Private ADHD assessments for children and adults in Stoke-on-Trent If you are looking for a private ADHD assessment in Stoke-on-Trent, Cross Psychology provides comprehensive ADHD assessments for children, young people and adults. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with differences in attention regulation, impulsivity and executive functioning. Executive functioning describes a group of mental skills involved in areas such as planning, organisation, working memory, time management, emotional regulation, starting tasks and switching attention from one activity to another. ADHD does not look the same in everyone. A child may struggle to remain focused during lessons, forget instructions or belongings, act impulsively, find sitting still difficult or experience strong emotional reactions. Other children may be less obviously hyperactive. They might appear quiet or dreamy, lose track of conversations or find it difficult to begin and complete tasks. Adults with ADHD may have spent years developing ways of coping with similar difficulties. Work deadlines, paperwork, organisation, finances, relationships and managing competing responsibilities can all require considerable effort. Our ADHD assessments consider how these characteristics have developed over time and whether they affect different aspects of everyday life. Depending on the individual, assessment may include clinical conversations, developmental history, recognised ADHD assessment tools and information from family members, partners, schools or other relevant sources. Rather than relying on one questionnaire or test, the available information is considered together to build a comprehensive picture and, where appropriate, reach a diagnosis and provide recommendations for future support. Private autism assessments in Stoke-on-Trent Cross Psychology also provides private autism assessments for children, young people and adults in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding North Staffordshire area. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with differences in areas such as social communication, sensory processing, routines, focused interests and the way someone experiences and interacts with the world around them. Every autistic person has a different combination of strengths and challenges. For children, possible autistic characteristics may become noticeable through difficulties with friendships or communication, a strong need for predictability, intense interests or sensitivity to sounds, textures, lights, smells or busy environments. Adults may have experienced similar differences throughout their lives without recognising them as autism. Some people learn to mask their autistic characteristics by observing other people's behaviour, rehearsing conversations or consciously adapting how they respond in social situations. Although masking can make someone's difficulties less visible to others, maintaining it can require considerable mental and emotional effort. Our autism assessments look at developmental history alongside current experiences and information from different sources where appropriate. Recognised assessment tools including ADOS-2, ADI-R and 3Di may form part of the wider process. No individual tool determines an autism diagnosis on its own; the information gathered contributes to the broader clinical assessment. This allows our multidisciplinary team to develop a more complete understanding of the individual rather than focusing on how they behave during one appointment. Combined ADHD and autism assessments ADHD and autism are separate neurodevelopmental conditions, but they can occur together and some characteristics can overlap. For example, difficulties involving executive functioning, emotional regulation, attention, sensory processing, communication and managing changes to routine may form part of a more complex neurodevelopmental profile. Where initial screening identifies characteristics associated with both ADHD and autism, Cross Psychology provides combined ADHD and autism assessments for children and adults. Looking at both conditions together can be particularly useful where someone's experiences have previously been difficult to explain. A child might seek stimulation in some situations while becoming overwhelmed by sensory input in others. An adult may struggle with both maintaining attention and coping when established routines unexpectedly change. Rather than trying to make every characteristic fit one diagnosis, a combined assessment looks at how the different elements of a person's experiences may fit together. The result can be a clearer understanding of the individual's overall neurodevelopmental profile and more useful recommendations for support. Cognitive assessments for dyslexia and dyscalculia Cross Psychology also provides cognitive assessments for learning differences including dyslexia and dyscalculia. Dyslexia is associated with persistent difficulties in areas such as reading, spelling and written language, while dyscalculia affects the ability to understand and work with numbers and mathematical concepts. A cognitive assessment looks more broadly at the way an individual processes, remembers and works with information. This can identify areas of cognitive strength alongside aspects of learning that may require more effort or additional support. For children and young people, assessment can help parents and schools better understand why certain areas of education are proving difficult. Adults may seek assessment after experiencing longstanding challenges through school, university or employment without previously having a clear explanation. ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia can also occur alongside one another. Where someone has a mixture of attention, learning or processing difficulties, considering the wider neurodevelopmental profile can therefore be particularly valuable. ADHD and autism assessments for children and young people Parents often tell us that they know their child is struggling but are not certain what is causing the difficulty. There may be problems with concentration, schoolwork, friendships, communication, emotional regulation, sensory sensitivities or coping with changes to familiar routines. Sometimes these differences are obvious. At other times, children work extremely hard to manage during school and only show how overwhelmed they are once they return home. Assessment allows us to look beyond individual behaviours and consider the child's development and experiences more broadly. Where appropriate, information from parents, teachers and other professionals can help build a picture of how the child manages across different environments. The aim is not simply to identify a diagnosis. It is to help parents and those supporting the child understand their individual strengths, difficulties and needs. Adult ADHD and autism assessments in Stoke-on-Trent There is no age by which ADHD or autism must have been recognised. Many adults reach their twenties, thirties, forties or beyond before they begin to consider whether they may be neurodivergent. You may have spent years developing systems to stay organised, avoiding situations you find overwhelming or consciously working out how you are expected to behave in social situations. For some adults, the possibility of ADHD or autism arises after their child begins an assessment. Others start recognising patterns in themselves after learning more about neurodivergence. An adult ADHD or autism assessment explores present-day experiences alongside developmental and childhood history. For many people, this can provide a new way of understanding patterns involving attention, organisation, relationships, sensory experiences, emotional regulation or social communication that have been present for much of their life. Assessment is not about changing who you are. It is about understanding yourself more clearly and identifying any support or adjustments that may make life easier. What happens during an ADHD or autism assessment? The exact process depends on your individual circumstances and whether you are exploring ADHD, autism, both conditions or a cognitive difference. Your assessment may include: Initial screening questionnaires Discussion of current strengths and difficulties Developmental and childhood history Clinical interviews Recognised diagnostic assessment tools Information from parents, partners, schools or other relevant people where appropriate Multidisciplinary clinical review Feedback and a detailed written report There are no right or wrong answers and no assessment you need to "pass". You do not need to practise what you are going to say, coach your child or try to behave in a particular way. The purpose is to understand genuine everyday experiences. Our team explains the process clearly as you move through each stage, helping you know what to expect and giving you plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Supporting children and adults across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent sits at the heart of North Staffordshire and serves a large population across the city itself and neighbouring communities, making it an important location for families and adults seeking specialist ADHD, autism and cognitive assessment. Cross Psychology supports people from across Stoke-on-Trent, including areas such as Hanley, Burslem, Tunstall, Longton, Fenton and Stoke, as well as people travelling from Trentham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove and surrounding parts of North Staffordshire. The city is made up of several distinct towns and communities, while its close relationship with Newcastle-under-Lyme creates a much wider local catchment extending across the Potteries and surrounding Staffordshire villages. Stoke-on-Trent also has strong road connections through the A500 and nearby M6, helping make specialist assessment accessible to people travelling from other parts of North and central Staffordshire. For families who might otherwise need to travel towards Manchester, Birmingham or other major cities for private neurodevelopmental assessment, having access to specialist services within the Staffordshire area can make the process significantly easier. This can be particularly important for neurodivergent children and adults who may find long journeys, unfamiliar places, crowded environments or unexpected changes particularly tiring or stressful. Our aim is to provide children, adults and families in Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and across North Staffordshire with thoughtful, specialist ADHD, autism and cognitive assessment where they feel listened to, understood and involved throughout the process.