If you’ve been wondering whether your child might have ADHD, you’re not alone. Many parents reach out after months of noticing that their child seems constantly on the go, finds it hard to concentrate, acts before thinking, or needs far more reminders than other children their age.
It can be hard to know whether what you’re seeing is typical childhood energy, a response to stress or change, a learning difficulty, anxiety, or something like ADHD. That uncertainty can feel exhausting—especially when school, home life, or friendships are already feeling harder than they should.
An ADHD assessment is not about putting a label on your child. It’s about understanding their strengths, their challenges, and what support will genuinely help them thrive.
What Are the Signs of ADHD?
ADHD can look different from child to child. Some children are visibly restless and impulsive, while others mostly struggle with attention, organisation, and follow-through.
You might notice that your child:
Finds it hard to stay focused on tasks, especially ones they don’t enjoy
Seems not to hear instructions, even when you know they were listening
Loses or forgets things often
Moves constantly, fidgets, or finds it difficult to sit still
Acts quickly without thinking through consequences
Has big emotional reactions or finds transitions particularly difficult
Struggles with routines, time, organisation, or finishing tasks
Finds school, friendships, or family life more challenging than expected
It’s important to remember that every child can be distracted, energetic, or impulsive sometimes. What matters is whether these difficulties are persistent, happen across different settings such as home and school, and are getting in the way of your child’s learning, relationships, or day-to-day life.
There Isn’t One Test for ADHD
One of the most common questions parents ask is whether there’s a simple test for ADHD. There isn’t.
ADHD cannot be diagnosed through a single checklist, blood test, or short appointment. A good assessment looks at the whole picture: your child’s development, health, learning, emotions, behaviour, strengths, and the different environments they spend time in.
That’s why the process takes time. We want to understand not just whether ADHD might explain some of what you’re seeing, but also whether there are other factors—such as anxiety, learning difficulties, sleep, language, or developmental differences—that could be contributing.
What Happens in an ADHD Assessment?
At Marenwood Child & Adolescent Psychology in Melbourne’s east, we offer warm, thorough ADHD assessments for children and families. At Marenwood, we aim to make the assessment process as clear, calm, and supportive as possible. We know that assessments can feel daunting for parents, and we want your child to feel safe and understood throughout.
If you’ve been searching for an ADHD assessment for a child or adolescent in Melbourne, here’s what the process usually looks like with us.
A Parent Conversation
We usually begin by meeting with you, without your child present. This gives you space to share your concerns openly and tell us your child’s story.
We’ll ask about:
What you’ve been noticing and when it started
Your child’s development, health, sleep, and early milestones
What school or preschool has been like
Your child’s friendships, interests, and strengths
Family history, routines, and any major changes or stressors
What has already helped, and what hasn’t
You know your child better than anyone. Your observations, worries, and hopes are a vital part of the assessment.
Information From School
Because ADHD-related difficulties often show up differently at home and at school, we usually gather information from your child’s teacher or early childhood educator. This includes a conversation with your child’s teacher, teacher-completed questionnaires, and, where appropriate, a school observation.
A school observation gives us the opportunity to see how your child manages everyday classroom demands—such as following instructions, starting and completing work, transitioning between activities, managing distractions, and engaging with peers. Teachers often have a clear picture of a child’s day-to-day functioning, and their observations can add an important perspective to the assessment.
This is especially helpful when a child’s difficulties are more inattentive than visibly hyperactive or impulsive. Inattentive difficulties can be easy to miss because a child may quietly tune out, daydream, or work very hard to appear as though they are keeping up. This is not because teachers are not attuned to your child—far from it. It is simply that inattention can be subtle, and some children mask their difficulties at school by presenting as calm, capable, or “fine,” even when they are finding things hard. A conversation and observation help us notice patterns that may not be obvious in a single appointment.
Questionnaires
Parents, teachers, and sometimes the child may be asked to complete standardised questionnaires. These help us compare your child’s experiences with what is typical for children of a similar age, while still keeping your child’s individual story at the centre.
Questionnaires are one piece of the puzzle—not a diagnosis on their own.
A Cognitive Assessment
As part of the assessment, we include a cognitive assessment to understand your child’s cognitive strengths and difficulties. This looks at areas such as verbal understanding, visual problem-solving, working memory, and processing speed.
Some children perform at a similar level across the different cognitive skills we assess, while many children have clear strengths in some areas and more difficulty in others. Neither pattern is good or bad—it simply helps us understand how your child learns best.
This information can be particularly useful for schools. It can help teachers make practical, individualised recommendations about the strategies, accommodations, and learning approaches that will help your child engage with the curriculum, manage classroom demands, and thrive at school.
Could It Be Something Else?
This is an important part of any thoughtful assessment.
Difficulties with attention, restlessness, or impulsivity can be linked to many things, including anxiety, sleep difficulties, learning differences, language or communication needs, hearing or vision issues, family stress, or other developmental differences.
That’s why we don’t jump to conclusions. We look carefully at what else might be going on, and whether your child may need support in more than one area. Sometimes ADHD is part of the picture; sometimes it isn’t. Often, children have more than one need, and understanding the full picture helps us recommend the right support.
What Happens After the Assessment?
Once we’ve gathered all the information, we meet with you to talk through what we’ve learned.
You’ll receive a clear explanation of:
What the assessment found
Your child’s strengths and areas of need
Whether ADHD is likely to be part of the picture
Any recommendations for home, school, or further assessment
Practical next steps and support options
We’ll also talk about what support could look like going forward. This might include strategies for home and school, therapy, classroom adjustments, referral to a paediatrician or other professionals, or a combination of these. ADHD support often works best when parents, schools, and health professionals work together.
How Can I Prepare My Child?
You don’t need to make the assessment feel like a big event. A few simple things can help:
Talk with your child about what you’ve noticed, using calm and simple language. For example: “You know how it can be hard to pay attention when your teacher is talking?” or “You know how sometimes I need to ask you a few times to do something because you get distracted?” You might say, “We’re going to meet with someone who can help us understand why that might be happening and what might help.”
Let them know there are no right or wrong answers.
Avoid framing it as a consequence for behaviour or something to be worried about.
Bring a snack, water, and anything comforting they may like to have nearby.
Let them know you’ll be close by and that you’ll talk through everything together afterwards.
It’s okay if your child is nervous. Many children are. We’ll take things at their pace.
You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers
Reaching out for an assessment can feel like a big step. You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis in mind or an organised list of concerns. You just need to bring your child’s story and your questions.
At Marenwood Child & Adolescent Psychology, we’ll help you make sense of what you’re seeing and work out the most helpful path forward for your child and family.
If you’d like to talk about whether Marenwood is right for your family, we offer a free 15-minute phone call. No obligation, no jargon.
Written Dr Rebecca Hamilton , 26th October 2026