Getting your child assessed for ADHD or autism in Scotland

Recognising that something needs investigating

Children with ADHD or autism are often struggling long before a formal assessment takes place. They may find school harder than their peers, have difficulty with friendships, become overwhelmed in ways that seem disproportionate, or be labelled as disruptive, anxious, or simply not trying hard enough.

If you have noticed a pattern of difficulty, not a one-off bad week, but a persistent picture across home and school, it is worth taking seriously. A formal assessment does not change who your child is. It gives everyone around them a clearer picture of how their brain works and opens the door to appropriate support.

You do not need to be certain before asking for a referral. That is what assessment is for.

How to get a referral in Scotland

In Scotland, the main route to assessment is through your GP. GPs cannot diagnose ADHD or autism, but they can and should refer your child on for specialist assessment if there are reasonable grounds to do so.

Before the GP appointment, it helps to:

• Write down the specific patterns you have observed at home, not a general sense that things are hard, but concrete examples: sleep difficulties, meltdowns after school, inability to sit through meals, difficulty following multi-step instructions, obsessive interests, sensory sensitivities, social difficulties
• Ask the school for written observations. A short letter from a class teacher or support for learning teacher describing what they have noticed is more useful than your verbal account of what the teacher told you
• Note how long these patterns have been present. ADHD and autism are neurodevelopmental, traits must have been present from early development, even if they were not obvious until demands increased

At the appointment:

Be direct. Ask for a referral to CAMHS or a neurodevelopmental team for assessment of possible ADHD or autism. You do not need to use clinical language, but naming what you are asking for helps. GPs see a very wide range of concerns and clarity moves things forward.

If the GP declines to refer, ask them to note the reason in writing. You have the right to a second opinion from another GP at the same practice.

What happens after referral

Your child's referral will typically go to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), a community paediatrics team, or, where they exist, a dedicated neurodevelopmental team. Which service handles the referral depends on your local health board and your child's age.

CAMHS in Scotland serves children and young people up to age 18, with some health boards extending this to 25 for continuity of care. Not all CAMHS services offer neurodevelopmental assessment directly, in some areas this is routed through paediatrics or a separate ND pathway.

After referral, your child will be placed on a waiting list. The wait before a first appointment varies enormously by health board.

Waiting times across Scotland

NHS waiting times for children's neurodevelopmental assessment are among the longest for any health condition in Scotland.

According to the Scottish Parliament research briefing SB 25-25 (June 2025), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire, and NHS Lothian each had children's waiting lists exceeding 7,000 at that time. NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Highland, and NHS Orkney reported median waiting times of over two years for children. Some children across Scotland have waited over five years. These figures are from June 2025 and the position may have changed. For ongoing official figures, Public Health Scotland publishes CAMHS waiting times each quarter, though these cover all children's mental health referrals and are not broken down by ADHD or autism.

Waiting times differ significantly depending on where you live. The 14 Scottish health boards are:

Ayrshire & Arran · Borders · Dumfries & Galloway · Fife · Forth Valley · Grampian · Greater Glasgow & Clyde · Highland · Lanarkshire · Lothian · Orkney · Shetland · Tayside · Western Isles

ADHD Scot has submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 14 health boards and publishes the responses as they arrive. View current waiting times by health board →

The Scottish Government is developing a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill, which would create statutory duties around neurodevelopmental assessment and support in Scotland. It is still in development and has not yet been enacted.

What a paediatric assessment involves

Paediatric ADHD and autism assessments are typically more extensive than adult assessments, often involving multiple sessions and several sources of information:

Parental or carer interview The clinician will take a detailed developmental history, pregnancy and birth, early milestones, how your child's traits have developed over time. They will ask about behaviour at home, friendships, sleep, sensory responses, and how your child manages change. This is one of the most important parts of the assessment. Prepare for it. Bring notes.

School information Clinicians will request information from school, usually in the form of standardised rating scales completed by a class teacher. Common tools include the Conners 3 (ADHD) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for both ADHD and autism.

Direct assessment with your child The clinician will spend time with your child directly. For autism, this often includes use of the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition), a structured set of activities and interactions observed by a trained clinician. For ADHD, direct observation and interview with the child is part of the picture, alongside the information gathered from you and school.

Multi-disciplinary assessment For children, particularly for autism, NHS services often use a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) including a psychiatrist or paediatrician, a clinical or educational psychologist, and sometimes a speech and language therapist or occupational therapist. MDT assessments take longer to complete but are more thorough.

Written report At the end of the process, you should receive a written diagnostic report explaining the findings, the tools used, and the clinical reasoning. This report matters, it is what you will take to school, to your local authority, and to any future services. Ask about turnaround time before the assessment.

