Our Services
ADHD Assessment and Treatment
Many people come to us after years of wondering whether ADHD explains what they have been experiencing: trouble holding attention, staying organised, or finishing what they start. Others come after a child's assessment raises questions about their own history.
Mind Connections offers comprehensive ADHD assessment and treatment for adults, conducted by psychiatrists and psychologists with extensive experience in neurodevelopmental conditions.
What an ADHD assessment involves
Each clinician has their own approach. Generally it involves a detailed discussion of your current difficulties and how they affect work, study, home and relationships, along with your history going back to childhood. Your clinician may also use questionnaires, review old school reports, or seek information from people who know you well.
ADHD often overlaps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems and trauma. Telling these apart, or recognising when they occur together, is what a careful assessment is for.
An assessment does not always end in an ADHD diagnosis. If ADHD is not the explanation, your clinician will tell you what they think is, and what would help.
How long an ADHD assessment takes
This depends on the clinician as each has their own individual approach.
With a psychiatrist, assessment can take between one to three sessions depending on the case.
With our psychologist, assessment is completed in a single session that can take up to three hours (including report writing).
If you have already been assessed for ADHD elsewhere, please bring the report to your appointment. A thorough, formal assessment will be taken into account, but it does not replace our clinician's own clinical assessment. Assessments you have completed yourself are generally not accepted.
What an ADHD assessment costs
ADHD assessment with a psychiatrist is billed as standard psychiatry consultations. There is no separate ADHD package or assessment fee.
ADHD assessment with a psychologist is charged as a single fixed fee, and no Medicare rebate applies for the assessment. An appointment with a psychiatrist is still required for the prescription of any medication.
Please see our fees page for out-of-pocket costs.
Ongoing management
Several of our other psychiatrists provide ongoing ADHD management and prescribing following assessment. If you are already seeing a psychiatrist at Mind Connections, speak with them about ADHD directly.
ADHD in adults
ADHD is significantly under-diagnosed in adults, particularly in women, where inattentive symptoms are often missed in childhood.
Many adults seek assessment after a child's diagnosis prompts recognition of their own lifelong patterns, or after years of unexplained difficulty with organisation, focus, emotional regulation and follow-through. In adults, hyperactivity often becomes internal restlessness rather than anything visible, while the difficulties that cause the most trouble are usually organisation, time management and working memory.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral for an ADHD assessment?
For psychiatrist appointments, yes. A GP referral is required and allows you to claim a Medicare rebate.
For the psychologist ADHD assessment, no referral is needed to book. If you would like to claim a Medicare rebate you will need a referral/Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. The rebate applies to the assessment session only, not to the report.
Can I use an ADHD assessment I've had done somewhere else?
Please bring it or send it through. A thorough, formal assessment will be taken into account. It does not replace our own clinical assessment, and assessments you have completed yourself are not accepted.
How long does an ADHD assessment take?
A psychiatrist assessment usually takes one to three appointments depending on the case
The psychologist assessment is a single session that can take up to three hours, with a written report to follow.
Can adults be assessed, or is ADHD just a childhood condition?
ADHD persists into adulthood for the majority of people who had it as children, and many adults are diagnosed for the first time later in life. Adult assessment is a core part of the ADHD service at Mind Connections.
Will I have to take stimulant medication?
No treatment is compulsory. Your psychiatrist will explain the options, including stimulant and non-stimulant medications and non-medication strategies, with their benefits and considerations, and you decide together what suits you.
How quickly does ADHD medication work?
Stimulant medications typically take effect within an hour and wear off the same day, which allows relatively quick fine-tuning of the dose. Finding the right medication and dose usually takes a few weeks of monitored adjustment.
Can my ongoing ADHD reviews be done by telehealth?
In many cases, yes. Once your treatment is established, review appointments are often suitable for telehealth. Your psychiatrist will advise when in-person reviews are needed.
Does a diagnosis go on my record and affect my job or licence?
Your diagnosis is confidential medical information. Certain safety-critical occupations and driving authorities have their own disclosure requirements, and your psychiatrist can talk you through anything relevant to your circumstances.
Psychiatrists and psychologists
Who does ADHD assessments
Dr Diana Wang
Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist
Dr Shama Parveen
Consultant Psychiatrist
Mr Paul Salviani
Psychologist
Getting Started
Your first appointment, made simple
Visit our 'What to expect' page to learn more about the booking process.
Obtain a referral
For psychiatry, ask your GP for a referral. For psychology, ask your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan and referral. This is what enables your Medicare rebates.
Book online or call us
Choose your clinician, location and time online, 24/7, or call our friendly reception team and we'll find a time that suits.
Attend your appointment
In person or by telehealth. Your first session is about understanding you, your history and what you'd like help with.