Stonewater Therapy
ADHD Assessments for Children, Teens, and Adults
Understanding Attention, Executive Functioning, and Your Unique Strengths
Difficulties with attention, organization, impulsivity, or managing everyday responsibilities can affect school, work, relationships, and confidence. Identifying what may be contributing to these challenges is an important step toward finding meaningful support.
At Stonewater Therapy, ADHD assessments provide a thoughtful, individualized approach to exploring attention-related concerns, recognizing strengths and challenges, and determining whether ADHD may be contributing to everyday difficulties.
Whether you're seeking answers for yourself, your child, or your teen, the goal is to provide diagnostic clarity and individualized recommendations to help guide your next steps.
Understanding ADHD Assessments
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that can affect everyday functioning. Individuals may also experience challenges with executive functioning and emotional regulation. These difficulties can present differently across individuals and may change with age and environmental demands.
An ADHD assessment looks beyond individual symptoms to explore patterns of attention, behavior, developmental history, and how these concerns affect daily life.
The assessment process considers several important areas, including:
Individual Strengths
Personal abilities, interests, coping strategies, and areas of resilience.
Impulsivity and Activity Level
Patterns of restlessness, impulsive decision-making, or difficulty regulating activity.
Developmental and Personal History
When concerns first appeared, how they have developed over time, and how they affect functioning across different settings.
Executive Functioning
Challenges with planning, organization, time management, working memory, and task initiation.
Emotional and Behavioral Functioning
Difficulties with frustration tolerance, emotional regulation, or managing everyday demands.
Attention and Concentration
Difficulties sustaining attention, managing distractions, or following through on tasks.
Because difficulties with attention and executive functioning can also occur with anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep difficulties, and other concerns, the assessment process considers whether symptoms may be related to ADHD, another condition, or a combination of factors.
The goal is not simply to determine whether ADHD is present, but to provide a clearer picture of individual strengths and challenges and identify meaningful next steps.
When to Consider an ADHD Assessment
ADHD does not look the same for everyone. Some individuals experience noticeable difficulties with hyperactivity or impulsivity, while others struggle more quietly with attention, organization, or managing competing demands.
An assessment may be helpful when these patterns are persistent, affect everyday functioning, or raise questions about whether ADHD may be contributing to the challenges you're experiencing.
For Adults
Adults may seek an ADHD assessment when they notice:
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Ongoing difficulties with organization, planning, or time management
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Trouble starting tasks, maintaining focus, or completing projects
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Frequent procrastination despite strong intentions
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Feeling overwhelmed by competing responsibilities
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Difficulty managing deadlines, appointments, or everyday routines
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Restlessness, impulsivity, or difficulty slowing down
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Longstanding challenges that become more noticeable as work, family, or life demands increase
For Children and Teens
Parents and caregivers may consider an ADHD assessment when a child or teen experiences:
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Difficulty maintaining attention or completing schoolwork
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Frequent forgetfulness, disorganization, or losing important items
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Challenges following multistep directions or managing daily routines
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Restlessness, impulsivity, or difficulty waiting
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Frustration or emotional difficulties related to everyday expectations
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Challenges managing responsibilities at home, school, or in other activities
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Increasing difficulty keeping up as academic and developmental demands grow
Some adults begin considering ADHD after recognizing similar patterns in their children, learning more about ADHD, or noticing that longstanding challenges have become increasingly difficult to manage.
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You do not need to be certain that ADHD is the explanation before seeking an assessment. Diagnostic clarification can help identify what may be contributing to your concerns and guide appropriate next steps
What to Expect During an ADHD Assessment
An ADHD assessment involves gathering information from multiple sources to explore symptoms, developmental history, and everyday functioning. The process is tailored to each individual's age, presenting concerns, and clinical needs.
Step 1: Clinical Interview
We begin with a comprehensive clinical interview to explore current concerns, developmental and personal history, individual strengths, and how attention-related difficulties affect daily life.
For children and teens, the assessment typically includes parent or caregiver input along with developmentally appropriate participation from the child or adolescent.
Step 2: Standardized Assessment Measures
Standardized questionnaires and rating scales help identify patterns of attention, impulsivity, executive functioning difficulties, and related concerns.
