Understanding ADHD in a Way That Actually Fits
ADHD is not simply a concentration problem. It is a different way of processing, prioritising, regulating emotions, allocating attention, managing time and energy, and experiencing the world. For many people, the signs have been present for years, perhaps even decades, before anyone thought to look more closely. For some it presents as visible restlessness or impulsivity. For others it is quieter: a constant internal effort to keep up, an exhausting sense of working twice as hard to achieve what seems to come effortlessly to others.
At Oasis Psychological Services, we believe that understanding ADHD properly means understanding the person, not just the symptoms. Our assessments are thorough, neuroaffirming, and designed to give you something genuinely useful: not just a diagnostic outcome, but a real understanding of how your brain works and what will help.
We are one of the only independent services in Kent to offer combined ADHD and Autism assessments, reflecting our understanding that these conditions frequently co-occur and that assessing them separately can mean missing a significant part of the picture.
ADHD assessments at Oasis are led by Dr Floriana Reinikis, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Accredited CBT Psychotherapist, and ADDCA-accredited ADHD Coach. Dr Reinikis brings over twenty years of experience working with ADHD and autism across NHS and independent settings, and is one of the most experienced ADHD assessment clinicians in the region.
Dr Reinikis is also a recognised training provider, delivering specialist ADHD assessment training to qualified clinicians working within NHS trusts including NHS Scotland and several UK NHS Trusts. This is the level of expertise that informs every assessment carried out at Oasis.
Importantly, Dr Reinikis brings not only professional expertise but personal lived experience of ADHD, having received her own diagnosis in later life. All clinical psychologists within the Oasis team are trained in ADHD assessment, ensuring a consistent standard of specialist practice across the service.
Adult ADHD Assessments
Many adults who come to us have spent years developing workarounds. They are often capable, intelligent people who have made things work through sheer effort, only to find that the effort is no longer sustainable. Others have reached a point where a particular life change, a new role, a relationship shift, or a period of burnout, has made the underlying patterns impossible to ignore.
Our adult ADHD assessments follow NICE guidelines and incorporate the DIVA-5 structured interview alongside standardised questionnaires and a detailed exploration of your history and current functioning. We look carefully at how attention, executive functioning, restlessness, impulsivity and emotional regulation show up across different areas of your life, including work, relationships, and daily routines. As part of the assessment process a QbCheck and executive functioning scales will be carried out. Where appropriate, we may also draw on input from someone who knows you well, as this is part of the current diagnostic criteria. We are aware that it may not always be possible to access an informant who has known you most of your life.
Following the assessment, you will receive a feedback session where findings are explained clearly and with care and a comprehensive written report with personalised recommendations. These are practical and specific to you. For those who would benefit from ongoing support, Dr Reinikis and the team offer ADHD coaching and therapy as natural next steps, meaning you do not have to start again with a new provider.
Child and Young Person ADHD Assessments
Understanding ADHD in children and young people has evolved significantly. Contrary to long-held stereotypes, many children do not present with obvious hyperactivity or impulsivity. Instead, they may appear quiet, compliant, or even academically able, masking their underlying difficulties through considerable effort and compensation strategies. This is particularly common in girls, anxious children, and those with higher cognitive ability.
A key challenge is that ADHD often looks very different depending on the environment. A child may struggle significantly at home with organisation, transitions, emotional regulation and task initiation, yet appear to manage in school. Conversely, others manage through masking in the structured school environment but show clear signs of difficulty and exhaustion at home. Schools, even when concerned, do not always recognise ADHD that presents this way. Many children have been missed by previous assessments or have not met the threshold for assessment through the NHS because they did not score highly enough on screening questionnaires — questionnaires that remain largely based on outdated, stereotypical presentations of ADHD.
At Oasis Psychological Services, we do not gate-keep assessment behind screening scores. We recognise that questionnaires are a starting point, not a diagnostic endpoint. If parents, carers or schools have concerns about a child's attention, organisation, emotional regulation or behaviour, we offer an initial consultation to explore whether a full ADHD assessment would be helpful. This approach means that children and young people who have been missed elsewhere often find clarity with us.
