Navigating Financial Considerations for ADHD Treatment
Getting an ADHD diagnosis via a private clinic can be the best option for anyone who finds that life with ADHD very challenging. If you were to use a private clinic for an ADHD diagnosis, you’d have a consultation, diagnostic assessments and potentially ongoing therapy costs. It’s important to understand the financial considerations for ADHD treatment so that you can pay the private ADHD clinic fees and ongoing ADHD treatment costs.
There’s a growing number of adults who suspect they might have ADHD. As more high-profile entrepreneurs and celebrities share their personal experiences on TV shows and podcasts, it is clear that more adults are asking themselves, “Have I got ADHD?”
In this blog, we will examine the reasons why an ADHD diagnosis is important, the steps you can take to get an official diagnosis, and the financial considerations for ADHD treatment, including private ADHD clinic fees.
A Quick Overview on Private ADHD Clinic Fees
The current figures recorded by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence show that 5% of children and between 3-4% of adults have an ADHD diagnosis. However, they acknowledge that there are gaps in their data, so suggest that the true number of people seeking and waiting for a diagnosis is hugely underestimated.
ADHD diagnosis in children has remained static over time. There has been a twenty-fold increase in ADHD diagnosis in men between the ages of 18-29, according to a study by University College London Institute of Epidemiology & Healthcare.
According to the lead author, Dr Doug McKechnie, this is most likely due to adults recognising the symptoms of ADHD and taking the first steps towards an ADHD diagnosis.
Financial considerations for ADHD treatment
As demand for ADHD assessments increases, so too do NHS waiting lists – sometimes, it can take several years to get an assessment on the NHS.
Given the impact that ADHD can have on your work, relationships and social life, a private ADHD assessment can be a great solution if you are able to pay. From start to finish, your ADHD diagnosis and support plan can be put in place within a matter of weeks with a private ADHD clinic.
What are the Private ADHD Clinic Fees and treatment costs?
There are several stages to an ADHD assessment. Here, we break down each stage and the ADHD clinic fees breakdown:
Pre-assessment
The pre-assessment is always the first step and allows you to explore ADHD more without investing in a full ADHD assessment. This will involve an online questionnaire plus some questions for you and somebody who knows you well.
A psychiatrist will review whether a full assessment is necessary, and the cost of the pre-assessment will be deducted from the assessment fee.
ADHD assessment
Once the pre-assessment is complete, the full ADHD assessment will use the ACE assessment tool to diagnose ADHD, including the type, accurately. There are three types of ADHD: Inattentive, Hyperactive/Impulsive and Combined, which would all need a different treatment plan.
Medication checks
If you receive a diagnosis of ADHD, you may wish to consider taking ADHD medication. Your psychiatrist would need to consult with your GP about your blood pressure, heart rate, weight and height to make sure that you are prescribed the correct medication.
Working with your GP
Your psychiatrist will write to your GP with your assessment results, which will be included in your medical record.
Proof of ADHD diagnosis
You will receive a letter to share with employers or other professionals with a full breakdown of your ADHD diagnosis and the treatment plan that you and your psychiatrist have agreed to.
What are the ADHD treatment costs?
The initial screening assessment is as little as £300 and a full assessment starts at £1,450. There are likely to be further fees to pay such as ongoing therapy and coaching or private medication – which we break down here.
What are the out-of-pocket expenses for ADHD treatment?
When choosing a private ADHD clinic for an ADHD diagnosis, you might have to factor in some other ADHD treatment costs if you choose to pay privately and not wait for NHS services.
Private clinic expenses could be:
- Follow-up appointments to monitor treatment progress and adjust medication
- Medication would be a private prescription and not immediately available via the NHS
- Psychological treatment might be helpful such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy
- Travel costs so that you can attend the clinic for in-person sessions
- Loss of earnings if you take time away from work to attend sessions
Financial assistance for ADHD therapy
Having ADHD can make some aspects of work harder and some people might benefit from some simple adaptations to the work environment which will make their working lives easier.
Can Access to Work help with ADHD?
The Access to Work scheme is available via the Department for Work and Pensions. With a diagnosis of ADHD, you might be eligible for a grant to help you with:
- specialist equipment and assistive software
- support workers, like a BSL interpreter, a job coach or a travel buddy
- costs of travelling to work, if you cannot use public transport
- adaptations to your vehicle so you can get to work
- physical changes to your workplace
Can I apply for a PIP with ADHD?
For some people, paid work might not be an option, so it is possible to apply for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you live in England or Wales. Typically, success rates for ADHD claims are just over 50%, as the payments are based on how the symptoms of ADHD will impact your ability to work, not whether you have a diagnosis. You can read more about it here.
Is it worth paying private ADHD clinic fees?
There are a lot of financial considerations for ADHD treatment as you begin your journey to ADHD diagnosis. Although a private ADHD assessment can be a brilliant way to get the support you need without long delays on the NHS.
Understanding the financial considerations for ADHD is important so that you can make sure you can commit financially to the best assessment, treatment and medication.
Although it might seem daunting, the first step to diagnosis with the pre-screening assessment is just £300 and there is lots of financial assistance for ADHD therapy support available from the government once you have that diagnosis confirmed and the ongoing ADHD treatment costs such as medication can be transferred over to typical NHS prescriptions once accepted by your GP.
Ready to take the next step towards comprehensive ADHD and autism care?
Our team at The ADHD and Autism Clinic would be happy to discuss private ADHD clinic fees with you if you are ready to take the next step towards comprehensive ADHD and autism care.