Understanding why focus and follow-through feel so hard for your teenager.
Adolescent ADHD Assessment (Young DIVA)
If your teenager finds it hard to stay organised, finish schoolwork, sit still, or stop and think before acting, a structured conversation with a psychologist can help work out whether it may be ADHD. The Young DIVA is an interview for assessing ADHD in young people. It looks at how things are now, when the difficulties began, and how they affect school, home, and friendships.
What the questionnaire looks at.
Attention and organisation
How easily your teenager stays focused, finishes tasks, keeps track of belongings and deadlines, and remembers instructions.
Restlessness and impulsivity
Feeling restless or on the go, finding it hard to wait or sit still, talking a lot, and acting before thinking.
When it began
Your psychologist asks when the difficulties first showed up. The DSM-5 looks for several symptoms before the age of 12.
Everyday examples
For each symptom, the interview uses real-life examples from school and home which can help you and your teenager recognise what applies.
How it affects daily life
It affects school and learning, family life, friendships, free time, and how your teenager feels about themselves.
The wider picture
Your psychologist also considers whether other things such as anxiety, low mood, learning difficulties, or poor sleep may be involved.
Note: Are you unsure whether this is the right assessment? A short conversation with our team is a good place to start. We will recommend the right option for your situation.
Why this assessment may be recommended
Your teenager has struggled with focus, organisation, or follow-through for a long time.
Teachers have raised concerns about attention, restlessness, or unfinished work.
Your teenager has often been told they are careless or not trying, and you wonder whether there is more to it.
Another family member has ADHD, and you see similar patterns in your teenager.
Your teenager is already getting help for anxiety or low mood, and ADHD may be part of the picture.
You would like a structured assessment before deciding on support.
How the assessment works.
- 1Step 1
A conversation first
You and your teenager meet a psychologist to talk about your concerns and to decide together whether the Young DIVA is a good fit.
- 2Step 2
The interview
Your psychologist goes through the symptoms of ADHD one by one and asks about now and about earlier years. This may include everyday examples from school and home. Parents or carers add their view, and your teenager is invited to share theirs.
- 3Step 3
Review
Your psychologist considers the answers along with your teenager's history and any other relevant information. School reports or comments from teachers, if you have them, can add helpful detail.
- 4Step 4
Feedback and next steps
You have a complimentary feedback session of about 30 minutes where the report is explained in plain language, with recommendations for what could help next.
Confidential and clinically guided
Your assessment is carried out with professionalism, dignity, and confidentiality. Your psychologist explains what they find in plain language, and you can ask questions at any point.
Please note: The Young DIVA is one part of an ADHD assessment. It cannot diagnose on its own. A diagnosis is a clinical decision made after looking at the full picture, including your teenager's history and daily life.
Things people ask
No. It is a conversation, and there are no right or wrong answers. The most helpful thing is for everyone to answer as honestly and as completely as they can.
No preparation is needed. It may help to think of examples from school and home and to bring school reports or notes from teachers if you have them.
Your teenager takes part in the assessment because their own experience matters. Your psychologist explains the process in a way that suits their age.
ADHD begins in childhood. The diagnostic guidelines used look for several symptoms that were present before the age of 12. Your psychologist needs to understand earlier years as well as now.
It helps your psychologist work out whether ADHD fits your teenager's experience. Sometimes the answer is that ADHD is not the main explanation, and the assessment points to something else such as anxiety or a learning difficulty that can be supported.
Support depends on your teenager's needs. It may include practical strategies, support at school, therapy, and where it could help, a consultation with a psychiatrist about whether medication is suitable.
Results are kept confidential, with the standard exceptions required by law, such as a risk of serious harm to your teenager or someone else. We talk with you and your teenager about who will receive them before anything is shared.
Yes. Our adult ADHD assessment uses the DIVA-5. Our care coordinator can advise on the right option.
Want to arrange an assessment, or just ask a question?
Our care coordinator will talk you through what to expect confidentially.
If you need urgent help: Are you in immediate distress? Please call iCall 9152987821 for immediate support.