We offer adult ADHD assessments in SW Calgary to explore whether difficulties with attention, organization and impulse control fit ADHD and how they affect your daily life. You might be at university or college, working, raising a family or asking questions you never had answered as a child. You do not need a childhood diagnosis to ask about an adult assessment.
You can bring the question that matters to you. Why do deadlines keep slipping? Why does keeping up take so much effort? If reading, writing or exam performance is also a concern, we can discuss an adult psychoeducational assessment that looks at learning alongside attention.
Assessments are completed by Lacy Hunter, Provisional Psychologist, under the supervision of a Registered Psychologist. Diagnoses are made only when the evidence supports them. Findings, interpretation and any diagnosis are reviewed in supervision before we finalize the report.
ADHD in adults can look less like visible hyperactivity and more like internal restlessness or ongoing difficulty organizing everyday life. These experiences are reasons to ask for help, not proof of ADHD. We look at their history, impact and other possible explanations.
You lose the thread in meetings, switch between unfinished tasks or reread the same email. You may look calm while feeling restless inside. Good grades or a successful career do not rule out ADHD; we ask what it takes to keep up.
You put off starting, underestimate how long a task will take or need last-minute pressure to finish. People sometimes call difficulty judging and keeping track of time 'time blindness'. We explore how often this happens and what it costs you at work and home.
Keeping track of lectures, readings and assignment dates can become difficult when you have to set your own schedule. Perhaps you know the material but struggle to prepare for exams or submit work. We ask whether attention, learning skills or both need a closer look.
Bills, appointments and household jobs slip even when you intend to do them. A partner may feel unheard when you lose track of a conversation or forget an agreement. We want to understand the pattern and how it affects your relationships and independence.
Frustration comes quickly, or keeping everything together leaves little energy afterward. Burnout and frustration do not establish ADHD. If anxiety or depression is severe, or you have thoughts of self-harm, seek prompt help from your family doctor or a mental health professional rather than waiting for testing. Call 911 for immediate danger.
Hearing questions about your child's attention or organization may bring back your own school years. You can ask about yourself too. ADHD can be missed in women and adults whose achievements hid their difficulties. Your assessment considers your own history; your child's diagnosis does not establish yours.
Adult ADHD testing combines your history, questionnaires and selected measures. No single test or online checklist gives the answer. We agree on the assessment questions with you, including whether learning concerns need academic testing. For more background, read what a psychoeducational assessment includes.
We consider focus, distractibility, impulse control and skills such as planning, working memory and getting started. Testing gives one view of these skills. Your examples from an ordinary workday, study session or evening at home help us interpret what the scores mean.
Several ADHD symptoms must have been present before age 12, even if nobody identified them then. Old report cards and information from someone who knew you as a child can help. We explore the history you can provide and explain any limits on the conclusions.
We look for symptoms lasting at least six months, present in two or more settings and impairing daily life, such as at work and home. With your agreement, a partner or someone else who knows you well may complete questionnaires. Their perspective adds to your account.
If reading is slow, writing is difficult or exams do not reflect what you know, we can explore whether a learning disorder is part of the picture. An adult psychoeducational assessment may include cognitive and academic measures. A broader learning assessment is not required for every ADHD question; we discuss what fits yours.
Anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, substance use and trauma can affect attention or occur alongside ADHD. We consider whether another condition better explains your symptoms before reaching a diagnosis. Thyroid problems and other medical conditions may need evaluation by your physician; a psychological assessment does not replace that medical work.
Six steps · Clinically supervised
Every assessment follows the same clear process, with each step explained before it happens.
Step 1
Tell us what you have noticed and what you want the assessment to answer.
We discuss whether assessment fits your questions, the current fee and what is included. Ask about appointment availability, expected turnaround and payment terms. In-person sessions are in SW Calgary; ask whether any parts can take place virtually.
Step 2
We talk about your childhood, education, health and current responsibilities.
Bring previous reports and childhood information you can gather, along with examples of difficulties now. You do not need a complete archive to start the conversation. We discuss what additional information would help and who, if anyone, you agree we can contact.
Step 3
We explain the proposed measures, their purpose and the limits of the assessment.
The plan may include attention and executive functioning, emotional wellbeing, cognitive or academic measures. Tell us about access needs and any documentation requirements from your university or college before testing, so we can discuss whether the proposed plan addresses them.
