How do I seek an ADHD assessment for a child or young person in Scotland?
Scotland does not use one standard ADHD assessment pathway, so local health-board arrangements matter and England-specific routes are not transferable.
Scope before you act
Scotland This scope signal is derived from the governed question wording for orientation only. It is not an eligibility, legal or clinical determination.
Current understanding
NHS inform says there is no standard approach to ADHD assessment across Scotland. If a parent/carer is concerned, it can help to speak with the child's teachers and GP; the GP can discuss concerns and next steps but does not formally diagnose ADHD. Assessment considers the child's wider mental health, symptoms and impact rather than relying on one checklist. Waiting lists can be very long. NHS inform also advises checking before paying for a private assessment whether the local health board and GP practice will accept the outcome. Diagnosis, medication and later prescribing are separate decisions. England Right to Choose does not apply in Scotland.
Related things to inspect
Related questions
- What should I check before paying for a private autism or ADHD assessment in the UK?
- Do I have to disclose neurodivergence or disability at work to ask for support?
- Do I need to tell DVLA about ADHD or another neurodevelopmental condition in Great Britain?
- How do I seek an ADHD assessment for a child or young person in England?
- How do I seek an ADHD assessment for a child or young person in Northern Ireland?
What evidence is still needed
- Current health-board child ADHD referral, waiting, private-report acceptance and post-diagnostic support evidence across Scotland.
Where people may disagree
- A child can require school, family or health support for attention, regulation or executive-function difficulties whether or not ADHD is ultimately diagnosed.
When this answer should be revisited
- NHS inform materially changes child ADHD guidance.
- Scotland introduces a standard national child ADHD pathway.
- Health-board/private-assessment acceptance policy materially changes.
Question provenance and review state
Child Scotland ADHD assessment route assembled from current NHS inform guidance, preserving health-board variation, school/GP roles and private-assessment acceptance boundaries.