ADHD and autism assessment pathway
NHS Grampian covers Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. Adult ADHD and autism assessments are provided by the area Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs), and NHS Grampian reports figures for each. In October 2026 the board told us there is "no active service" in Aberdeenshire, and that Moray has an adult ADHD waiting list but "no current service".
Aberdeenshire's adult autism and ADHD assessment pathways were paid for by non-recurring Scottish Government funding, which ceased in July 2024; the HSCP continued the service until 31 March 2025 using funding from another area that was underspent that financial year. In February 2025 Aberdeenshire's Integration Joint Board agreed the pathways would end, and the service and its waiting list closed on 31 March 2025 (report to Aberdeenshire IJB, 28 January 2026). NHS Grampian's Adult Autism Assessment Team accepts referrals from adults registered with a GP practice in Aberdeen City and Moray. Confirm the current position with your GP.
Reviewed by ADHD Scot,
What's available where you live
NHS Grampian reports adult figures separately for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. Figures are from NHS Grampian's FOI responses of 17 July 2026 (ref FOI/2026/531) and 20 October 2026 (ref FOI/2026/801).
How long adults wait
Median wait, October 2026 · scale 0 to 5 yearsAberdeen City
Adult ADHD
198 weeks median wait, about 3 years 10 months
1,950 waiting (July: 1,823, 194 weeks). Longest wait 217 weeks; 1,105 have waited over two years. Referral through your GP.
Adult autism
129 weeks median wait, about 2 years 6 months
Refer yourself to the Adult Autism Assessment Team. The board gives one figure for Aberdeen City and Moray together: 1,921 waiting. It does not report the two areas separately.
Moray
Adult ADHD
No current service
578 people are on a waiting list that has been open since September 2021 (July: 567).
Adult autism
129 weeks median wait, combined with Aberdeen City
Refer yourself to the Adult Autism Assessment Team. The board does not give a separate Moray figure; its combined figure for Aberdeen City and Moray is 1,921 waiting.
Aberdeenshire
Adult ADHD and autism
No active service
The pathways closed on 31 March 2025 and the board confirmed in October 2026 that there is no active service. If you are thinking about going private, read our shared care guide first.
Children, all areas
School-age
Neurodevelopmental referrals go through the school, not the GP, to Community Child Health. CAMHS is for mental-health concerns.
Waiting lists
710 waiting for a first CAMHS triage appointment, all conditions (31 August 2026; 30 June 2026: 682). 2,220 on the Community Child Health list in July, around 49 weeks urgent and 70 weeks routine.
About these figures
- 33 adult assessments were completed across Aberdeen City and Moray between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026. We asked for Aberdeen City adult ADHD only; the board answered for both areas together.
- The CAMHS count covers everyone waiting for a first triage appointment, for any condition; the board cannot split it into ADHD and autism (Section 17). 6 of the 710 had waited more than 18 weeks. A first triage appointment is not an assessment.
- The October response does not give a date for the adult figures, and did not update the Community Child Health list.
- The Community Child Health list includes children referred for ADHD, autism, developmental delays and other conditions, not separated in the data.
July 2026 figures in full (first FOI response)
Adults, Aberdeen City HSCP
Adult ADHD and autism assessments in Aberdeen City are managed separately by the Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership.
Adults, Aberdeenshire HSCP
Aberdeenshire HSCP confirmed it does not hold a waiting list or pathway for either ADHD or autism assessment in adults.
Adults, Moray HSCP
A waiting list for adult ADHD assessment has been in place since September 2021, but in the board's own words there is “currently no service” delivering assessments. Autism data for Moray adults is combined with Aberdeen City in the figures above.
Children and young people, board-wide
Children's services are delivered across all of Grampian through CAMHS and Community Child Health, not through the individual HSCPs. Neither service can separate ADHD and autism referrals in their waiting list data.
CAMHS (all neurodevelopmental referrals)
The 1st triage appointment is not an assessment, it is an initial meeting to discuss needs and next steps. Data cannot be separated by ADHD or autism.
Community Child Health (CCH), school-age children
Community Child Health accepts ADHD referrals for school-age children with a functional impairment. The waiting list includes children referred for ADHD, autism, developmental delays, and other health conditions, these are not separated in the data provided.
Getting assessed as an adult
In Aberdeen City, the board's adult ADHD figures are from GP referral. Adults in Aberdeen City and Moray can refer themselves to the Adult Autism Assessment Team. In Aberdeenshire, the adult ADHD and autism pathways closed on 31 March 2025.
Bring specific examples of how your symptoms affect daily life. Mention that difficulties have been present since childhood. Ask your GP directly: "Is adult autism assessment currently available through NHS Grampian in my HSCP area?"
A completed ADHD screener or autism screener can support the conversation.
If a pathway is available in your area, your GP can refer you. For autism in Aberdeen City and Moray, you can also refer yourself to the Adult Autism Assessment Team.
If your referral is accepted, you will be placed on a waiting list. In Aberdeen City the median adult ADHD wait was 198 weeks in October 2026. Contact NHS Grampian at nhsgrampian.org to confirm current provision.
