Compare
Compare ADHD assessment routes and support
These comparisons set out the practical choices around adult ADHD in the UK: the routes to an assessment, the main medication types, and how coaching, therapy and medication differ. Each is factual and cited, written to inform a conversation with your clinician. This is information, not medical advice, and only a qualified clinician can diagnose ADHD.
Information only, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. These comparisons do not recommend a route, a provider or a treatment.
Our comparisons
| Comparison | What it covers | Best if you are |
|---|---|---|
| Right to Choose vs private vs NHS | The three routes to an assessment, on cost, wait and referral | Deciding how to get assessed |
| ADHD medication types compared | A NICE-aligned overview of the main medicine groups | Wanting to understand the options before a clinical chat |
| Coaching vs therapy vs medication | What each form of support does and how they combine | Weighing up types of support |
Where to start
If you are at the very beginning, our guide to getting an ADHD assessment walks through the routes, and the UK ADHD statistics page has cited figures on demand and waits. For plain-English explainers, see all our ADHD guides, including is it ADHD or anxiety and ADHD and autism overlap.
Frequently asked questions
What can I compare on this site?
We compare the practical decisions people face around adult ADHD: the routes to an assessment, the main medication types, and how coaching, therapy and medication differ. Each comparison is factual and cited. None of it is medical advice, and only a qualified clinician can diagnose ADHD.
Do your comparisons tell me what to choose?
No. They set out the differences so you can have a more informed conversation with your GP or clinician. We do not recommend a treatment, a provider or a medicine. The decisions that matter clinically are for a registered clinician.
Are these comparisons UK-specific?
Yes. They are written for adults in the UK and reflect UK routes such as NHS Right to Choose in England, and UK guidance from NICE and the NHS. Costs, waits and policies change, so confirm the current position with the relevant provider.
Editor, ADHD Helper
Oliver leads ADHD Helper's editorial coverage of adult ADHD. He researches and writes the plain-English explainers on getting an ADHD assessment through NHS Right to Choose or privately, and on the products and tools people use to manage ADHD, drawing on guidance from the NHS, NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is clear that the site is information, not medical advice, and that diagnosis is for a registered clinician.
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026