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These measures provide valuable information but are considered alongside the clinical interview and other relevant information rather than used alone to determine a diagnosis.
Step 3: Additional Information When Appropriate
When helpful and available, information may be gathered from parents, teachers, partners, or others who can provide insight into functioning across different settings.
This additional perspective helps clarify how concerns appear in everyday life and whether similar patterns occur across environments.
Step 4: Clinical Interpretation
Information from the clinical interview, assessment measures, developmental history, and other relevant sources is considered together to determine whether ADHD diagnostic criteria are met.
This process also considers whether other conditions or circumstances may be contributing to the concerns.
Step 5: Results and Recommendations
Following the assessment, we review the findings, explain what they mean, and discuss individualized recommendations.
This conversation provides an opportunity to ask questions, understand the results, and explore appropriate next steps.
Additional information or assessment time may be recommended when needed to support an accurate and thorough clinical evaluation.
Understanding Your Results
The results of an ADHD assessment can provide valuable insight into patterns of attention, executive functioning, and everyday challenges. By considering both individual strengths and areas of difficulty, the findings can help guide decisions about treatment, support, and next steps.
Assessment findings may help clarify:
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Whether the available information supports an ADHD diagnosis
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How attention and executive functioning challenges affect daily life
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Whether other conditions or contributing factors may help explain the concerns
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Individual strengths and existing coping strategies
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What types of support, treatment, or accommodations may be beneficial
Recommendations Tailored to Your Needs
Depending on the assessment findings, recommendations may include:
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Individual therapy focused on ADHD-related challenges
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Strategies for organization, planning, and executive functioning
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Parent or caregiver support
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School-based supports or consideration of educational accommodations
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Workplace strategies or consideration of accommodations
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Consultation with a medical provider regarding treatment options
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Additional evaluation or referral when appropriate
Not every assessment results in an ADHD diagnosis. When ADHD criteria are not met, the findings can still provide useful information about the concerns that prompted the assessment and possible directions for support.
At Stonewater Therapy, assessment results are intended to provide meaningful information and individualized recommendations that support informed decisions about what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions
ADHD assessments at Stonewater Therapy start at $500. The assessment typically includes a clinical interview, standardized measures, interpretation of findings, and a follow-up discussion. Additional assessment time may be recommended depending on individual needs, which may affect the total cost. Fees and any additional services will be discussed before proceeding.
The clinical interview typically takes approximately two hours. The full assessment process also includes completing questionnaires, reviewing relevant information, interpreting findings, and discussing results. The overall timeline varies depending on individual needs and whether additional information is required.
An assessment is designed to determine whether the available clinical information supports an ADHD diagnosis. A diagnosis is provided when the appropriate diagnostic criteria are met. In some cases, the findings may suggest another explanation for the concerns or indicate that additional evaluation would be helpful.
Yes. Stonewater Therapy provides ADHD assessments for children, teens, and adults. The assessment process is adapted to developmental needs and may include parent or caregiver involvement and information from other relevant sources when appropriate.
A referral is generally not required to schedule an ADHD assessment at Stonewater Therapy. You can schedule directly or begin with a free consultation to discuss your concerns and determine whether an assessment may be appropriate.
Insurance coverage for ADHD assessments varies by plan, provider network, and included services. We can discuss current payment options and provide information about fees before scheduling. Please visit our Fees & Insurance page for additional details.
Assessment findings and recommendations will be reviewed with you during a follow-up discussion. The type of written documentation available depends on the assessment services provided and the purpose for which documentation is needed. We can discuss documentation needs before beginning the assessment.
Assessment findings may provide useful clinical information when exploring school or workplace supports. However, accommodation eligibility and documentation requirements vary by institution, employer, and program. Some settings may require additional testing or documentation beyond the scope of an ADHD assessment at Stonewater Therapy.
Take the First Step Toward Clarity and Understanding
Whether you're seeking answers for yourself, your child, or your teen, an ADHD assessment can help clarify your concerns and identify meaningful next steps. At Stonewater Therapy, we can discuss your concerns, answer questions about the assessment process, and explore whether an ADHD assessment may be appropriate for your needs.