How do I seek an ADHD assessment for a child or young person in Wales?
NHS Wales has child neurodevelopmental assessment services, but health boards operate the practical referral and waiting pathways and these can differ.
Scope before you act
Wales 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 Wales records under-18 ADHD and autism neurodevelopmental assessment pathways across health boards, while each health board publishes its own operational route. A current Betsi Cadwaladr example describes a holistic neurodevelopmental assessment using information across home, school and health settings; its age and referral rules are local and must not be generalised to all Wales. NICE NG87 describes professional ADHD diagnostic standards in England and Wales and does not make a checklist alone diagnostic. Welsh Government is funding work to reduce long child neurodevelopmental waits and improve consistency. England Right to Choose does not apply in Wales. Diagnosis is separate from medication, prescribing and school support.
Related things to inspect
Related questions
- How do I seek an autism assessment for a child or young person in Wales?
- How do I start looking into an adult ADHD assessment in Wales?
- How do I seek an ADHD assessment for a child or young person in England?
- How do I start looking into an adult ADHD assessment in England?
- What if autism and ADHD both seem relevant when I am looking for assessment in the UK?
What evidence is still needed
- Current child ADHD/neurodevelopmental referral, age, waiting, private-report acceptance and support evidence for every Welsh health board.
Where people may disagree
- A child can need meaningful education, family or health support while waiting or if ADHD diagnostic criteria are not ultimately met.
When this answer should be revisited
- Welsh Government or NHS Wales introduces a materially different national child neurodevelopmental pathway.
- NICE NG87 materially changes.
- Health-board referral or age boundaries materially change.
Question provenance and review state
Child Wales ADHD route assembled from current NHS Wales national pathway-data context, Welsh Government programme evidence, NICE guidance and an explicitly local health-board neurodevelopmental example.