ADHD Assessments for Adults – Available Across Australia
Difficulties with attention, organisation, or task follow-through can significantly affect daily life. At Mind & Health Psychology, we offer professional online ADHD assessments for adults across Australia. Assessments are conducted by a registered psychologist via secure telehealth and incorporate evidence-based tools and structured clinical interviews.
What the ADHD Assessment Involves
Our assessments include several components commonly used in psychological evaluations of ADHD:
Cognitive Tasks
Our assessment battery includes an objective continuous performance task (e.g., SART or Go/No-Go), which provides real-time data on attentional control, impulsivity, and consistency of response. While not required by Australian guidelines, these measures are often valued by prescribing psychiatrists as part of the broader evidence base when considering medication initiation.
Standardised Questionnaires
Self-report rating scales are used to identify symptoms and patterns consistent with ADHD. These include tools such as the WURS, ASRS, and CAARS, which are supported by peer-reviewed literature and clinical use.
Clinical Interview
A structured interview is conducted by psychologist Stephen O’Malley (or a provisionally registered psychologist under his supervision). The interview includes discussion of developmental history, academic and occupational functioning, and helps differentiate ADHD from other conditions.
Diagnostic Summary Letter
Following the assessment, you will receive a written summary outlining:
Whether ADHD diagnostic criteria were met
An overview of the assessment process and clinical formulation,
Information to assist with treatment planning (including continuous performance task results)
This document is suitable for sharing with GPs, psychiatrists, or NDIS providers. A full psychological report may be requested if required for e.g.: medical, legal, educational, or workplace purposes (additional fee applies).
Key Information
Most often all assessment components are completed remotely (some people may choose to attend an in-office appointment with a Psychologist and this may involve an extra cost)
A single video/in person consultation is typically sufficient
Video Sessions are conducted via secure, encrypted platforms
Assessments are conducted by a registered psychologist or a provisionally registered psychologist under supervision
About the Lead Psychologist
Stephen O’Malley is a registered psychologist, Professional Member of the Academy of Neuropsychology and Board-Approved Supervisor with advanced postgraduate training in cognitive and neuropsychological assessment. He has published research in areas including attention, executive function, and general cognition in test development, and brings over 20 years experience in both public and private settings.
In Summary
Includes online tasks, screening tools, clinical interview, and diagnostic summary letter (extra cost for comprehensive report/in person consults)
Referral: GP or other medical referral welcome and required for clarification.
NDIS: Participants who are self-managed or plan-managed may be able to use funding under “Improved Daily Living” (confirmation recommended with your NDIS plan manager).
If you have questions or would like to explore whether an ADHD assessment is suitable for you, you're welcome to contact us for more information. We’re happy to provide details about how the process might look for you.
All assessments are conducted within the professional scope and ethical guidelines of a Registered Psychologist. Diagnostic decisions are based on comprehensive clinical evaluation. No diagnostic outcome is implied or guaranteed.
Please note: If you're considering medication for a diagnosed ADHD that psychiatrists and pediatricians typically conduct their own assessment as part of their medical standards before prescribing, even with a psychologist’s diagnosis.
You can reach us at: mindandhealthpsychology@gmail.com
New Research
ADHD Medication, Motivation, and the Brain: A New Way of Understanding How It Works
For many years, ADHD medication has been described as something that “improves attention.” Emerging neuroimaging research, however, suggests a more nuanced explanation. Rather than directly activating attention networks, stimulant medications appear to exert their primary effects on arousal, motivation, and reward systems in the brain. In practical terms, medication may help individuals feel more awake, engaged, and able to persist with tasks they would otherwise find boring, effortful, or aversive. Attention improves not because the brain is being forced to concentrate, but because the person is more neurologically ready and motivated to engage.
Notably, findings drawn from large-scale data in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study suggest that the brain connectivity patterns of children taking stimulant medication resemble those of children who routinely obtain a healthy amount of sleep (around nine hours per night). Medication appears to reduce neural signatures associated with sleep deprivation, producing a more regulated and alert brain state. This framework also helps explain the overlap between ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), conditions that frequently co-occur and share underlying differences in arousal regulation, reward sensitivity, and cognitive flexibility. When stimulant medication influences these systems, it may not only support engagement with low-interest tasks, but also alter the distribution and flexibility of attention, including the intensity of hyperfocus. In individuals with overlapping ADHD–ASD features, medication may therefore support more adaptable focus and improved task-shifting across the day. Importantly, this does not mean medication replaces sleep or resolves all attentional differences; rather, it highlights how part of its benefit may lie in normalising readiness to engage—much like the effect of adequate sleep—thereby supporting learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation.