ADHD Assessment for Children & Teens
Helping children and teens make sense of attention and regulation challenges
Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behavioural inhibition, sustained attention, resistance to distraction, and the ability to regulate activity level to meet situational demands. In children and teens, these challenges often show up first at school and at home, appearing as inattention, hyperactivity, restlessness, or impulsivity that makes daily routines and learning harder than they need to be.
At Constellation Psychology, our Registered Psychologists, Sarra Wong, MEd, RPsych, and Sharon Blott, RPsych, provide comprehensive ADHD assessments for children and adolescents in Calgary and surrounding areas for in‑person services, and online assessments for clients across Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Our evaluations clarify whether ADHD is present, identify how attention and executive functioning difficulties are affecting daily functioning, and offer evidence‑based strategies to support growth and well‑being.
Types of ADHD
There are currently three subtypes of ADHD, including:
-
Inattentive Presentation: This presentation involves difficulties with sustained attention, organization, follow‑through, and working memory. Children may appear forgetful, easily distracted, or inconsistent in completing tasks that require mental effort. Challenges often become more noticeable as academic demands increase.
- Hyperactive/Impulsive Presentation: This presentation is characterized by high activity levels, restlessness, impulsive decision‑making, and difficulty waiting or taking turns. Younger children may run, climb, or move excessively, while adolescents often experience internal restlessness or a persistent sense of being "on the go."
- Combined Presentation: Combined Presentation is diagnosed when a child or teen meets criteria for both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. This is the most common presentation across childhood and adolescence, though symptom patterns may shift with age.
Core Features of ADHD
Research—including work by Dr. Russell Barkley—highlights several core impairments that help explain how ADHD affects daily functioning:
Impaired Response Inhibition: Individuals may act before thinking, interrupt others, or struggle to pause long enough to consider consequences. This difficulty with inhibition underlies many behavioural and emotional challenges associated with ADHD.
Reduced Impulse Control and Difficulty Delaying Gratification: ADHD can make it harder to wait, tolerate frustration, or work toward longer‑term rewards. This may appear as choosing immediate, smaller rewards over larger, delayed ones, or becoming overwhelmed when tasks require patience or persistence.
Difficulty Regulating Activity Level: Younger children may show overt hyperactivity, while adolescents and adults often describe internal restlessness, fidgeting, or difficulty sitting still for extended periods. Activity level may feel mismatched to the demands of the situation.
Challenges with Sustained Attention and Mental Effort: Attention is particularly vulnerable during tasks that are repetitive, uninteresting, or require prolonged effort. Children and teens may struggle to complete assignments without supervision, stay focused during independent work, or maintain effort on tasks that lack immediate reward.
School-Related Difficulties
Children with ADHD may experience challenges that affect learning, behaviour, and peer relationships. Difficulties with attention, impulse control, and activity regulation can make it harder to follow classroom routines, manage frustration, and stay engaged in tasks that require sustained effort. These challenges can contribute to academic underachievement, inconsistent work completion, and social difficulties with peers or teachers.
Children with ADHD may exhibit:
- Difficulty attending to task instructions or classroom lessons
- Inconsistent or poor test performance
- Challenges with study skills and organization
- Disorganized notebooks, desks, or written work
- Reduced persistence on tasks that require sustained mental effort
- Distractibility during independent work
- Difficulty completing assignments without supervision
Behavioural and Social Impacts
Notice Similar Patterns in an Adult?
Are you an adult who believes you may have an underlying attention problem?
ADHD has a strong genetic component, so it's common for parents to recognize similar patterns in themselves once their child is assessed. If that sounds familiar, our Adult ADHD Assessment page walks through what adult ADHD looks like and how the assessment process works for adults.
ADHD Assessment
A typical ADHD psychoeducational assessment for children and adolescents takes approximately 12 hours to complete and costs $2,820.00 (flat fee). The process begins with an initial online intake appointment, where background information is gathered, the assessment plan is reviewed, and consent is obtained. After testing is completed, families receive a comprehensive written report, and results are discussed during a feedback meeting. The full process typically takes four to six weeks. This assessment provides a detailed understanding of cognitive abilities, academic skills, social‑emotional functioning, behaviour, attention, executive functioning, and daily adaptive skills, and helps identify learning difficulties that often occur alongside ADHD, such as challenges with reading comprehension, writing, or math.
An adult ADHD assessment requires approximately 9 hours to complete and costs $2,115.00 (flat fee). The process begins with an initial online intake appointment to gather background information, plan the assessment, and review consent. After testing is completed, clients receive a comprehensive written report, and results are reviewed during a feedback meeting. The typical timeline from intake to feedback is four to six weeks. Adult ADHD assessments explore cognitive functioning, social‑emotional wellbeing, attention and concentration, and executive functioning, providing a clear understanding of how ADHD symptoms may be affecting daily life, work, and relationships.
A fully virtual option (tele‑assessment) is available at a reduced cost of $1,645.00 (flat fee). This option excludes the intellectual assessment and requires the following before booking: 1) A private, quiet, and distraction‑free room, 2) computer or laptop, 3) Chrome browser, 4) wired mouse and 5) headphones or external speakers.
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Sarra Wong
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