For many families, this is where the question begins:
Could it be ADHD? And if so, does getting an ADHD assessment really make a difference?
At Nurovia, we know from experience the impact having an ADHD assessment can make on a child’s understanding of themselves and how they make sense of the world. This is the story of the ADHD journey one family experienced and the difference it made to them.
How an ADHD Assessment Helped Daniel
Daniel loves football, his PlayStation and chocolate. He attends the local primary school, has plenty of friends and sounds like a typical 11-year-old. Daniel and his family didn’t know why some things seemed to be a bit more challenging for him – until a teacher suggested referring him for an ADHD assessment.
Daniel’s Mum Sarah explains,
‘It’s funny in a way because I work for an Autism and ADHD service, yet when it came to Daniel, I didn’t recognise his ‘quirks’ as ADHD right away.’
She told us, ‘He has always been super chatty, to the point I often have to ask him for a break. And he’s always been either 100 miles per hour or like a sloth – with no in between! For years other family members have commented that he can’t sit still and constantly fidgets, but I just put it down to Daniel being Daniel.’
As he got older, Sarah started to recognise other challenges Daniel was having:
‘He would really struggle to remember things I had just told him. I started to encourage him to help with chores for pocket money, picking up his own lunch box or PE kit to take to school but he would always forget. He constantly loses his football socks or his shin pads, and I thought it was just his age.
The school approached me and shared that they had noticed Daniel wasn’t finishing his work in class, seemed not to be listening to the teacher and was struggling to remember the instructions for the work. They then suggested a referral for an ADHD assessment.’
Sarah shared this with Daniel and to her surprise he opened up more about some of the things he was finding difficult:
‘When my Mum said ADHD – I didn’t really know what it was. I just knew that things wouldn’t stick in my brain and that I was getting told off for looking at the ceiling and not doing my work. It was making me feel sad. Some of the boys in my class started to pick on me because they knew I would shout back and I just couldn’t help it.’
What Happens During an ADHD Assessment? Daniel’s Experience
Daniel went for his assessment and received a diagnosis of ADHD combined type. He relays his experience:
‘When I went, the lady asked me to do a thing on the laptop with lots of grey circles and crosses then asked me and Mum a load of questions and then they told me I have ADHD. They told me that ADHD means that sometimes I might be forgetful, that concentrating at school might be hard, I might feel like I have ‘ants in my pants’ and want to get up off my chair. I just thought “well, yeah, that’s what it’s like all the time being me” so it kind of made sense that I have it.’
Life After the ADHD Diagnosis: School & Emotional Impact
Since Daniel received his ADHD diagnosis, his school have offered more support and become more understanding of his needs:
‘Before I got my diagnosis, I think they just thought I was silly but now they give me extra time in my tests and I didn’t even need to ask! They print pictures of footballers and let me colour them while the teacher is talking then come over and check I have understood what to do. They just seem to get me now and I’m doing really good!’
Sarah shares the difference she has seen in Daniel as well:
‘We had noticed that Daniel’s confidence had started to drop and that his self-esteem was lower. However, when he received his diagnosis, he truly embraced it. It’s like something just clicked for him. When I ask him to do things and he forgets he’ll say “Well it’s just my ADHD Mum” rather than being hard on himself, and he is much more open to trying out strategies that might help him.
I honestly didn’t realise how powerful Daniel having this way of understanding himself would be. I never thought a ‘label’ would help him so much to just be kind to himself or just not get so angry or frustrated at things.’
Daniel gave us the final word about what his ADHD diagnosis means to him:
‘Having ADHD isn’t a bad thing – actually sometimes it’s kind of cool because I think of things that other people haven’t even thought of! I know now that concentrating is hard because I have ADHD not because I am stupid or other people are better than me. I have ADHD, my brain is a bit different but actually, I’m ok with that!’
How to Book an ADHD Assessment or Talk to a Specialist
If you would like more information and advice about the ADHD assessment process for parents and families, contact us today for a no-obligation chat.
You can also visit the FAQ section of our website to learn more about the common signs, symptoms, and traits of ADHD in children and the ADHD assessment process for a child.