ADHD and autism assessment pathway

NHS Lanarkshire covers the North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire council areas, serving around 655,000 people, Scotland's third-largest health board. Children are assessed through a combined Neurodevelopmental Service that covers ADHD, autism and related conditions together rather than running separate condition-specific pathways.

Last verified: August 2026 · References: NHS Lanarkshire Neurodevelopmental Service · Adult Neurodevelopmental Service

In Lanarkshire, support and educational placements for children do not require a diagnosis. Needs-based assistance is available at home and at school while you wait, and a referral to the Neurodevelopmental Service is a request for assessment, not a guarantee of a particular label or outcome.

Reviewed by ADHD Scot, August 2026

Waiting times, what we know

NHS Lanarkshire responded to our FOI request on 24 July 2026. Because its neurodevelopmental service is not broken down by condition, the board refused our request for median waits in all four categories (adult ADHD, adult autism, child ADHD, child autism) under Section 12 of FOISA, as extracting the data would exceed the £600 cost limit. It did provide combined waiting-list totals: 3,592 adults and 11,094 children and young people were waiting for neurodevelopmental assessment (ADHD, autism and other conditions together, not split by type) at 24 July 2026. The 11,094 children figure is one of the largest reported waiting lists in Scotland.

Compare all boards' waiting times → · About our FOI project →

Getting your child assessed

NHS Lanarkshire's Neurodevelopmental Service (NDS) provides assessment and diagnostic support for children and young people aged 6 to 18 who live in Lanarkshire. It covers autism, ADHD, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, tic disorders and coordination disorders under one service. From November 2025, referrers describe the areas of concern rather than requesting a specific diagnosis, and the service carries out a comprehensive assessment across all relevant neurodevelopmental conditions.

Concern raised by family, school, or professional

Requests for assistance can be submitted by schools, health visitors, allied health professionals, or GPs. You do not need to name a specific condition, referrers are asked to describe the areas of concern. To be accepted, there must be an impact on function that significantly and persistently affects day-to-day activities at home, school or leisure.

Request for assistance submitted to the NDS

Since 1 November 2025 the minimum referral age is 4, so that children are at least 6 by the time of assessment. For younger children, contact your health visitor for guidance, support does not depend on being on the waiting list.

Phone: 01698 687490 · Email: Info.NDS@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

Waiting list

Your child joins the NDS waiting list. At 24 July 2026, 11,094 children and young people were waiting for neurodevelopmental assessment in Lanarkshire, so expect a long wait. The service runs a North team based at Newmains Health Centre (NorthNDS@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk) and a South team based at Udston Hospital, Hamilton (SouthNDS@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk).

Comprehensive assessment

Rather than assessing for a single condition, the NDS looks at all relevant neurodevelopmental conditions in one assessment, building a profile of your child's strengths, challenges, and support needs.

Outcome and support

A clinical outcome and diagnosis where appropriate. A referral is a request for assessment, not a guarantee of a particular diagnosis. Support at school is based on need and can be in place before and during the wait, see the school rights section below.

Getting assessed as an adult

NHS Lanarkshire launched an Adult Neurodevelopmental Service (ANDS) in April 2024. It currently provides diagnostic assessment for adults with lifelong autistic characteristics that substantially affect daily life, with post-diagnostic recommendations rather than ongoing treatment. A publicly documented adult ADHD assessment route is less clear, adults seeking ADHD assessment are referred by their GP to adult mental health services.

See your GP

Request a referral for ADHD or autism assessment. Be specific about your symptoms and how they affect daily life. A completed ADHD screener or autism screener can support your conversation. For autism, GPs can refer adults directly to ANDS, you must be 18 or over and registered with a Lanarkshire GP.

Referral reviewed and allocated

Autism referrals to ANDS are reviewed by a multidisciplinary team at weekly meetings and allocated either to the autism diagnostic pathway or to a consultation clinic for more complex cases. Since February 2025, community mental health teams and psychological therapy teams can also refer patients already in their care. For ADHD, confirm with your GP which adult mental health service they are referring you to and ask for an estimated waiting time.

Waiting list and assessment

At 24 July 2026, 3,592 adults were waiting for neurodevelopmental assessment in Lanarkshire. Contact NHS Lanarkshire directly at nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk to confirm current provision and estimated times. 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. Support is available now.

NHS Lanarkshire resources

The Neurodevelopmental Service publishes a resources page for families on the waiting list, covering local organisations, condition-specific information, workshops, and NHS Lanarkshire children's services.

NDS resources while you waitNHS Lanarkshire's own list of support while waiting, including local groups such as the Autism Resource Coordination Hub (South Lanarkshire), Carers Together, and Lanarkshire Carers

Peer support in Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire has long-established local groups, no diagnosis is needed to get in touch.

Hope for AutismNorth Lanarkshire charity supporting autistic people and their families since 2002, advice, one-to-one support, and groups, based in Airdrie Find local ADHD support groups in LanarkshireScottish ADHD Coalition map, includes the ADHD Support Network South Lanarkshire and other groups near you

Scotland-wide support organisations

ADHD ScotlandScotland's ADHD charity, helpline, resources, and support for all ages Scottish AutismSupport, advice, and resources for autistic people and their families across Scotland Scottish ADHD CoalitionBringing together ADHD organisations across Scotland, resources, campaigns, and local group finder

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

ADHD Scot is an independent, non-clinical information project. This page is based on publicly available information and may not reflect real-time changes to NHS services. Always confirm current referral routes with your GP or NHS Lanarkshire directly.