Adult ADHD assessment can sound like a vague process from the outside — “some questions and a diagnosis” — but a proper assessment follows a specific, validated structure. The tool I use for the core clinical interview is the DIVA-5, and it’s worth knowing what that actually involves.
What the DIVA-5 is
DIVA stands for the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults. It’s a structured clinical interview, now in its fifth edition, built directly around the formal diagnostic criteria for ADHD — the same criteria used internationally. Rather than a general conversation, it works through each specific symptom of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity in turn, and for each one asks two things: was this present and impairing in childhood, and is it present and impairing now.
Why childhood history matters
ADHD is, by definition, a neurodevelopmental condition — the diagnostic criteria require that symptoms were present in childhood, even if nobody named them at the time. This is often the part of an assessment people find hardest, because many adults being assessed were never flagged as children, especially if they weren’t disruptive, or were girls (who are diagnosed later and less often for exactly this reason). The DIVA-5 asks about concrete, specific examples from school, home and early relationships, rather than a general “were you hyperactive as a child?” — and where possible, input from a parent or someone who knew you then adds real weight to that part of the picture.
What it covers in adulthood
For current functioning, the interview works through specific life domains — work or study, relationships, daily activities, self-image — asking concretely how attention, impulsivity and restlessness actually show up and interfere, rather than relying on abstract self-rating. This is also where the difference between having some ADHD traits and meeting the threshold for a diagnosis usually becomes clear: it’s about genuine, cross-situational impairment, not just relating to a checklist.
What comes after
The DIVA-5 sits alongside other standardised measures and the wider clinical picture, and feeds into a full written report — not a same-session verdict. If you’re weighing up whether to book an assessment, the assessment page covers the full process and fees, and you’re welcome to get in touch with questions before committing to anything.
