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ADHD Assessor & Coach

First things first and in case you didn't know...

An ADHD assessor and support worker/coach is a professional who specialises in both assessing individuals for Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and in providing support to those diagnosed with it. 

 

This individual, often a mental health professional like a psychologist or clinical social worker, conducts assessments to diagnose ADHD using various tools and techniques. Once diagnosed, they also offer ongoing support, including psychoeducation, coping strategies, organisational techniques, emotional support, and assistance in accessing necessary resources and accommodations. 

 

This combined role ensures that individuals with ADHD receive comprehensive care, from diagnosis through ongoing support and management.

Key skills/talents

To excel as an ADHD assessor and coach, individuals need a diverse skill set that encompasses both clinical expertise and supportive capabilities. Here are some key skills required for this role:

  • Assessment Skills: The ability to effectively diagnose ADHD through various assessment methods, often tailored to the individual.

  • Clinical Knowledge: Thorough understanding of ADHD and its treatment requirements (which are constantly changing/being updated).

  • Empathy and Compassion: The ability to provide support without judgement.

  • Communication: The ability to clearly explain, both verbally and in writing ADHD symptoms, triggers, concepts and treatment options.

  • Active Listening: A natural talent for listening to others, and a desire to really listen and understand what is being said.

  • Problem-Solving: Developing practical solutions for ADHD-related challenges, again tailored to the individual.

  • Organisational Skills: Not least of your own diary and working practices, but being able to help clients develop effective routines and systems.

  • Flexibility and Adaptability: Willingness to tailor support to individual needs, whatever they may be.

  • Resilience: Which means being able to work with triggered people and symptoms, and to not take anything personally. Plus, the ability to keep working to find the right treatment, often within a very limited support system.

  • Cultural Competence: Being sensitive to cultural and indeed gender and age influences and diversities that affect ADHD.

  • Collaboration: Working with other professionals for comprehensive care, and to find the right care for each individual.

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​Qualifications required

Becoming an ADHD Assessor in the UK typically involves obtaining relevant qualifications and experience in a healthcare or mental health related field, by working in nursing, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Social Worker or even as a Pharmacist. In Marie Helen’s case she was already a qualified teacher and SENCO assessor.

 

Information on getting into teaching can be found here, on another of our career pages.

 

And then information on training in SENCO can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mandatory-qualification-for-sencos/transition-to-national-professional-qualification-for-special-educational-needs-co-ordinators

 

Most prevalently, from September 2024, all SENCOs and aspiring SENCOs will need to:

  • Take the NPQ if they have not completed or started the NASENCO

  • Complete training within 3 years of appointment - schools and SENCOs must make sure they enrol on training that will meet this requirement

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SENCOs appointed before 1 September 2009 are not required to take the NPQ, but will be expected to ensure compliance with the regulations.

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More information on NASENCO training can be found here: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/media/mmuacuk/content/documents/education/nasenco/2020_NASENCO_A4_FAQ-Leaflet.pdf

(and more information about being a SENCO can be found at the bottom of this page)

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The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity is the largest provider of training in ADHD and neurodevelopmental conditions for professionals in the UK. Their training information can be found here: 

https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/training

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Rules and regs

It is advised that you have clinical registration with one or more of the following:

 

 

And of course, you will need to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC): https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing

 

Government guidelines relating to (working within) learning disabilities can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/learning-disability-applying-all-our-health/learning-disabilities-applying-all-our-health

 

There is also the SEND Code of practice: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf

 

An ADHD assessor also needs to adhere to all usual codes of practice relating to workers within the healthcare sector, and particularly in relation to working with children. It’s probably worth taking a look at our Nurse and Surgeon pages for more information on these.

 

The ADHD Centre details their codes of practice here, as an FYI: https://www.adhdcentre.co.uk/the-adhd-centre-clinical-governance

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Remuneration framework

Qualified teachers in England and Wales earn between £30,000 and £41,333. Experienced teachers can then move on to the upper pay scale which ranges from £43,266 to £46,525. Teachers in London receive an additional allowance.

 

All teachers with responsibility for SEN pupils receive an additional allowance of between £2,539 and £5,009 per annum.

 

You'll also receive a Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payment ranging between £9,272 and £15,690. The exact amount will be determined by the school you work for.

 

Your salary will depend on how much teaching experience you have, and the level of additional responsibility assigned to your role. Another factor is whether you're working in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

 

An idea of costs surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD can be found at the bottom of the page; however, these will vary geographically and indeed in line with the experience of the practitioner. However, if you are considering becoming an ADHD specialist, this at least gives an indication of what you can charge.

