ADHD and autism assessment pathway
NHS Ayrshire & Arran covers the East, North and South Ayrshire council areas, including the Isle of Arran, serving a population of more than 366,000. The board's CAMHS service includes a dedicated neurodevelopmental team, but new children's neurodevelopmental referrals are currently restricted.
The Ayrshire health and social care partnerships state they are "unable to process referrals for neurodevelopmental assessments for conditions such as Autism or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), except where there are additional mental health concerns". In those cases, children and young people can still be referred to CAMHS. New models of support are being developed. Confirm the current position with your GP, this situation may change.
Reviewed by ADHD Scot,
Current NHS waiting times (FOI, July 2026)
NHS Ayrshire & Arran responded to our Freedom of Information request on 9 July 2026. These are the median waits for people on the list at 25 June 2026. The board provided figures in days, we have converted them to weeks.
Child waits of around 160 weeks are just over three years, and these are children already on the list while new neurodevelopmental referrals are restricted. The adult autism list is unusually small for a board of this size, so the 28 week median may not reflect what a new referral would experience.
Getting your child assessed
Children's ADHD and autism assessment in Ayrshire sits within CAMHS, which serves ages 5 to 18 and includes a dedicated Neurodiverse CAMHS team (N-CAMHS). N-CAMHS assesses for autism, ADHD, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, developmental language disorder, developmental co-ordination disorder, and Tourette's and tics. The steps below describe the published pathway, but note the restriction above: new neurodevelopmental referrals are currently only being processed where there are additional mental health concerns.
Referrals to CAMHS come through the child or young person's school or education services, social work, or their GP. Speak to whichever of these knows your child best and ask them to refer.
Children are seen by the Specialist Community CAMHS team for an initial assessment before any neurodevelopmental assessment.
Phone: 01294 323 425 · Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm
If a neurodevelopmental assessment is needed, the child is seen by the Neurodiverse CAMHS team. Our FOI figures show the median wait for children already on the ADHD and autism lists is around three years.
Phone: 01294 322 046 · Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm
Assessment may lead to a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, or another neurodevelopmental condition. Support that does not require a diagnosis is available now through schools and NEST, see the support section below. If your child is already on a waiting list, confirm their position directly with CAMHS or your GP.
Getting assessed as an adult
The adult ADHD and autism referral pathway in NHS Ayrshire & Arran is not clearly documented publicly. Our FOI response confirms the board runs adult ADHD and adult autism waiting lists, and adults are referred by their GP to adult mental health or psychiatry services.
Request a referral for ADHD or autism assessment. Be specific about your symptoms and how they affect daily life, and mention that difficulties have been present since childhood. A completed ADHD screener or autism screener can support your conversation.
Your GP refers you to the appropriate NHS Ayrshire & Arran adult mental health or psychiatry service. Confirm with your GP which service they are referring you to and ask for a written record of when the referral was sent.
You will be placed on a waiting list. Our FOI figures show a median adult ADHD wait of 132.1 weeks, around 2 years 6 months. Contact NHS Ayrshire & Arran at nhsaaa.net to confirm current provision. If the wait is too long, consider private assessment.
While you wait, support and resources
You do not need a formal diagnosis to access most of the following resources. Given the current referral restriction for children, these routes are especially important for families in Ayrshire.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran resources
NEST, the Neurodevelopmental Empowerment and Strategy Team, is an NHS Ayrshire & Arran service funded by the three Ayrshire health and social care partnerships. It is open to anyone in Ayrshire, children, young people, or adults, seeking advice or support around autism, ADHD, FASD, or other neurodevelopmental differences. No diagnosis is needed.
Peer support in Ayrshire
Ayrshire has an independently run adult ADHD peer support network, listed on the Scottish ADHD Coalition's map of local groups. No diagnosis is needed to attend.
Scotland-wide support organisations
Your child's school rights, no diagnosis needed
Schools in Scotland are required to support children with additional needs under the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004. No diagnosis is required. Ask your child's school about a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP) or Individual Education Programme, these can be put in place while waiting for assessment.
If the wait for adult assessment is too long, our compare tool lists providers in central Scotland with filters for HIS registration, cost, and shared care support. Our shared care guide explains what happens after a private diagnosis.
References
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran, CAMHS services in Ayrshire and Arran
- North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, Neurodevelopmental support
- East Ayrshire Council, Neurodevelopmental differences and support
- NEST, Neurodevelopmental Empowerment and Strategy Team
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran, About us
- Scottish ADHD Coalition, Local groups in Scotland
- FOI response, NHS Ayrshire & Arran, 9 July 2026, provided in response to a request from ADHD Scot
- NAIT, Children's Neurodevelopmental Pathway Practice Framework (Scottish Government funded), May 2021
- Scottish Government, National Neurodevelopmental Specification: principles and standards of care for children and young people, 2021
- Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, ADHD and autism pathways and support, January 2026
- Scottish Parliament Research Briefing SB 25-25: Neurodevelopmental Pathways and Waiting Times in Scotland, June 2025
- Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004