination of these concerns.
For many adults, these patterns have been present since childhood but may have become more noticeable as academic, occupational, relational, or family responsibilities increased.
An assessment considers these concerns within the broader context of the person's developmental history, mental health, education, work functioning, relationships, and everyday life.
ADHD Assessment Options
We currently offer two ADHD assessment options for adults in Ontario:
Brief Adult ADHD Assessment | 8 hours | $2,800
The Brief Adult ADHD Assessment is intended for adults whose primary assessment question is whether ADHD may be present.
Comprehensive ADHD Assessment | 12 hours | $4,200
The Comprehensive ADHD Assessment provides a broader evaluation of attention, executive functioning, developmental history, psychological functioning, and other factors that may contribute to ADHD-like concerns.
For adults who are also wondering about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we offer an Adult ADHD/ASD Combo Assessment.
Adult ADHD/ASD Combo Assessment | 16 hours | $5,600
Hours and fees include assessment, scoring, clinical interpretation, report writing, documentation, and feedback.
Our Assessment Psychologist
Britta Boekamp, C.Psych.
Clinical Psychologist (Ontario)
What Can an ADHD Assessment Help Clarify?
An ADHD assessment may be helpful if you experience concerns such as difficulty concentrating, procrastination, losing track of tasks, poor time management, forgetfulness, disorganization, difficulty completing projects, impulsivity, restlessness, difficulty maintaining routines, or feeling chronically overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities.
It may also be useful for adults who have developed effective coping strategies but feel that maintaining organization, productivity, or attention requires substantially more effort than it seems to require for others.
Some people seek assessment after recognizing ADHD traits in themselves later in adulthood, while others have previously been told that their difficulties may be related to anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, or another mental health concern.
A psychological assessment can help examine these possibilities carefully rather than assuming that attention difficulties necessarily indicate ADHD.
What Can I Expect During an ADHD Assessment?
The assessment process begins with a clinical interview in which the clinician develops an understanding of your current concerns, developmental history, childhood experiences, education, employment, relationships, mental health history, and previous treatment or assessment experiences.
The assessment may also include standardized questionnaires and psychological measures examining areas such as attention, executive functioning, behaviour, emotional functioning, and other clinically relevant concerns.
When appropriate, information from previous school records, medical records, psychological assessments, or people who know you well may also contribute to the assessment.
The specific measures used depend on your individual presentation and the clinical questions being explored.
ADHD and Other Mental Health Concerns
Difficulties with attention, concentration, motivation, organization, or executive functioning are not unique to ADHD.
Similar concerns can sometimes occur in the context of anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep difficulties, chronic stress, autism, learning difficulties, emotional distress, or other psychological and medical factors.
For this reason, an ADHD assessment involves more than identifying a checklist of symptoms. The clinician considers alternative explanations and overlapping conditions in order to develop a clinically useful understanding of your functioning.
A diagnosis is not guaranteed. The goal of the assessment is to determine what explanation is most consistent with the available information and to provide recommendations based on your individual needs.
ADHD Assessment and Diagnosis
If the findings support a diagnosis of ADHD, your report may identify the diagnosis and describe how ADHD appears to affect your functioning.
The report may also include recommendations related to psychotherapy, workplace or educational accommodations, organizational strategies, executive functioning supports, medical consultation, or other appropriate services.
If ADHD is not identified, the assessment can still provide valuable information about factors contributing to your concerns and recommendations for next steps.
The purpose of assessment is not simply to assign a diagnosis, but to provide a clearer understanding of your strengths, difficulties, and support needs.
ADHD Assessment and Psychotherapy
An ADHD assessment may also be useful for people who are already participating in psychotherapy.
Understanding how attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, developmental experiences, and psychological patterns interact can help inform treatment planning and establish more individualized therapeutic goals.
Psychological assessment does not replace psychotherapy. Instead, it can provide additional information that helps patients and their healthcare providers better understand the difficulties they are experiencing.