If you are wondering whether you are autistic or have ADHD, waiting for an assessment can feel like a slow process. You may hope that an assessment will bring answers you have been waiting many years for, but the lengthy waiting lists and paperwork feel like yet more barriers in your path (Department of Health & Social Care, 2026). This can leave you with an awareness of the challenges that you are experiencing, but uncertainty about how to access the right support.
In this article, we'll consider what you can do while waiting for an adult autism or ADHD assessment, including ways to potentially reduce waiting times, accessing support at work or in education and finding helpful resources to support your wellbeing.
How long do I have to wait for an adult autism or ADHD assessment?
If you're currently on an NHS waiting list for an adult autism or ADHD assessment, it may be helpful to contact the service to ask about your current position and expected waiting time. If the wait is longer than you would like, there may be alternative assessment pathways that better suit your circumstances. You are not limited to the options of either relying on the first NHS waiting list you are put on or paying thousands of pounds for a private assessment.
Right to Choose in England
If you're registered with a GP in England, you may be legally entitled to access an adult assessment for ADHD or autism under NHS Right to Choose (‘RTC’; NHS, 2026). This means that you can choose which NHS hospital or service conducts your assessment, rather than being limited to your local NHS trust. This means that if your local NHS option has a long waiting list, you may be able to change to somewhere else within the NHS that has a shorter waiting time. If you access Right to Choose, you remain an NHS patient and do not incur any additional fees.
You are legally entitled to Right to Choose if you meet the following criteria:
Registered with a GP in England
Your GP agreed that a referral for ADHD or Autism assessment is clinically appropriate.
You are not under the care of a specialist team for the same condition.
You do not require urgent, crisis or emergency mental health care.
Private assessments
If you would prefer not to wait for an NHS appointment, accessing a private assessment may be another option if this is within your budget. Providers vary significantly, so it's worth comparing fees, assessment processes and what is included in their service.
However, many people may find private assessments unaffordable. S E I K Psychiatry can be a great option if you would like to access an ADHD or Autism assessment outside of the NHS, but cannot afford private fees. S E I K is a not-for-profit service that offers adult autism and ADHD assessments with four weeks, with the aim of making assessment more inclusive. At time of writing in 2026, this assessment costs a few hundred pounds, but still less than some other private clinics.
If you receive an ADHD diagnosis following an assessment outside of the NHS, you may not be able to NHS prescriptions for ADHD medication (e.g. NHS, 2025). It may be helpful to ask your GP whether they would be able to sign a ‘Shared Care Agreement’ with your provider if you were to receive a private diagnosis.
Do I need an ADHD or Autism diagnosis to receive workplace adjustments?
For those who are neurodivergent or experience associated traits, the world of work can be challenging. You may find it helpful to have additional support to complete some of your work requirements, such as concentration, sensory input, organisation, communication or task completion require some additional support. However, you don't necessarily need a formal diagnosis to access reasonable adjustments that help you navigate these experiences.
In England and Wales, the Equality Act 2010 applies to anyone whose condition meets the legal definition of disability whether or not it is formally diagnosed. Specifically, a condition is considered a disability if it:
Is a physical or mental ‘impairment’ (we might think about this as a ‘difference’!).
Has a substantial adverse effect on the person’s day-to-day activities.
Is long-term, at least 12 months.
Since there is no legal requirement for a formal diagnosis, you do not have to wait until you have the diagnosis to request workplace adjustments. You can start by explaining the specific challenges you're facing and what might help you to manage them. At work, you could speak to your manager, HR department or occupational health team. If you are studying, you could contact student support services.
As you start to identify what might help you with work or study, you might consider:
Sensory support e.g wearing headphones, having access to a quieter workspace and/or adjustments to lighting.
Communication e.g. written instructions, clear expectations and/or direct guidance.
Organisation e.g. regular check-ins and/or support with prioritising tasks.
Working arrangements e.g. flexible hours, additional breaks and/or working from home.
Assistive technology e.g. reminders, planning tools and/or speech-to-text software.
For further guidance, see Acas's advice on reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent workers.
How do I know if I have ADHD or Autism?
While diagnoses can help with self-knowledge and access of appropriate support, there are many different ways to understand yourself. If it feels useful, you might like to use the time while you’re waiting to develop your self-understanding outside of a specific diagnosis.
You might begin by noticing how you experience and interact with the world. For example:
How would you describe your attention, focus, organisation and ability to complete tasks? Do you have particular ways of thinking or working that feel especially natural to you?
How do you experience sensory input, such as noise, light, busy environments or physical sensations? What environments help you feel most at ease?
How do you experience social interaction? Do you find yourself consciously navigating social expectations, masking or adapting your communication style around others?
How do you experience time, memory and transitions between activities? Are there particular routines, structures or approaches that work well for you?
How do you balance social connection with time alone? What helps you feel restored, particularly after periods of social interaction or increased sensory input?