Private assessment for children

Some families choose to go private because NHS waits are too long, because NHS neurodevelopmental provision does not exist in their health board area, or because they want an assessment before key transition points such as primary to secondary school.

Private child assessments are available in Scotland but fewer providers offer them than offer adult assessments. Costs are typically higher, combined ADHD and autism assessments for children can cost considerably more than adult equivalents due to the time and often multi-disciplinary involvement required.

When comparing private providers for children, look for:

• HIS registration. Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is Scotland's independent healthcare regulator. Services involving medical practitioners or nurses are required to register; psychology-led services with no medical practitioners are not. Our Compare providers tool shows current HIS status for each listed provider. Our regulation page explains the difference in full.
• Experience in paediatric neurodevelopmental assessment specifically. This is a different skill set from adult assessment.
• Use of validated instruments. ADOS-2 for autism, Conners 3 for ADHD. Ask before you book what tools are used.
• Report quality. The written report from a private assessment needs to be detailed enough to be accepted by your local authority education department and by any future NHS services.

Compare providers, filter for child assessments →

After a diagnosis, schools and support

An ADHD or autism diagnosis does not automatically trigger school support, but it is a significant piece of evidence that your local authority education department and your child's school should take seriously.

Scotland's Additional Support for Learning (ASL) framework is the legal basis for school support. Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, children who have needs which require additional support are entitled to have those needs identified and addressed.

What this means in practice:

• Schools have a duty to identify children with additional support needs and to make appropriate provision
• A diagnosis of ADHD or autism is strong evidence of additional support needs, though a diagnosis is not required, need is what matters
• For children with significant and complex needs, a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) can be requested, this is a legally binding document, reviewed annually, involving the school, local authority, and external agencies
• More commonly, schools use an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or Personalised Learning Plan (PLP) to set out what support is in place
• Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 also apply, for example, extra time in exams, a separate room, assistive technology

Talk to the school directly after a diagnosis. Request a meeting with the class teacher (if primary) or the guidance teacher if secondary, and the school's Additional Support Needs lead teacher such as the Principal Teacher (PT)/Curriculum Leader (CL) of ASN (these job titles can vary depending on your local authority if your child is in a local authority school). Bring the written report. Ask what support is already in place and what additional provision will be made.

If you feel the school or local authority is not meeting your child's needs, ENQUIRE is Scotland's national independent helpline and advice service for additional support for learning. They can advise on your rights and help you navigate the system.

Resources for parents

• ENQUIRE, Scotland's national advice service on additional support for learning. Free, independent helpline and online resources covering ASL rights, CSPs, and disputes.
• Epic Think Learn, specialist neurodivergent coaching and educational support.
• NHS Inform, Mental health, NHS Scotland's information on mental health conditions and services, including CAMHS.
• Scottish Government National Neurodevelopmental Specification, the Scottish Government's principles and standards of care for neurodevelopmental services for children and young people.
• Children in Scotland, umbrella organisation for children's organisations in Scotland, with resources on advocacy and support.
• ADHD Scot NHS waiting times →, current waiting time data for all 14 Scottish health boards, gathered through Freedom of Information requests.

Resources for teachers

Teachers are often the first to notice that a child is struggling in ways that go beyond the ordinary. If you are concerned about a pupil:

• Speak to the school's Additional Support Needs lead member of staff - often this is the Principal Teacher of ASN (especially in secondary schools) or the Support/Pastoral link deputy head with this remit. They can advise on what can be put in place within the school before and during the referral process.

For staff involved with ASN support:

• An educational psychologist (EP) can be requested through the local authority. An EP cannot diagnose ADHD or autism, but they can assess learning needs and support the school in putting appropriate provision in place.
• You can encourage parents to seek a GP referral. Providing a short written summary of what you have observed, specific behaviours, in what contexts, over what period of time, is more useful than a verbal description and carries more weight with the GP and CAMHS. Ask teaching staff who work with the learner to comment on how thet present in their class. Useful support tools include the CIRCLE framework who have resources that can help - www.thirdspace.scot/circle/education-resources/
• Education Scotland, Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 sets out the legal framework and the duties on schools for supporting learners with additional support needs.
• GTCS Additional Support Needs resources brings together the General Teaching Council for Scotland's resources for teachers on additional support needs.
• ENQUIRE for professionals, guidance specifically for education professionals on ASL rights and practice.
• CIRCLE Education Resources, free downloadable resources from the CIRCLE research team at Third Space Scotland, covering inclusion in practice for primary and secondary school staff.