How to prepare for an ADHD or autism assessment
Booking an ADHD or autism assessment is often the first step towards understanding yourself or your child more fully. It is completely natural to feel uncertain about what will happen, what information you should bring, or whether you might forget something important.
Many people worry that they need to prepare perfectly before attending an assessment. The good news is that you don't. An assessment is not an exam, and there are no right or wrong answers. The aim is simply to build a clear understanding of your experiences, strengths and challenges. We will gently guide the conversation, helping you explore the information that is most relevant without expecting you to remember every detail.
Preparing for an ADHD or autism assessment: A quick answer
Preparing for an ADHD or autism assessment doesn't mean studying or trying to give the right answers. The most helpful preparation is gathering any information that provides a clearer picture of your experiences over time. This might include school reports, developmental history, previous assessments or examples of everyday challenges. If you don't have everything available, don't worry. We will help build a complete understanding during the assessment itself.
Why do we ask about childhood?
ADHD and autism are neurodevelopmental conditions, meaning the differences are present from early development, even if they were not recognised or diagnosed until much later in life.
One of the reasons clinicians ask about childhood experiences is to understand how your brain has processed information, communicated and responded to the world over time. This helps create a more complete picture rather than relying only on how life feels today.
For children, this often means talking with parents or carers about early development.
For adults, it may involve exploring childhood memories, old school reports or conversations with family members where possible. Please don't worry if your memories are incomplete or you no longer have access to childhood records. This is very common, particularly for adults seeking an assessment later in life, and we are used to working with whatever information is available.
What information can be helpful?
There is no checklist that you must complete before your appointment. However, some information can help provide valuable context during the assessment.
School reports and educational records
If you have access to old school reports, they can sometimes offer useful insights into childhood behaviour and learning. Rather than focusing on academic grades, we are often interested in teachers' comments about attention, organisation, friendships, communication or behaviour.
For example, comments such as:
Easily distracted
Finds it difficult to stay on task
Forgets equipment
Struggles with group activities
Prefers to work alone
Finds changes to routine difficult
can help contribute to the overall picture.
If you do not have school reports, that is absolutely fine. They are helpful but never essential.
Previous assessments or reports
If you or your child have previously received support for areas such as anxiety, depression, speech and language difficulties, dyslexia or dyscalculia, bringing copies of those reports can provide useful background information. These conditions sometimes exist alongside ADHD or autism, so understanding the wider picture helps ensure recommendations are tailored to your individual needs.
Everyday examples
One of the most valuable things you can bring is simply your own experiences.
Think about situations that you find particularly easy or particularly challenging.
For example, you might notice difficulties with:
Organisation
Time management
Following conversations
Managing emotions
Sensory environments
Social situations
Changes to routine
Remembering appointments or daily tasks
Real-life examples often help clinicians understand how these experiences affect everyday life more clearly than a questionnaire alone.
Understanding executive functioning
You may hear the term executive functioning during an assessment.
Executive functioning describes the mental skills we use every day to plan, organise, remember information, manage time, switch between tasks and regulate our behaviour.
Many people with ADHD, and some autistic people, find these skills more demanding. You might know exactly what needs doing but struggle to get started, lose track of time, misplace important items or become overwhelmed by multiple tasks.
Thinking of a few everyday examples before your appointment can sometimes be helpful, but don't worry if nothing immediately comes to mind. We will ask questions that help explore these experiences naturally.
Understanding masking
Many autistic people and people with ADHD spend years masking without even realising they are doing it. Masking means consciously or unconsciously hiding natural behaviours in order to fit in socially. This might include forcing eye contact, suppressing movements such as fidgeting, rehearsing conversations beforehand or copying the behaviour of other people.
While masking can help someone navigate certain situations, it can also be exhausting and may make it more difficult for others to recognise the underlying challenges they experience.
During your assessment, there is no expectation to mask.
If you need extra thinking time, prefer not to make eye contact, need to fidget, stim or pause during the conversation, that is completely okay. The assessment is designed to understand your natural way of experiencing the world, not how well you can hide it.
What happens during your first appointment?
Your assessment is a conversation, not an interrogation. We will spend time getting to know you or your child, exploring strengths as well as challenges. We may ask about childhood development, education, work, relationships, sensory experiences and day-to-day life.
There is no expectation that you should remember everything immediately.
If you become emotional, need a break or require additional time to think about a question, that is completely understandable. The assessment is designed to support you, not catch you out.
How Cross Psychology approaches assessments
At Cross Psychology, assessments are designed to provide a thoughtful and compassionate understanding of your experiences. Our multidisciplinary team follows current NICE guidance and uses recognised assessment tools where appropriate. Information is gathered from multiple sources to build a balanced understanding of strengths, challenges and support needs, recognising that your neurodevelopmental profile is unique.
Above all, our aim is to ensure you feel listened to, respected and understood throughout the assessment process.
Remember, you don't have to prepare perfectly
Most people arrive at their assessment worried they have forgotten something important.
Almost everyone leaves realising they didn't need to have all the answers after all.
Whether you are seeking an assessment for yourself or your child, the purpose of the appointment is not to judge, test or catch you out. It is an opportunity to understand experiences that may have felt confusing for many years and to identify the support that will help you or your child move forward with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need school reports for an ADHD or autism assessment?
No. School reports can provide useful background information, but they are not essential. If you no longer have access to them, we will work with other sources of information to understand your developmental history.
What if I can't remember much about my childhood?
This is very common, particularly for adults. Our experienced clinicians understand that memories fade over time and will help you explore your experiences using the information you do have.
Should I bring previous reports or assessments?
If you have reports relating to previous psychological assessments, speech and language therapy, dyslexia, dyscalculia or mental health support, they may provide helpful background information, but there is no obligation to bring them.
Can someone come with me to my assessment?
For children's assessments, parents or carers are usually involved throughout the process. Adults may also choose to bring someone for support if appropriate. We can advise you before your appointment.
What if I'm feeling nervous?
Feeling nervous is completely normal. Many people worry before an assessment, but there are no right or wrong answers. The purpose is simply to understand your experiences in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.
About the author: Reviewed by Dr Zoe Cross, DClinPsy, CPsychol, is a Clinical Psychologist and founder of Cross Psychology. She specialises in neurodivergent conditions including ADHD, autism and cognitive differences such as dyslexia and dyscalculia in children, young people and adults. Zoe is regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (membership number PYL24596)
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