An initial assessment of your mental and physical health. This might include:

• Discussion around your reason for referral

• General questions about your life

• Physical examination (eg. blood pressure) or referral to the GP for a physical examination

• Request of information from others (eg. GP, relatives, teachers, social worker)

Following the initial assessment, your psychiatrist might prescribe medication or make recommendations for alternative treatments.

The number of appointments with the psychiatrist and the length of appointment will vary based on individual need.

A medication review will examine the following:

• What medication you take

• The dose

• When you take it

You can ask questions or share concerns. Your psychiatrist will support you with your treatment plan.

A detailed ADHD assessment may include:

• A physical examination

• Interviews with the client/ patient

• Interviews or reports from other significant people (eg. partner, parent/ carer, teacher, social worker

The assessment report will highlight:

• Whether the client/ patient meets the criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Treatment plan (which may include medication)

You can read more about ADHD and the criteria for diagnosis here.

An Autism Spectrum (ASD) assessment for children may include:

• Questions about your child’s development

• Observation of the child and parent/ carer

• Reading of any reports from the child’s GP, nursery or school

• Questions about medical history

• Physical examination

An Autism Spectrum (ASD) assessment for adults may include:

• A questionnaire about yourself

• Conversation/ interview with someone who knew you as a child

• Reading of any reports from the GP or other professionals

The assessment report will highlight:

• Whether the client/ patient meets the criteria for Autism Spectrum diagnosis

• What the client/ patient might need support with (eg. social interaction, communication, behaviours, sensitivity)

• What are the client/ patient and parent/ carer (if appropriate) strengths

You can read more about Autism here.