UK adult ADHD, in plain English

ADHD Assessment, Right to Choose & What Actually Helps

Wherever you are with ADHD, start with the right next step. We help you find an ADHD assessment (NHS Right to Choose or private), compare the products, supplements and tools that genuinely help, and understand ADHD in plain English. Independent and honest, all in one calm place.

We help with Spotting adult ADHD Getting assessed NHS Right to Choose Private assessment After a diagnosis Tools that help

Free to use and independent. Information, not a diagnosis. We point you to the right regulated assessment and support.

ADHD Helper is a UK ADHD authority for adults. We explain how to find an ADHD assessment through the NHS, NHS Right to Choose or a private provider, compare the tools and supplements people use to manage ADHD, and explain ADHD itself in plain English. We are information, not medical advice, and a diagnosis is for a registered clinician.

Not sure which one? Most people start by understanding NHS vs private assessment, then choose a route.

Finding an ADHD assessment

You have a legal right to choose where you are assessed on the NHS. We set out NHS Right to Choose and private routes side by side, so the path that fits you is clear.

Free ADHD tools, no email needed

Honest self-checks and cost calculators. Use them first, then decide your next step.

See all tools →

Understand ADHD

Plain-English explainers on what adult ADHD looks like in everyday life.

All explainers →

Things that help

Honest, independent picks. We may earn a commission, which never changes what we recommend.

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Compare and decide

Side-by-side comparisons of routes, support and medication groups.

All comparisons →
UK adult ADHD, by the numbers
3-4%
of adults are estimated to have ADHD.
Source: NICE, NG87
most
adults with ADHD remain undiagnosed in the UK.
Source: Royal College of Psychiatrists
legal right
to choose your NHS assessment provider in England.
Source: NHS Right to Choose
See all the statistics, fully sourced →

Common questions

How do I get an ADHD assessment in the UK?

There are three main routes: a standard NHS referral, NHS Right to Choose (which lets you pick an approved provider in England, often with a shorter wait), and a private assessment that you pay for. We explain each on the assessment hub, including how to compare NHS and private routes.

What is NHS Right to Choose for ADHD?

In England, you have a legal right to choose which approved provider carries out your NHS assessment, which can sometimes mean a shorter wait at no cost to you. We explain it plainly on the Right to Choose page.

Can an online test diagnose ADHD?

No. An online quiz cannot diagnose ADHD; only a registered clinician can, through a full assessment. We explain why on are online ADHD tests accurate. Everything on this site is information, not medical advice or a diagnosis.

Edited by Adam Parker, who has ADHD himself. Every explainer is researched against the NHS, NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, written in plain English, and grounded in lived experience of the assessment routes this site covers. Meet the editor →

ADHD Helper is an independent information service. This is information, not medical advice, and never a diagnosis. Only a registered clinician can diagnose or treat ADHD. See how we are funded.

AP

Adam Parker

Editor, ADHD Helper

Adam leads ADHD Helper's editorial coverage of adult ADHD, and he writes it from lived experience: Adam has ADHD himself, diagnosed as an adult, and has been through the assessment routes and the daily workarounds this site covers. He is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and researches the plain-English explainers on getting an ADHD assessment through NHS Right to Choose or privately, and on the products and tools people use to manage ADHD, drawing on guidance from the NHS, NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is clear that the site is information, not medical advice, and that diagnosis is for a registered clinician.

Last reviewed: 8 June 2026