NHS waits for child ADHD and autism assessment currently run between two and five years in many parts of the UK. For a child who is struggling now, that wait can mean lost school years, untreated emotional distress, and family relationships under sustained pressure. At MHW Clinic we offer private assessment for children and young people by a paediatric specialist team, with no referral required.
Educational information — not a substitute for clinical assessment
This page describes ADHD and autism in children in general terms to help you decide whether assessment may be helpful. It is not a diagnostic tool. If you recognise yourself in what follows, please book a consultation.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum condition (ASC) are neurodevelopmental conditions that affect how a child experiences the world, learns, communicates, and regulates emotions and behaviour. Both are common — ADHD affects around 5% of children and autism around 1–2%. Many children have features of both.
Neither condition is caused by parenting, vaccines, screen time, or diet. They are differences in how the developing brain processes information, present from early childhood. Early identification and the right support significantly improve outcomes for the child, the family, and their school journey.
This page focuses on assessment of children and young people aged 6 to 17. For under-6s, assessment usually involves a developmental paediatrician and we will signpost accordingly. For 18 and over, see our Adult ADHD page.
typical NHS wait for child ADHD/autism assessment in much of the UK. Private assessment is typically completed within 2–4 weeks.
ADHD in children typically presents as three patterns — predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or combined. The specific features must be present in more than one setting (home, school, social) and have been present from before the age of 12.
It’s normal for all children to show some of these behaviours sometimes. ADHD is considered when several features are present consistently, across more than one setting, are out of proportion to the child’s developmental age, and are causing significant difficulty.
Autism affects how a child communicates, relates to others, and processes sensory information. It is a spectrum — presentations vary enormously. Common features include:
Autism in girls is often missed or diagnosed late, partly because girls more commonly "mask" their difficulties — copying social behaviour they see in others. By the time difficulties surface (often in early teens), the child may also have anxiety, depression, or eating difficulties. We are particularly experienced in assessing girls and young women.
Around 30–50% of children with autism also meet criteria for ADHD, and vice versa. Co-occurrence is so common that our assessment routinely considers both, even when the parent or referrer is mainly thinking about one. Getting both diagnoses right matters — the supports differ, and missing one can lead to a child being treated for "anxiety" or "behaviour problems" when the underlying drivers are different.
Common co-occurring conditions we screen for during assessment include:
A proper child ADHD or autism assessment cannot be done in a single appointment, and we are honest about that. Our assessment follows NICE guidance and the National Autism Plan, includes evidence from multiple settings, and is structured to give you a diagnosis you can trust and use.
A 30–45 minute conversation with one of our specialist clinicians to hear from you about your concerns, discuss your child’s development, and decide whether full assessment is the right next step.
Standardised questionnaires for parents and (where appropriate) the school, completed before the main appointment. Tools commonly used include the Conners’ ratings (ADHD), the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
With your consent, we contact your child’s school for teacher observations. This is essential — NICE guidance requires evidence from at least two settings. We can also ask the school’s SENCO to share existing observations.
A 90–120 minute appointment that includes:
You receive a clear written report, a verbal explanation, and a chance to ask questions before anything is decided. The report is suitable to share with school, the GP, and other professionals as you wish.
Diagnosis is the beginning, not the end. The support that helps depends on the child, the family, the school setting, and the diagnoses confirmed. We discuss options with you including:
A diagnostic report from a private specialist is recognised by schools in England and forms part of the evidence for special educational needs support (SEN Support) and, where needed, Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications. The local authority is not obligated to accept any single report, but a comprehensive private assessment carries weight.
What we provide that helps the school:
A neurodevelopmental diagnosis affects the whole family, not just the diagnosed child. Common themes we help with:
Consider booking an initial consultation if your child:
No. You can book directly. We recommend that we share the assessment outcome with your child’s NHS GP and school (with your consent), but no referral is needed to access our service.
From first contact to diagnostic report typically 4–8 weeks, depending on availability and how quickly school information comes back. The clinic time itself is about 2–3 hours across the consultations.
This is common and expected. Our specialist clinicians are experienced at engaging children of different ages and presentations. We see children where they’re comfortable, take breaks, and use play, drawing or conversation depending on age. We don’t require a child to "perform" for diagnosis — observation alongside parent and school information is what matters.
With your consent we write to your NHS GP after diagnosis. This is standard practice and recommended for continuity of care. Your child’s diagnosis becomes part of their NHS medical record — this is in their interest for later life (access to medication, reasonable adjustments at university and work, disability protections).
This happens, and we will be straight with you. Many children referred for assessment have other explanations — anxiety, attachment, learning differences, sensory processing differences, or simply normal variation in a stressful environment. We’ll explain why and signpost you to the right help.
Yes, in many cases. Once stable on a treatment plan, some NHS GPs and ICBs accept ongoing prescribing under a shared-care agreement. This is becoming less common in 2026 — many NHS Trusts and ICBs are not accepting new shared-care from private providers, particularly for paediatric ADHD/autism. It depends entirely on local NHS policy. We’ll provide everything your GP needs to make a decision, but we cannot guarantee they will agree.
Many girls with autism present differently from the classic textbook picture — with strong social masking, anxiety, eating difficulties, or perfectionism — and are commonly missed by under-resourced services. Our team has specific experience assessing girls and young women, and uses tools and observation methods sensitive to female-presenting autism.
Children with ADHD or autism often have anxiety, low mood, learning differences, sensory difficulties, or sleep problems alongside. Our assessment looks at the whole picture rather than focusing narrowly on one diagnosis. We signpost to the right additional support — psychology, occupational therapy, speech & language, or paediatric medicine — as part of the plan.
Yes, generally. UK schools are required to consider all medical evidence when planning support for a child with SEN. A comprehensive private specialist report is normally accepted and used by schools to plan support and apply for additional resources.
Care at MHW Clinic is delivered by a small clinical team, with Dr Haydar Bolat as Clinical Director. The specific clinicians involved in your care depend on the plan agreed with you at consultation.
UK-registered GP and Clinical Director at MHW. Oversees clinical governance of the paediatric assessment service. Day-to-day assessment of children is led by paediatric specialist clinicians (see below).
View profileChildren and young people are seen by clinicians with paediatric mental health competencies as part of a wider specialist team. Where indicated, paediatric psychiatry, child psychology, occupational therapy and speech & language input is arranged. The specific team composition depends on your child’s individual needs and is discussed at the initial consultation.
Languages spoken across the team: English, Turkish, Bulgarian, Bengali, Hindi, Albanian, Azerbaijani, German, Romanian. We can also arrange professional telephone interpreters in most other languages at no extra cost. More on languages and interpreters →
This page was reviewed by Dr Haydar Bolat, Clinical Director at MHW Clinic. Content is based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines NG87 (ADHD), NG142 (autism in under-19s) and CG142 (adults), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and current UK clinical practice and current UK clinical practice. It is updated when guidance changes. Educational information only — not a substitute for clinical assessment.
Book an initial consultation to discuss assessment for your child. No GP referral needed, typically seen within 2–4 weeks.