The assessment process is thorough and collaborative. We work closely with parents and carers to understand developmental history, current functioning across different settings, and the child's own lived experience. As part of the assessment process a QbCheck and executive functioning scales will be carried out. We gather detailed information from school and other settings where the child spends significant time, after-school clubs, breakfast clubs, sports settings, tutors, or anyone else who has knowledge of how the child functions in different environments. This multi-setting perspective is crucial, as it reveals patterns that might otherwise remain hidden.
We may conduct classroom observations if necessary, and we always listen to what the child or young person themselves tell us about their experience.
As a well-established specialist provider in Kent, Oasis has built strong relationships with both mainstream and independent schools across the region. Schools frequently recommend parents to us because they recognise our expertise and the quality of our assessments. We understand the educational context and can provide recommendations that are practically useful for schools, parents and the young person themselves.
Following assessment, you will receive a feedback session to discuss the outcome and a detailed written report. The report explains our findings clearly and includes practical and individualised recommendations tailored to the child's needs, suitable for sharing with schools and other professionals. We recognise that an ADHD assessment is often the beginning of a longer journey, and we work with families to identify next steps, whether that is ADHD coaching, psychological support, school adjustments, or other interventions that will help the child thrive.
Combined ADHD and Autism Assessments
ADHD and Autism frequently co-occur, and yet many assessment services still treat them as separate referral pathways. At Oasis, we were among the first services in Kent to offer combined assessments, and we believe this matters clinically. When only one condition is assessed, or when assessments are carried out months apart by different providers, important aspects of the picture can be missed or misattributed.
Our combined pathway allows both conditions to be considered together, within a single cohesive assessment process, by clinicians with expertise across both. This produces better outcomes and more meaningful recommendations.
How the Assessment Process Works
Every assessment at Oasis, whether for a child, young person, or adult, and whether for ADHD, Autism, or a combined assessment, begins with an initial consultation. This is an important first step. It gives us the opportunity to understand your concerns in depth, explore whether there are indicators pointing towards ADHD, Autism, or both, and consider whether there are other conditions that may need to be thought about alongside or instead of a neurodevelopmental assessment. Not every set of difficulties has a single explanation, and we believe it is important to get the direction right before proceeding.
Following the initial consultation, we will discuss with you openly what we think the most appropriate way forward looks like. If a specialist ADHD assessment, Autism assessment, or combined assessment is indicated, we will explain what that process involves and what you can expect at each stage.
Where a full assessment is the right next step, the process begins before your appointment. We ask you to complete questionnaires that help us understand your history and current experiences, and these inform the shape of the clinical interview. During the assessment itself, we explore patterns of attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and behaviour across different situations. We use structured interviews and standardised diagnostic tools throughout.
Once all information has been gathered, the findings are reviewed carefully against recognised diagnostic criteria. A feedback session is then arranged, where the outcome is explained clearly and with care. Your written report outlines the findings alongside tailored recommendations that reflect your specific situation and strengths.
Life After an ADHD Assessment
For many people, an assessment is not an endpoint but a beginning. Whether or not a formal diagnosis is made, the process can bring significant clarity and relief. Understanding how your brain works, and why certain things have felt so difficult, can be genuinely life-changing.
At Oasis, we do not simply hand over a report and wish you well. We offer a range of post-diagnostic support options, including ADHD coaching, psychological therapy, and psychoeducation for individuals and families. For children and young people, we can also support families in communicating with schools and helping to put appropriate provision in place.
Take the First Step
If you are considering a private ADHD assessment in Folkestone for yourself or your child, we would be glad to hear from you. Our team is here to talk through your questions, explain the process, and help you decide whether an assessment with Oasis is the right next step.
Contact Oasis Psychological Services to arrange your ADHD assessment in Folkestone today.