The Adult Autism Assessment Team covers adults registered with a GP practice in Aberdeen City and Moray. In Aberdeenshire there is currently no active adult service, according to the board's October 2026 FOI reply.
What NHS Grampian's own guidance says
What the board publishes for referrers, checked September 2026. Tap a card for the full wording and links.
Adult ADHDNo published referral guidance found on the board's website or Right Decisions.
At the time of our review (September 2026) we could find no published referral guidance for adult ADHD on the board's website or the Right Decisions Service.
Adult autism, Aberdeen City and MorayYou can refer yourself: gram.adultautismteam@nhs.scot
The Adult Autism Assessment Team page (published 03/06/2026) states the team started in Aberdeen in January 2021 and expanded in April 2022 to include Moray; it accepts self-referrals (or referral by another person using the same form), emailed to gram.adultautismteam@nhs.scot, followed by a short pre-assessment appointment. A Hi-Net Grampian page (undated) confirms self-referral for any adult 18+ registered with a GP practice in Aberdeen City and Moray.
AberdeenshireNo published adult autism guidance found.
We could find no published guidance covering adult autism assessment for Aberdeenshire residents at the time of our review (September 2026).
Children, school-ageReferrals go through the school, not your GP.
The board's CAMHS and Community Child Health referral quick guidance (September 2026) states that referrals for assessment of school-age children for possible neurodevelopmental conditions "will not be accepted directly from GPs", except where exceptional circumstances are discussed with the Community Paediatrician on a case-by-case basis. Parents should raise concerns with the school, which may refer to Community Child Health (CCH) if appropriate. The guidance also lists CCH's ADHD assessment exclusions: less than 6 months' access to learning and teaching opportunities, children under 6, and young people known or found to be misusing drugs.
CAMHSFor mental-health concerns, including alongside a neurodevelopmental condition.
The board's CAMHS and Community Child Health referral quick guidance (September 2026) sets out the threshold: a suspected mental disorder causing persistent psychological distress, together with either serious and persistent impairment of day-to-day functioning or a risk of serious harm. Its CAMHS list includes "Mental Health problems co-morbid with neurodevelopmental problems", and it directs neurodevelopmental presentations with complexity factors, including complex trauma, significant parental mental-health or substance-use issues, home-schooled children where information gathering is difficult, sensory impairment, youth-justice involvement, and unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors, to CAMHS rather than CCH.
Getting your child assessed
Children's neurodevelopmental assessments in Grampian are handled by Community Child Health (CCH) and CAMHS. Under the board's September 2026 referral guidance, school-age neurodevelopmental referrals go through the school rather than directly from GPs. The Aberdeenshire closure in 2025 concerned adult ADHD and autism pathways.
For a school-age child with a possible neurodevelopmental condition, raise concerns with the school: under the board's September 2026 guidance these referrals are not accepted directly from GPs, except in exceptional circumstances discussed with the Community Paediatrician. For preschool children with significant developmental delay, the health visitor is the route. Where the concern is primarily a mental-health one, your GP can refer to CAMHS.
CCH handles neurodevelopmental and developmental assessment (gram.cchop@nhs.scot). CAMHS takes referrals meeting the nationally defined mental-health criteria, including mental-health problems co-morbid with neurodevelopmental problems and neurodevelopmental presentations with complexity factors such as complex trauma or sensory impairment (gram.camhs@nhs.scot). If you're unsure which applies to your child, ask the school or your GP practice to check the board's current guidance.
In July 2026 the board estimated waits for its Community Child Health new patient list of 49 weeks for urgent and 70 weeks for routine referrals. While waiting, ask the school to put support in place under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, no diagnosis is required for this.
The board's guidance says school referrals should include "relevant education information".
While you wait, support and resources
Each organisation sets its own eligibility, so check before you contact them.
Peer support
The Scottish ADHD Coalition's map lists voluntary ADHD support groups across Scotland.
NHS Grampian resources
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 Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. No diagnosis is required. Ask your child's school about an individualised educational programme (IEP) or other support plan. These can be put in place while waiting for assessment. For children with complex or multiple needs that are likely to last more than a year and need significant support from another service as well as education, such as the NHS or social work, you can ask the council to consider a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP), the only plan with legal force: see our school support guide.
If you are considering a private assessment, our compare tool lists providers operating in and around Aberdeen and Grampian. Our shared care guide explains how to ask your GP for ongoing support after a private diagnosis.
Make your voice heard
If the Aberdeenshire pathway closure has affected you or your family, you can raise it with your MSP. Your MSP can ask questions of NHS Grampian and the Scottish Government on your behalf. Find your MSP at parliament.scot.
Sources (9)
- 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
- FOI response FOI/2026/531, NHS Grampian, 17 July 2026, provided in response to a request from ADHD Scot
- FOI response FOI/2026/801, NHS Grampian, 20 October 2026, provided in response to a request from ADHD Scot
- NHS Grampian, nhsgrampian.org
- Scottish Parliament, Find your MSP
- Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004