Step 4
You take part in assessment sessions and describe how things go outside the appointment.
We explain the activities and discuss breaks and pacing with you. Questionnaires may also come from a partner or someone who knows you well, if you agree. Share your medication list and follow the prescriber's advice before making any changes for testing.
Step 5
We bring the test results, history and everyday information together.
We consider whether the evidence meets diagnostic criteria and whether other explanations need follow-up. Results, interpretation, any diagnosis and recommendations are reviewed with the supervising Registered Psychologist before the report is finalized.
Step 6
We explain the findings and discuss recommendations you can use.
You receive a written report and have time to ask questions about it. We discuss what to try first at work, in your studies or at home, and whether further care is recommended. You choose who receives your report.
We explain what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain and which next steps fit your needs. The assessment may or may not lead to an ADHD diagnosis.
Your written report describes the questions you brought, relevant history, results, strengths and difficulties. It includes diagnostic conclusions when supported and explains limits on interpretation. We walk through the findings with you so unfamiliar terms do not get in the way.
Depending on the findings, recommendations might include written instructions, smaller task stages or a way to track deadlines. We discuss what fits your actual responsibilities. The report can inform conversations about workplace support, but it does not guarantee an employer will approve a particular accommodation.
The report may support a request for university or college accommodations. Institutions set their own documentation requirements, so check with yours before booking and bring those requirements to us. Disability services decides eligibility and accommodations; a diagnosis does not automatically mean extra exam time or another specific support.
You choose whether to share the report with your family doctor or psychiatrist. It can inform discussions about health concerns and treatment. Psychologists in Alberta do not prescribe medication. Your family doctor or psychiatrist can discuss medication questions and assess what medical care is appropriate.
We stay available to clarify findings and help you choose which recommendations to start with. If the assessment points to a need for other care, we discuss that with you. Ask what follow-up is included and what any additional support would involve.
Yes. Earlier difficulties may have gone unnoticed, or support at home and school may have helped you manage them. Work or university demands can make those difficulties harder to manage. For adults, the symptom threshold is at least five symptoms in the inattentive category, the hyperactive-impulsive category, or both. That count alone does not establish a diagnosis. Childhood onset, duration, impairment across settings and other explanations also matter.
You can contact us directly to discuss an ADHD assessment for adults. You do not need a doctor's referral to start that conversation; ask about our intake requirements before booking assessment sessions. For insurance reimbursement, check your plan for any referral requirements before appointments begin. Your family doctor can also discuss health concerns and publicly funded options.
The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan, or AHCIP, does not cover private psychologist services. Publicly funded care has different access arrangements; your family doctor can discuss which options may fit your needs. We issue insurance receipts. Extended health coverage varies by plan, including for assessment by a Provisional Psychologist under the supervision of a Registered Psychologist. Confirm benefit limits and documentation requirements with your insurer before booking.
Missing report cards do not automatically rule out an assessment. Tell us what records you have and whether anyone who knew you growing up could share their memories, with your permission. We can discuss other ways to explore your developmental history. If the available information is not enough to establish childhood symptoms, we explain how that limits any diagnostic conclusion. A current screening score cannot establish that history on its own.
Ask your university or college's disability services office what documentation it needs before booking. Requirements may include a particular form, the date of assessment and an explanation of how difficulties affect your studies. Bring that information to the discovery call so we can discuss whether our assessment can address the request. The institution decides whether documentation is sufficient and which accommodations are appropriate; we cannot promise it will accept the report.
Ask us about appointment availability, the proposed number of sessions and the expected report date. Timing depends on your assessment questions, the measures included and when background information arrives. There is also work between appointments for scoring, interpretation and supervision review. If you have an application or exam deadline, tell us before booking so we can discuss whether the proposed timeline fits.
Book a Discovery Call and we will share the current fee, what the assessment includes and whether your questions call for additional learning measures. Ask about payment terms and what follow-up is included before deciding. Insurance receipts are issued, but reimbursement depends on your plan. Check coverage for services by a Provisional Psychologist under the supervision of a Registered Psychologist, including testing and report preparation.
Book a Discovery Call to tell us what has been difficult and discuss whether an adult assessment is the next step for you.
Book a Discovery Call