You could keep a journal or make notes on your phone about your experiences, any difficulties you frequently encounter and what you find helpful. This knowledge can be useful in itself as it helps to deepen your self-understanding. This may also be useful information to bring to your assessment when the time comes.
Autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental conditions, meaning that relevant characteristics begin during childhood, even if they aren't recognised until adulthood. If it feels safe to do so, you could speak to someone who knew you as a child, such as a parent, sibling or another trusted person. You might ask what you were like at school, how you interacted with other children, how you managed routines or whether you experienced difficulties with attention, organisation or sensory experiences. What you learn through these conversations about your childhood can act like puzzle pieces in the bigger picture of your self-understanding.
What resources and communities are available for undiagnosed ADHD and Autistic people?
Resources for Adult ADHD and Autism
Learning more about ADHD and/or Autism through books, podcasts and other resources can be helpful in widening your understanding of these conditions and considering how neurodivergent traits may apply to you.
One book that was helpful to me in my own self-discovery of Autism was ‘Unmasking Autism’ by Devon Price. Although no longer running, I also found the Late Discovered Club podcast very useful. In another one of my blog posts ‘I’m Autistic - Now What?’, you can find a list of other books and podcasts on Autism.
As you engage with these resources, remember that recognising yourself in someone's story doesn't necessarily mean you have the same diagnosis. Equally, not relating to every description doesn't rule it out.
Neurodiversity Support Groups
Waiting for an assessment can sometimes feel isolating, particularly if you're unsure how to talk about your experiences with friends, family or colleagues. Connecting with other autistic people, people with ADHD or those who are questioning whether they might be neurodivergent can provide a space to share experiences and learn from one another.
You could look for local peer-support groups, community organisations or online communities. If you are based in London, you might find groups you would like to join via London Neurodivergent Friendship Group or London Autism Group.
What are good coping strategies for neurodivergent people?
As a neuroaffirming counsellor, I often use a strength-based approach when helping clients to identify coping strategies. This is something that you can practice on your own, with a friend/family member or with a therapist. Essentially, the idea is that there are probably things that you already do to support yourself, whether or not you realise it. It’s how you’ve made it this far! Not everything that helps us cope necessarily supports our wellbeing in the longer term, but there are likely to be things you already do that feel helpful, positive and sustainable. By pausing to reflect on what has worked already, you can build upon these strategies to do more of what helps you and start to support yourself better overall.
These could include:
Talking to someone you trust about what's on your mind.
Moving your body through walking, running, yoga or another form of exercise you enjoy.
Taking breaks from busy or demanding environments.
Using sensory comforts, such as comfortable clothing, familiar objects or calming sounds.
Trying breathing exercises, meditation or another practice that helps you feel more settled.
Making time for activities that you find enjoyable or restorative.
Can counselling help neurodivergent people?
Waiting for an Autism or ADHD assessment can bring up a range of feelings, including uncertainty, frustration, relief at finding possible explanations for past experiences, or grief about the support you might have missed out on earlier in life. Counselling can offer a space to talk about these experiences and consider whether an assessment is right for you. If you do decide to go forward with having an assessment, it can be helpful to have a therapist on board ahead to time, to help process your feelings going into the assessment and be there to support you whatever the outcome is.
At One Practice Therapy, I offer neurodiversity-affirming counselling for adults, including people who are questioning whether they might be autistic or have ADHD, as well as those who have already received a diagnosis. We can meet online, or in-person in London Bridge, Greenwich or Blackheath. If you’d like to find out more, you can book a free intro call here. I look forward to hearing from you!
Written by Izzi Norrington (MBACP), Counsellor.
View references for this article here.
FAQs
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An assessment that doesn't result in an autism or ADHD diagnosis doesn't mean that your experiences or support needs aren't important, or that you’ve wasted anyone’s time. By attending a neurodiversity assessment, you are seeking a professional opinion on whether or not you have a neurodivergent condition, with either outcome being equally valid.
If you feel it would be helpful, you can ask your assessing clinician about alternative explanations for your experiences and potential sources of support.
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Yes. Autism and ADHD frequently co-occur, meaning someone can meet the diagnostic criteria for both conditions. This is often referred to as ‘AuDHD’. An assessment can help establish whether one or both diagnoses are appropriate.
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Yes. Masking can involve consciously or unconsciously adapting your behaviour to meet social expectations or fit into particular environments. This might include repressing natural responses, copying other people's behaviour or developing strategies to compensate for difficulties. Whilst neurodivergent conditions are present from childhood, the associated characteristics sometimes only appear in adulthood once the demands of one’s life become overly challenging.
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Adult autism and ADHD assessment waiting lists can be long because demand for assessments has increased, while NHS services often have limited capacity to meet this demand. In recent years, greater awareness and recognition of autism and ADHD has led more adults to seek assessments, including those whose characteristics may have gone unnoticed during childhood. Specialist assessments also require appropriately trained clinicians and time to gather information, review developmental history and assess whether someone meets the diagnostic criteria.