Questions Every Parent Should Ask Before Booking an ADHD Assessment for Their Child
If you're a parent in New Zealand weighing up an ADHD assessment for your child, you've probably already done a few late-night Google searches. Public or private? Paediatrician or Psychiatrist? What does an assessment even involve? How much should it cost?
We see these questions pop up every week: From parents trying to decide between clinics, parents stuck on a public waitlist wondering if private is worth it, and parents who have booked an assessment but don't know what to expect on the day.
At Bay Paediatrics, all of our paediatricians and child psychiatrists have neurodivergent children. So we asked them what questions they would be asking before booking an ADHD assessment for their child, anywhere in New Zealand.
Save this list. Print it. Take it with you. A good clinic will welcome every single one of these questions (we’ve also shared our own answers below).
Before you book: the structural questions
These questions tell you what you're actually signing up for. ADHD assessments in New Zealand vary wildly in scope, depth, and price (anywhere from $600 to $3,500+), so don't assume one clinic's "assessment" looks anything like another's.
1. How many appointments are involved in the assessment?
An ADHD diagnosis will stay with your child for the rest of their life, will this be determined over a single 45-minute blurry Zoom call or a multi-appointment, multi-disciplinary assessment?
A Bay Paediatrics ADHD assessment is the most comprehensive in New Zealand. It happens across two separate appointments which usually take place on different days.
2. Who conducts each part of the assessment?
Will the Developmental Paediatrician and/or Child Psychiatrist be deeply involved in the entire assessment, or are they just signing everything off at the end?
Psychologists cannot prescribe medication. If a clinic is using a psychologist to do the assessment, ask who actually signs off the diagnosis and who prescribes if medication is appropriate. If you are being assessed by an independent psychologist and they promise to ‘connect you’ with a Paediatrician or Child Psychiatrist, challenge this carefully and ensure this medication appointment is locked in the calendar before paying the invoice.
Every step of a Bay Paediatrics assessment is led by a Developmental Paediatrician or Child Psychiatrist. Many of our patients are seen by BOTH child ADHD experts across one assessment.
3. Are your clinicians child neurodevelopmental experts…and if so, how?
"Specialist" is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Ask for evidence. Published research? Speaking slots at neurodevelopmental conferences? Recognised fellowships or post-graduate training in ADHD and autism specifically? A long-standing track record of paediatric or child & adolescent psychiatry work?
Remember: Number of Instagram followers is not a clinical qualification.
All Bay Paediatrics clinicians are award-winning medical experts on child neurodevelopmental care and have published over 30 international research papers. We were the only clinic in New Zealand invited to present our groundbreaking work to the ADHD World Congress in Prague.
Cost and prescriptions: the questions clinics often dodge
4. Are prescriptions included in the assessment price?
Some clinics quote a low headline assessment price, then charge separately for the prescription appointment. Get the full picture before you book.
Prescriptions are included in the Bay Paediatrics assessment price.
5. Assuming a positive diagnosis, how soon after the assessment can I collect the prescription?
The ideal answer is "same day." A diagnosis without a prescription pathway often means another wait, another appointment, and another fee…sometimes months later. If you've already waited a year for clarity, another three-month delay is brutal.
Bay Paediatrics? Same day.
6. Will the person delivering the assessment also be the one prescribing the medication?
Ideally, yes. Continuity matters. The clinician who has just spent hours getting to know your child is the best person to make the prescribing call. Being handed off to a third party who has never met your child is a red flag.
Bay Paediatrics: Yes.
Follow-up, reports, and what happens next
7. Am I tied into any follow-up appointments? How much are they?
Ongoing reviews are a legal requirement for ADHD medication in New Zealand (a doctor must review the prescription periodically). Find out how often, what they cost, and whether they're done by the same clinician.
Bay Paediatrics does not tie you into any follow-ups. If you need to our experts, we’re here for you. If you would prefer to manage everything through your GP that’s absolutely fine.
8. How soon after the assessment will I receive my report? What will the report contain?
A written assessment report is what you'll take to your child's school, GP, and any future specialists. Some families can wait months to receive it. Some families receive a ‘report’ that is actually a paragraph.
A Bay Paediatrics report is one of the most comprehensive in New Zealand. It is typically 10 - 15 pages long and you will usually receive it within 7 days of your final appointment.
9. What happens if I don't want medication after the diagnosis, but we want to trial it in a couple of months?
Medication isn't right for every family, and a good clinic respects that. But you should be able to come back and trial it later without paying for a full re-assessment.
Hearing a long-awaited ADHD diagnosis can be an emotional time for a family. We will never push a family towards medication or make you decide there and then. Your decision. Your time.
10. What happens if I feel the medication isn't working?
ADHD medication is rarely "right first time." Doses get adjusted, formulations get swapped, and side effects need monitoring. Find out what the process looks like — and what it costs — before you start.
Bay Paediatrics will review and adjust your child’s medication by email for six weeks (for free) after your assessment, without the need for a follow up.
11.What's the process if we want to adjust medication or try a different drug?
There are several stimulant and non-stimulant options available in New Zealand (methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, atomoxetine and others). You want a clinic that treats medication management as an ongoing partnership, not a one-and-done event.
After diagnosis, Bay Paediatrics gives you the direct email for your lead clinician and a guide to navigating the first few weeks on ADHD medication. We can usually manage things for you by email but if something deeper is happening we might suggest you return for a follow-up
Support beyond the assessment
12. What additional support do you provide to parents and children?
A diagnosis on its own doesn't change anything. What changes things is the support that follows. Ask about parent training, learning resources, podcasts, workshops, and community.
At Bay Paediatrics, this is exactly why we built comprehensive free tools and guides here. We see a diagnosis is a starting line, not a finish line.
13. If we want to speak to the specialist again, how do we arrange this?
Some clinics are essentially unreachable after the assessment is over. Others build in easy access to a clinician for follow-up questions. Ask. (And ask about cost.)
Bay Paediatrics offers follow-up appointments with our Developmental Paediatrician. You can contact us directly and this is arranged through our booking team.
Preparing your child…and yourself
14. What do I say to my child to prepare them for the assessment?
A good clinic will give you age-appropriate language to use with your child. Most kids do better when they know what to expect: who they'll meet, how long it will take, and what kinds of activities or questions to expect. They shouldn't be ambushed.
Bay Paediatrics has guides and explainers for children. We even have a free interactive ‘ADHD Adventure’ game you can play with your child here.
15. What do I do when I get home and realise I've totally forgotten to ask something really important?
This is the most under-asked question, and possibly the most telling. The assessment room is an emotionally charged place. You will forget things. You'll think of new questions on the drive home. You'll wake up at 2am wondering about side effects. A good clinic has a clear, easy, no-extra-charge way for you to get those questions answered.
Bay Paediatrics will give you the email for your lead clinician, so you can email them directly. Even at 2am.
A final word, parent to parent
Choosing where to go for your child's ADHD assessment in New Zealand is one of the biggest decisions a parent can make. The right assessment changes the trajectory of a child's life. The wrong one — rushed, incomplete, or done by someone without the right expertise — can leave a family stuck for years.
Trust your instincts. Ask hard questions. And remember: any clinic worth their salt will welcome them.
If you'd like to explore an ADHD assessment for your child, you can discover more here.
We're based in Tauranga and families travel from across Aotearoa to experience our award-winning assessments and care.
Don’t forget, we have free books on topics such as ADHD, meltdowns and sleep. Plus a free podcast for parents. And a free community filled with over 500 parents who have been on exactly the same journey as you. You can access it all here.