ADHD Diagnostic Assessor Training Course

A one-day, CPD-certified course for UK healthcare professionals who assess ADHD in children, young people and adults, or are preparing to.

It follows NICE guideline NG87 and DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria. You work through two live case simulations and leave with templates for structured, defensible reports.

See dates and book View the certificate

FormatLive online on Microsoft Teams

LengthOne day, 09:30 to 17:00

Price£297 per place

CPD6 accredited hours

CoversChildren, young people and adults

TrainerDr M A Faridi FRCPsych

View our CPD accreditation

What you’ll be able to do

Carry out structured ADHD assessments across the lifespan
Map symptoms to diagnostic criteria in a clinical context
Work through differential diagnoses, overlapping conditions, comorbidities and ADHD mimics
Bring together clinical findings, history, collateral information and validated tools such as DIVA-5, Young DIVA, Conners 4, QbCheck and school reports
Make diagnostic decisions, write clear formulations and give ADHD care recommendations
Produce structured, robust and professional written assessment reports

Clinician talking with a patient during an assessment appointment

The full-day programme

The programme covers children and adults. The day is about diagnostic assessment and reporting. It doesn’t cover prescribing or medication management.

Part 1

Foundations of ADHD assessment

Understanding ADHD and its impact, causes and neuroscience
The legal context, including the Equality Act 2010
Diagnostic criteria: DSM-5 compared with ICD-11
Presentation across the lifespan, gender differences and masking
ADHD and autism: social skills differences
Confidentiality, capacity (Gillick and Fraser competence) and consent
Parental responsibility rules in the UK, risk assessment and safeguarding
Preparing for a good assessment: consultation skills, triage, collateral, differential screening and physical health
Tools and evidence: Conners 4, DIVA-5, Young DIVA, QbCheck and school reports
Telling primary from secondary ADHD

Part 2

Structured clinical ADHD assessment

Running a structured clinical assessment
Eliciting ADHD symptoms accurately
Taking comprehensive histories
Differentiating ADHD from other presentations
Assessing risk, including safeguarding
Forming a clinical impression
Giving feedback on the outcome

Part 3

Applied diagnostic skills: live simulation

Case one: opening the consultation, establishing concerns, eliciting symptoms, mental state examination and risk
Case two: ADHD observations, weighing the evidence and making the diagnostic decision

Part 4

Diagnostic report writing and care planning

The key parts of a structured ADHD diagnostic report
Documenting histories, symptoms and impairment clearly
Bringing together evidence from interviews, collateral sources and questionnaires
Mapping findings against DSM-5 criteria
Formulating the impression, diagnosis and alternative explanations
Writing the care plan and recommendations

Part 5

Competencies, framework and scope of practice

The core competencies for ADHD assessment
The ADHD assessment framework, including AQAS and CAAQAS
Recognising your scope of practice

Part 6

Reflection and questions

Time to reflect on the day and bring your own questions

“I found the one-day ADHD assessor training to be extremely thorough, informative, interactive and well structured. Questions and discussion were encouraged throughout the day, creating an open and supportive learning environment.”

Nicola Van der Velde, RMN, CAMHS ADHD Assessor, CBT and EMDR Therapist

Course dates

Live on Microsoft Teams, 09:30 to 17:00, £297.

Saturday, 09:30 to 17:0031 October 2026Last few placesBook this date

Saturday, 09:30 to 17:0028 November 2026Places availableBook this date

Saturday, 09:30 to 17:002 January 2027Places availableBook this date

Read our terms and cancellation policy before booking.

Before you book

See all questions

Will this course let me diagnose ADHD on my own?

Not by itself. The course gives you the frameworks, tools and report templates to assess ADHD well. Whether you can diagnose independently depends on your registration, experience, scope of practice, supervision and your service’s governance. Most new assessors start with supervised assessments.

Is it a qualification?

It’s a CPD-certified professional development course rather than an academic qualification. You get a certificate for 6 accredited CPD hours, which you can use for appraisal and revalidation.

Is it suitable if I’ve never done an ADHD assessment?

Yes. It’s designed for registered clinicians who are new to formal ADHD assessment. Experienced assessors also use it to sharpen their approach to complex differentials and report writing.

Can I take study leave for it?

Yes. As an accredited CPD course it qualifies for NHS study leave. Courses run on Saturdays, so many employers give a day off in lieu.