What Is An ADHD Assessment for Adults in North Carolina Like?

What Is an ADHD Assessment for Adults Like and why should you get one with Little Seed Counseling?

Schedule an in-person or online ADHD assessment with certified specialist Jena Plummer.

If you’re wondering whether you might have ADHD, you’re not alone—and you’re not imagining things. Many adults go undiagnosed for years, especially women, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those who’ve been misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or told they’re “just lazy.” At Little Seed Counseling, we offer neurodivergent-affirming ADHD assessments for adults that are compassionate, collaborative, and rooted in clarity.

In this post, we’ll walk you through what an ADHD assessment for adults looks like—what’s involved, what it’s not, and how we tailor it to reflect your lived experience.

What Is an Adult ADHD Assessment anyway?

An ADHD assessment is a structured process designed to evaluate whether you meet the diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But it’s more than just checking boxes—it’s about understanding how your brain works, how that’s affected your life, and what supports might help you move forward.

At Little Seed Counseling, our adult ADHD assessments are:

• Affirming and shame-free

• Inclusive of trauma and neurodivergent experiences

• Rooted in both clinical research and real-world impact

  
  

What to Expect from Our Process

We’ve designed our assessment process to be both thorough and approachable. Here's what it typically looks like:

1. Initial Contact and Intake

After you reach out, we will seek more information about why you’re seeking ADHD testing. We will likely ask you how you plan to use the results:

• Are you looking for personal insight and self-understanding?

• Hoping to share results with your doctor?

• Exploring workplace or academic accommodations?

We don’t offer formal psychoeducational testing or documentation for legal purposes, disability, or unemployment claims—and we’re never able to guarantee how your results will be used by outside providers. But we’ll do everything we can to provide thorough information and helpful resources to support your goals.

This intake process also helps us determine what type of testing is necessary and whether we’re the best fit to provide it. If we believe your needs are outside our scope (such as testing required for disability evaluations or IEPs), we’ll help guide you toward the appropriate referral.

2. Questionnaires, Self-Reports & Collateral Information

We use a combination of validated tools and our own self-assessment forms in order to gather information about your history with ADHD traits and your experience navigating the world. We also include informed consent documents that explain the process, how the information is used and what risks and benefits there are to assessments.

As part of the assessment, we may invite you to identify one or two people who know you well—especially someone who knew you in childhood. This might be a parent, sibling, long-time friend, or anyone who has a meaningful understanding of how you’ve moved through the world over time.

We know not everyone has affirming or safe relationships with family members. That’s okay. You get to choose if and how you want to include someone, and you can always say no.

Why do we ask? ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition, which means it begins in childhood. Having someone who can speak to what you were like growing up helps us validate your experience—especially if your own memories are unclear or shaped by years of masking or being misunderstood.

We approach this process with care. Our goal isn’t to “fact-check” you—it’s to build a fuller picture that honors your story and supports a more accurate, affirming assessment.

3. Clinical Interview (DIVA-5 or similar)

You will meet with a member of our team to complete a structured clinical interview. This interview is conducted by trained members of our team, and looks at how ADHD traits showed up in both childhood and adulthood. We’ll ask for examples from you and can provide several examples of how these traits show up over a wide spectrum of experiences.

This is what really makes us stand out as a provider of affirming ADHD assessments locally. Traditional ADHD assessments often focus on outward signs like hyperactivity or impulsivity—traits more likely to be noticed (and diagnosed) in children who are disruptive in structured environments. But for many neurodivergent adults, especially those who were socialized to mask or "be good," ADHD can look very different.

For example, our team often sees rejection sensitivity, people-pleasing, and chronic over-apologizing as ways ADHD shows up. These traits are frequently misunderstood as anxiety or low self-worth, when in reality, they may be protective strategies formed in response to years of missed expectations, late assignments, or being labeled as lazy or dramatic.

In a neurodivergent-affirming assessment, we don’t overlook these patterns—we understand them as meaningful parts of your story and take the time to see the full picture, not just the checklist.

4. Optional Computer-Based Cognitive Testing (CREYOS)

Depending on your needs and goals for the assessment, we may include brief cognitive tasks to better understand your attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning. In some cases, we’ll send you the CREYOS assessment, a 20-minute computerized task that gives us insight into how different areas of your brain are working—like memory, problem-solving, and focus.

These tools help us build a more complete picture, especially when ADHD traits overlap with experiences like anxiety, OCD, or trauma. They also allow us to tailor our feedback and recommendations in a way that reflects your unique cognitive profile—highlighting both areas of strength and places where you might be overcompensating or running on empty.

5. Review and Feedback Session

Once the data is gathered, we’ll meet again to go over the results. This is your time to ask questions, explore patterns, and understand what it all means. Whether or not you meet criteria for ADHD, our goal is to help you leave with clarity.

6. Written Report and Next Steps

You’ll receive a written summary that includes assessment results, interpretation, and personalized recommendations. Our reports are affirming, easy to read, and can often be shared with physicians for medication referrals or accommodations.

What Makes Our ADHD Assessments Different?

• We affirm that ADHD is a neurotype, not a personal failing.

• We include traits often missed in traditional assessments—like masking, sensory issues, or emotional overwhelm.

• We take time to rule out other explanations (like trauma or head injury) while still validating your experience.

• We understand how ADHD impacts real life: parenting, relationships, identity, and self-worth.

  
  

How Do I Know If I Should Get Assessed?

You might benefit from an ADHD assessment if:

• You’ve always struggled with focus, time, or follow-through

• You feel overwhelmed by daily tasks or decisions

• You were labeled “smart but scattered” growing up

• You’re burned out from masking or constantly trying to “keep up”

• You’ve been told you have anxiety or depression, but it never quite felt like the full picture

Ready to Get Started?

At Little Seed Counseling, we believe that understanding yourself is a powerful form of healing. Whether you’re newly curious or ready to pursue a diagnosis, we’re here to guide you with care and clarity.

👉 Learn more about our ADHD Assessments for Adults in North Carolina

👉 Or fill out our contact form to get started today.

We’re rooting for you.