Adult ADHD Assessment in Melbourne: In Clinic or by Telehealth
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in adults, yet it remains significantly underdiagnosed. Many adults have lived with ADHD symptoms for decades without knowing, their issues attributed instead to laziness, poor organisation, anxiety, depression or low self-esteem. A formal assessment and therapy can make a real difference to daily life.
This page covers ADHD assessment for adults specifically. For children and teenagers, see our child ADHD assessment guide.
The Behavioural Neurotherapy Clinic (BNC) in Doncaster provides comprehensive ADHD assessments for adults of all ages, including those seeking a late diagnosis. Our registered psychologists use validated assessment tools aligned with the Australian AADPA Clinical Practice Guideline for ADHD (2022). Assessments can be face to face or by ZOOM telehealth.
Why Adults Are Often Diagnosed Late in Life
ADHD in adults frequently looks different from the hyperactive child stereotype. Adult presentations often involve:
🧠 Cognitive symptoms
- Chronic difficulty concentrating
- Poor working memory
- Trouble starting or finishing tasks
- Chronic procrastination
- Easily overwhelmed by demands
💼 Occupational & daily life
- Underperformance relative to intellect
- Disorganisation; losing items frequently
- Missing deadlines; poor time management
- Job instability or frequent career changes
- Financial difficulties
😔 Emotional symptoms
- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
- Mood swings; emotional dysregulation
- Low self-esteem and self-criticism
- Chronic feelings of underachievement
- Anxiety or depression (often secondary)
🤝 Relationships
- Difficulty listening attentively
- Impulsive speech or interrupting
- Forgetting important dates or commitments
- Relationship strain due to disorganisation
Is It Time to Get Assessed?
An assessment may be worth considering if several of these have been true for most of your life, not just during a stressful period:
- You have always struggled to start, organise or finish tasks, even ones that matter to you.
- You lose track of time, miss deadlines or run late despite real effort.
- You find it hard to stay focused in meetings, conversations or reading, yet can hyperfocus on things that interest you.
- You feel restless, act on impulse or interrupt others more than you would like.
- Your results at school, university or work have not reflected your ability.
- A child or relative has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and their experiences sound familiar.
Our adult ADHD assessment checklist walks through the common signs in more detail. A checklist cannot diagnose ADHD, but it can help you decide whether a full assessment is worthwhile.
ADHD in Women: A Frequently Missed Diagnosis
Women and girls with ADHD are significantly more likely to be underdiagnosed. ADHD in females tends to present with more inattentive symptoms and less obvious hyperactivity, making it easier to overlook. Masking, the conscious effort to appear neurotypical, is more common in women and can delay diagnosis by decades.
The 2026 Victorian ADHD Reforms
New in 2026: the Victorian Government has announced reforms allowing trained GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD, in addition to the existing pathways through psychologists, psychiatrists and paediatricians. Read our full guide to the 2026 reforms to see which pathway suits your situation.
What Does an Adult ADHD Assessment at BNC Involve?
Referral & Initial Enquiry
Contact BNC by phone or email. Obtain a GP referral for a Mental Health Care Plan to access Medicare rebates. Your referral can be emailed to [email protected].
Clinical Interview (Session 1)
A registered psychologist conducts a detailed developmental and clinical history, covering childhood symptoms, education, employment, relationships, medical history and current concerns.
Standardised Testing (Session 2)
Validated ADHD rating scales (e.g., Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales), cognitive assessments of attention and executive function, and screening for co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression and ASD.
Feedback & Report (Session 3)
Your psychologist presents the findings and provides a comprehensive written report documenting your cognitive profile and evidence-based recommendations for treatment and support.
Assessment Tools We Use
Every adult ADHD assessment at BNC combines a structured clinical interview with validated rating scales and cognitive testing, in line with the AADPA guideline. Depending on your history, your psychologist will draw on:
- DIVA-5 (Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults): a structured interview that maps your current and childhood symptoms against the DSM-5 criteria.
- CAARS (Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales): self-report and observer ratings of current ADHD symptoms.
- ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale): completed by you, with an observer version completed by someone who knows you well.
- WURS (Wender Utah Rating Scale): a retrospective measure of ADHD symptoms in childhood.
- BRIEF-A (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Adult Version): everyday executive function such as planning, organisation and working memory.
- WAIS-IV (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale): a cognitive profile that helps distinguish ADHD from other learning or cognitive difficulties.
In some cases a QEEG and the T.O.V.A. (Test of Variables of Attention) may be used as adjuncts. They add information to the clinical picture but are not diagnostic tests on their own. The diagnosis rests on the clinical interview and rating scales.
What You Receive: Your Written Report
At the feedback session your psychologist explains the findings and gives you a written report. It typically covers:
- whether you meet the criteria for ADHD, and which presentation (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive or combined)
- any co-occurring conditions identified, such as anxiety, depression or autism
- your cognitive and executive function profile
- practical recommendations for treatment, work and study
You can share the report with your GP or a psychiatrist if you want to discuss medication, and with your employer, university or TAFE when requesting reasonable adjustments. Psychologists do not prescribe medication. Under the 2026 Victorian ADHD reforms, trained GPs as well as psychiatrists can now treat ADHD.
Telehealth Adult ADHD Assessment Across Australia
You can complete your adult ADHD assessment by secure video call from anywhere in Australia. The clinical interview and feedback session work well online, and rating scales are completed electronically before your sessions. Some cognitive tests, such as parts of the WAIS-IV, give the most reliable results in person, so your psychologist will let you know if a visit to our Doncaster clinic is recommended. Your report is delivered electronically either way.
How Long Does It Take?
Most adult assessments are completed over three sessions: a clinical interview, standardised testing and a feedback session. Wait times for a first appointment are usually 1 to 2 weeks. See our ADHD assessment wait times guide for a comparison with other services, or our page on ADHD assessment in Melbourne's eastern suburbs if you live near Doncaster, Box Hill or Ringwood.
After Diagnosis: Treatment Options for Adults
BNC offers a multimodal treatment approach for adult ADHD aligned with AADPA guidelines:
- Behavioural therapy and coaching: Evidence-based strategies for time management, organisation, task initiation and emotional regulation
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Addressing the secondary anxiety, depression and low self-esteem that often accompany adult ADHD
- Nutritional support: BNC is one of very few Melbourne clinics to offer dietary and nutritional assessment as part of ADHD management
- Medication referral: Where medication is appropriate, BNC will provide a referral and liaison letter for your GP or psychiatrist
- Workplace and study support letters: Formal documentation to support workplace adjustments or university disability support services
Costs, Rebates & Health Fund Cover
From $1,250 for a straightforward ADHD assessment with no co-occurring conditions. The final cost depends on complexity and any comorbidities identified during the clinical interview — your psychologist will confirm this with you before proceeding.
| Item | Cost / Rebate |
|---|---|
| Adult ADHD Assessment (straightforward, no comorbidities) | From $1,250 |
| Assessment with complexity / comorbidities | Quoted individually — confirmed before your first session |
| Medicare rebate (with valid GP Mental Health Care Plan) | $101.55 per session (standard Medicare rebate for an eligible psychologist session under a GP Mental Health Care Plan) — the exact rebate depends on which Medicare item number applies to your appointment, per current Medicare rules |
| Private health fund cover | Rebates may apply depending on your fund and level of extras cover — we recommend checking with your provider before your appointment |
Please note: Medicare rebate amounts depend on the specific item number used for your appointment and are subject to Medicare rules, which can change. The figures above are a guide only — our team will confirm your exact costs and any applicable rebates before your assessment begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to get an adult ADHD assessment in Melbourne?
Contact BNC today to discuss your situation.
Updated on: 04/10/2026 by Dr Jacques Duff-PhD; BA Psych; Grad Dip Applied Psychology; FANSA; Clinical Neuroscientist
Reviewed on: 28/08/2026 by: Bernard Ferriere-BA; Grad Dip Applied Psychology; Dip Clinical Hypnosis; MAPS; Clinical Psychologist