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How to get started

As previously stated, you will need to already work as a professional within the healthcare or education sector. Many training courses are then available depending on the area you are interested in.

 

The ADHD Foundation has courses that cover training for those working in education in businesses setting or in a healthcare setting: https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/training

 

ADHD 360 carries advanced training for professionals: https://www.adhd-360.com/adhd-courses/advanced-adhd-training-for-professionals

 

The UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN) has adult assessment specific training: https://www.ukaan.org/diagnosis-and-assessment-2024

 

The Association for Psychological Therapies has online & onsite courses: https://www.apt.ac/adhd-training-course.html

 

The ADHD Coaches Organisation also runs an accredited course: https://www.adhdcoaches.org/adhd-coach-training-programs#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20be%20recognized,coach%20training%20from%20recognized%20sources

 

Once qualified it really is a case of being brave (as Marie Helen said) and putting yourself out there for people to find. In Marie Helen’s case she did this physically with an office space that was in a high-traffic area (so she was visibly seen by passers-by), but also online and she has a good website and strong social media pages.

 

Again, as Marie Helen says, there is no shortage of work, and particularly for children (and their parents), if you can become well known within a good geographical area of your base, the work should well flood in.

 

Archer Resourcing have some great information on how to get started in this field, here: https://www.archerresourcing.co.uk/article/what-is-an-adhd-assessor-and-how-do-you-become-one

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Associations or official bodies to register with

The British Psychological Society: https://www.bps.org.uk

 

Royal College of Psychiatrists: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk

 

Marie Helen is highly qualified in what she does, and her website and ‘About’ page (and particularly the bottom of this page) is the best place to find out about all the courses and official bodies she is registered with: https://www.mariehelenadhdcoaching.co.uk/about.html

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Job site links

This type of role is a bit niche, so you really will need to bring the work to you, one way or another.

 

However, the usual job sites list what roles are out there:

https://uk.indeed.com/q-adhd-assessment-jobs.html?vjk=1ecfb88bad00dacc

https://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/adhd-jobs

https://www.archerresourcing.co.uk/job/adhd-assessor

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Progression pathway​

This is a tricky one to answer, because once qualified and practising, there is a degree of the more experience you get, the more you can charge, however, this will always be heavily capped by client income and what people can afford to pay to be assessed, or to have their child assessed.

 

The common progression route for a role like this, would be to go on to teaching and or training, which means becoming an ADHD assessor trainer alongside your day-to-day role, and working with/for the likes of the ADHD Foundation as one of their trainers: https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/training

 

Another option could be to open up a clinic with other ADHD and/or other neurodivergent specialists. This doesn't necessarily mean physically and a physical clinic, an online clinic would work just as well, and particularly with the world’s familiarity with Zoom, Teams and similar now, work with clients can be done remotely as well as face-to-face.

 

If the latter is something that interests you, then start networking with other assessors and therapists in the Neurodivergent field and see what comes up.

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Additional links/FYIs

A great resource for all things ADHD is the ADHD Centre: https://www.adhdcentre.co.uk

 

As a SENCO, you'll need to:

  • Be aware of different learning difficulties and disabilities which are classified as SEN, and provide equity to each child depending on their own individual needs.

  • Develop and oversee the implementation of the school's SEN strategy and policy.

  • Carry out four-part cycle assessments of pupils with SEN to identify needs and monitor progress - including observations in the classroom and meeting with teachers and parents.

  • Work with classroom teachers, the school leadership team, parents and relevant external agencies to develop, implement and monitor individual support/learning plans.

  • Build rapports with the pupils to set personalised education, health and care (EHC) plans, which include social and academic targets.

  • Provide termly updates on pupil progress through written reports and visual evidence (videos).

  • Chair annual reviews to provide relevant agencies with updates on the pupils' progression towards targets.

  • Develop learning resources to help with pupils' development, including sensory and visual to improve fine motor skills.

  • Support teachers to develop and implement effective teaching and behaviour management approaches in the classroom.

  • Make referrals and liaise with professionals outside of the school within local authorities and health care services, including psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.

  • Provide advice and training to classroom teachers on supporting pupils with SEN and offer further guidance if needed.

  • Manage and advise on the school budget and resources for SEN provision.

  • Develop and maintain systems for keeping pupil records, ensuring information is accurate and up to date.

  • Analyse school, local and national data and develop appropriate strategies and interventions.

  • Keep up to date with national and local policies including the code of practice related to SEN and cascade information to colleagues.​

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