Think you might have ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects the way people behave.

People with ADHD are often restless, finding concentration difficult and may act impulsively.  

Many people find the name very unhelpful, as when you examine ADHD, it's not about an attention deficit, someone with ADHD can show incredible focus (hyperfocus), it is just that the choice of what someone with ADHD focuses on is often not their own.

ADHD is more commonly associated with childhood, but evidence suggests that around a third of children with ADHD go on to be adults with ADHD, meaning somewhere between 2-5% of adults may have ADHD.

(Adapted from ADHD Adult UK, Jan 2025. https://www.adhdadult.uk/what-is-adhd/)

There are 3 types of ADHD:

• Predominantly inattentive ADHD.

• Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive ADHD.

• Combined type ADHD (signs of both inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity)

Diagnosis is based upon…

The signs of inattentiveness:

• A short attention span and being easily distracted.
• Making careless mistakes.
• Appearing forgetful or losing things.
• Inability to stick to tedious or time-consuming tasks.
• Inability to listen to or carry out instructions.
• Constant changing of activities or tasks.
• Difficulty organising tasks.

The signs of hyperactivity/impulsivity:

• Inability to sit still.
• Constant fidgeting.
• Inability to concentrate on tasks.
• Excessive physical movement.
• Excessive talking.
• Inability to wait their turn.
• Acting without thinking.
• Interrupting conversations.
• Little or no sense of danger.

(Adapted from ADHD Adult UK, Jan 2025. https://www.adhdadult.uk/what-is-adhd/)

ADHD is a complex condition that can only be formally diagnosed by a specialist medical professional.

STEP 1:

To help you understand what you are experiencing and to screen you for traits of ADHD, you should book a STAR appointment with the University’s Counselling and Mental Health Service.

STAR appointments can be booked here https://www2.worc.ac.uk/student-services/star.html

You might need more than one STAR appointment for the mental health professional to be able to identify traits of ADHD. The mental health professional you meet will let you know if they need to see you again.

STEP 2:

If the mental health professional identifies traits of ADHD, they will send a summary of their observations to the Disability and Dyslexia Service. We will contact you about booking an appointment with a Disability Adviser to discuss support that may be available to you and how to approach your GP to be referred for a formal ADHD assessment.

You can book an appointment with a Disability Adviser here https://www2.worc.ac.uk/disabilityanddyslexia/advisers.html