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If you have been wondering whether ADHD might be part of your story, a structured assessment can give you the clarity you have been looking for. At Central Minds in Hong Kong, our ADHD assessment service is designed to help you understand how your mind works, whether or not a formal diagnosis follows. The process is led by Dr Steven Livingstone, a Clinical Psychologist trained in the UK with two decades of experience in the National Health Service. This service is currently available to adults aged 18 and over.
Who our ADHD assessment is for
Many of the adults who come to Central Minds for an ADHD assessment have spent years sensing that something is not quite working, without being able to name it. Some have been told they are bright but inconsistent. Others have built coping strategies that worked for a time, until life became more demanding.
You may find our service useful if any of the following sounds familiar:
- A longstanding feeling that you are working harder than your peers to achieve the same result
- Persistent difficulties with focus, organisation, time, or finishing tasks, despite genuine effort
- A suspicion that you have been masking challenges for years
- Patterns that have been present since childhood but have only recently become difficult to manage
- A wish for clarity about how your mind works and a practical plan for moving forward
You do not need to be certain that you have ADHD to seek an assessment. The process itself is informative, and a structured conversation with a Clinical Psychologist can help you make sense of what you have been experiencing.
How our ADHD assessment works
Our assessment is structured, transparent, and tailored to you. From first contact to feedback, the process moves through seven clear stages. Most people complete the full pathway across a few weeks, and the pace can be adjusted to suit you. If further intervention is required during or after the process, such as a prescription for medication, we will provide a recommendation for an appropriate medical specialist.
1. Screening questionnaires
Before your first meeting, you will be asked to complete a set of screening questionnaires. These are not sufficient for a diagnosis on their own, but they help us understand your concerns and shape the conversations that follow.
2. A 45 minute initial session
This appointment gives you time to discuss your strengths and concerns, so the assessment can be tailored to your needs. Following this session, and a review of your questionnaires, we may advise that a full diagnostic assessment is unlikely to be warranted. In that case, you may agree together not to proceed. This is a clinical opinion rather than a definitive answer. You are welcome to proceed to the full assessment in any case, and we will talk it through with you.
3. Observer information
Before the assessment appointment, you will be asked to nominate someone who has known you well, ideally since childhood. This is usually a parent, sibling, partner, or close friend. With their consent, we will either send them an observer questionnaire or arrange a brief interview. This outside perspective matters because ADHD begins in early life, and an external view helps us understand how the patterns showed up before you built your current coping strategies.
4. Further self-assessment questionnaires
Depending on what has emerged so far, you may be asked to complete an additional self questionnaire. This helps us deepen our understanding and improves the accuracy of our assessment.
5. The assessment appointment
The assessment itself takes around two hours. It combines a clinical interview with pencil and paper tasks that look at your strengths and challenges across different cognitive areas. The tasks are a little like puzzles, and many people find them surprisingly interesting.
6. A detailed written report
Within around two weeks of your appointment, you will receive a detailed written report. It will either confirm a diagnosis or explain why the criteria are not met. Either way, the report describes your cognitive profile, highlights your strengths, identifies any challenges, and offers practical recommendations.
7. A 30 minute feedback session
Once you have read the report, we offer a feedback session to talk through the findings, clarify anything that is unclear, and answer your questions. This can take place in person, online, or over the phone, whichever suits you.
Fees and what is included
We aim to be transparent about cost from the outset, so you can make a clear decision before committing to the full process.
| Pathway | Fee (HKD) | What is included |
| Initial session only | $2,200 | Screening questionnaires, the 45 minute initial session, clinical advice |
| Full assessment | $14,000 (total) | Screening questionnaires, initial session, assessment appointment, written report, feedback session |
If, after the initial session, you decide together that a full assessment is not warranted, you are only charged the lower amount. The full assessment fee is inclusive, with no further charges for the report or the feedback session.
About Dr Steven Livingstone, Clinical Psychologist
ADHD assessments at Central Minds are conducted exclusively by Dr Steven Livingstone, our Clinical Psychologist.
Dr Livingstone trained in the UK and has two decades of experience working in the National Health Service. Across that time, he has carried out thousands of psychological assessments with families, children, and adults across a wide range of presentations.
He has also taught on the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology training course at King’s College London, where he supervised trainee Clinical Psychologists conducting assessments under his guidance. This combination of clinical, research, and teaching experience informs every assessment he carries out.
His emphasis is on identifying strengths as well as challenges in conditions such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum, and Dyslexia, fostering genuine inclusion, and identifying the strategies that help neurodiverse people to flourish. For wider context on this area of our work, see our page on ADHD expertise.
Booking your ADHD assessment
To begin, please Contact Us for an informal conversation about what you are experiencing and what you hope to gain from the process. We can then send you the initial screening questionnaires and arrange your first session at our Central practice.
Central Minds is not a crisis centre. If you or someone you care about is in immediate distress or at risk of harm, please call 999 or go to your nearest emergency department. You can find further support options on our resources page.
FAQs About ADHD Assessment
Who is eligible for the ADHD assessment at Central Minds?
The service is for adults aged 18 and over who would like a structured, considered view of whether ADHD may be part of their experience. All assessments are conducted exclusively by Dr Steven Livingstone, our Clinical Psychologist.
How long does the full assessment process take?
From your first questionnaires to your feedback session, most people complete the process across a few weeks. The exact pace depends on scheduling and how quickly observer questionnaires are returned, and it can be adjusted to suit your circumstances.
What happens if I do not meet the criteria for ADHD?
Your written report will still describe your cognitive profile, your strengths, and any challenges you may face, along with practical recommendations. Many adults find the assessment genuinely useful even when a formal diagnosis is not made, because it offers a clearer picture of how their mind works.
What is the difference between a Clinical Psychologist and a psychiatrist?
A Clinical Psychologist focuses on assessment, formulation, and talking therapies. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication. You can read more on our FAQ page about psychologists and psychiatrists.
Will I need to take medication if I am diagnosed?
Medication is one option, not a requirement. Many adults benefit from psychological strategies, coaching, and lifestyle adjustments alone. If you wish to consider medication as part of your care, we will recommend a trusted psychiatrist to support that decision.
Why do you need to speak to someone who knows me well?
ADHD begins in early life, so an outside perspective from someone who has known you for a long time helps us understand how the patterns showed up before you developed your current coping strategies. With your nominee’s consent, we will send them an observer questionnaire or arrange a brief interview.