Self-Advocacy During The ADHD Assessment Process: What You Need to Know

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Feb 4, 2026

Vicki George, clinical nurse specialist and founder of The ADHD Nurse who assesses and prescribes for adolescents and adults, discusses who can conduct ADHD assessments and what “appropriately trained” means. She explores why neurodevelopmental assessments should be thorough, how hormones affect medication response, practical tips for getting GP referrals, and non-medication support options.

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INSIGHT

Assess Neurodevelopmental Needs Together

Neurodevelopmental conditions often overlap, so separate ADHD and autism assessments create inefficiency and missed context.
Vicki argues for combined neurodevelopmental assessments rather than siloed pathways.

ANECDOTE

Family Input Often Isn’t Available

Many adults cannot or do not want to involve family informants due to trauma, dementia, death, or generational misunderstandings.
Vicki says informant input is encouraged but must not become a barrier to diagnosis.

ADVICE

How To Start The Assessment Process

When seeking an NHS referral, check your GP practice website and book with clinicians listing neurodevelopment or menopause interests.
Treat the GP visit as a task: request a referral directly and don't over-explain your case.

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Getting an ADHD diagnosis isn’t always a straightforward path, and for many, it can feel confusing, overwhelming, or simply out of reach.

In this week's episode of The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast, I’m joined by Vicki George, specialist nurse and founder of The ADHD Nurse, who’s working to make ADHD assessments more accessible, inclusive and compassionate, especially for women and adolescents.

This is a practical, myth‑busting and empowering episode for anyone who feels stuck or confused by the ADHD assessment process, is unsure who can assess them or whether their past diagnosis was thorough enough, feels uncomfortable being asked to involve family, is exploring non‑medication approaches, or is navigating perimenopause and wondering how hormonal changes affect ADHD and treatment.

Grab the last few tickets to our first LIVE ADHD Women's Wellbeing Event!

Click here to book your ticket for a full day of community, connection, awareness and growth.

Key Takeaways:

Why psychiatrists aren't the only professionals who can assess and diagnose ADHD
What it means to be an “appropriately trained” ADHD assessor under NICE guidelines
Why the current system can feel inconsistent or subjective
The need for neurodevelopmental assessments, not just standalone ADHD or autism
How ADHD assessments should ideally be carried out using tools like the DIVA
Why family input is requested in assessments, despite sometimes complicating the process
A deeper look at the role of hormones in ADHD, especially for women in midlife
Clarifying the confusion around medication and how it needs to consider hormonal shifts
Exploring non-medication pathways (e.g. nutrition, mindfulness, exercise, nervous system support)
How stigma and misunderstanding still shape people’s experience of diagnosis and treatment

Timestamps:

04:30 - Navigating ADHD Assessments: Evolving Perspectives
17:56 - Understanding ADHD Diagnosis and Stigma
22:54 - Navigating ADHD Diagnosis and Advocacy
25:29 - Exploring Hormonal Interventions for ADHD in Women
36:56 - The Beginning of a New Understanding

Today's episode sponsors: The ADHD Weasel

The ADHD Weasel is a weekly email delivering support straight to your inbox for just $10/month at adhdweasel.com.

Join 20,000+ adults with ADHD who’ve finally found strategies that actually work, written by people who actually get ADHD.

ADHD Women's Wellbeing Live Event

We're excited to offer you a full day of real-life connection, calm, and community for women diagnosed late in life who are ready to feel understood, supported, and seen.

Kate will be joined by two ADHD expert guest speakers, Hannah Miller and Dr Hannah Cullen!

You can expect:

Honest, thoughtful, informative conversations
Connection with like-minded, late-diagnosed ADHD women
Information on hormones, energy levels and nervous system regulation
A space to come back to yourself, with women who truly get it

Event details: Friday, March 6th 2026, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm in Wilmslow (near Manchester).

Book your ticket or find out more information here!

Join the More Yourself Community

More Yourself is a compassionate space for late-diagnosed ADHD women to connect, reflect, and come home to who they really are. Sign up here!

Inside the More Yourself Membership, you’ll be able to:

Connect with like-minded women who understand you
Learn from guest experts and practical tools
Receive compassionate prompts & gentle reminders
Enjoy voice-note encouragement from Kate
Join flexible meet-ups and mentoring sessions
Access on-demand workshops and quarterly guest expert sessions

To join for £26 a month, click here. To join for £286 for a year (a whole month free!), click here.

We’ll also be walking through The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Toolkit together, exploring nervous system regulation, burnout recovery, RSD, joy, hormones, and self-trust, so the book comes alive in a supportive community setting.

Links and Resources:

Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website [here].
Buy a copy of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit [here].
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod
Visit Vicky's website: www.theadhdnurse.co.uk
Follow Vicky on Instagram @adhdnurse.uk

Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed ADHD women find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity and clarity.