Screening: ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia

What's the difference between your screening service and a formal NHS or private diagnosis?

My screening is not a clinical diagnosis - and it's important to be clear about that from the outset.

A formal diagnostic assessment, whether through the NHS or a private clinic, is carried out by a qualified clinician and results in an official diagnosis.

My screening service offers something different: a structured, in-depth exploration of your profile that can help you understand what might be going on, prepare you for a formal assessment if you choose to pursue one, and give you a clearer picture of your strengths and challenges in the meantime. Many people find it a useful first step - particularly if they've been waiting a long time on the NHS, or if they want to understand themselves better before going through a formal process.

If a clinical diagnosis is your goal, I can help you think through your options.

Is it common to be diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia or autism as an adult?

Yes, it is far more common than many people realise. Adult diagnosis rates have risen significantly over the past decade as awareness has grown and diagnostic criteria have been updated. Many adults receive their first ADHD or autism diagnosis in their thirties, forties, or fifties. This does not mean the condition appeared in adulthood. It was always present, but a combination of systemic failures, masking, and narrow diagnostic frameworks meant it was not identified earlier. If you wish to learn more about this, my article explains why this happens. 

Why was I not diagnosed as a child if I have always been this way?

There are many reasons, and very few of them have anything to do with you personally. Early diagnostic criteria were built on narrow, specific presentations, often male, often more overtly disruptive, that missed subtler or atypical profiles. Many professionals were not trained to recognise neurodivergence in quieter, higher-functioning, or female-presenting children. Masking and compensation meant that difficulties were often invisible to the adults around you. And the environment of childhood often provided enough scaffolding to contain difficulties that only became visible later, when that support was removed.

Can I be autistic or have ADHD if I have always had friends and held down a job?

Absolutely. Neurodivergence does not preclude social relationships, professional achievement, or the ability to manage daily life. Many late-diagnosed adults have done all of these things, often at great personal cost. The question is not whether you have managed, but how much effort managing has required, and what the impact of that effort has been on your wellbeing, your energy, and your sense of self. High-functioning or well-masked presentations are just as real as more visibly apparent ones.

Do I need a formal diagnosis before I can get support?

No. A formal diagnosis can be valuable for accessing certain services, adjustments, or medication, but it is not a prerequisite for understanding yourself or getting practical support. Many adults who are questioning, or who have received an informal assessment, find that coaching and structured support is helpful regardless of whether a formal diagnostic label is in place. 

What is masking and how do I know if I do it?

Masking is the process of suppressing or hiding neurodivergent traits, consciously or unconsciously, in order to appear more neurotypical. It can include anything from mimicking social behaviours you have observed in others, to suppressing physical responses, to scripting conversations in advance, to simply working twice as hard as everyone around you to achieve the same result. Signs that you may mask include feeling exhausted after social interactions even when they went well, feeling like a different person at home than in public, or struggling to identify what you actually want or feel when not in a social context.

Why do I feel both relieved and devastated since realising I might be neurodivergent?

Because both of those responses are entirely appropriate and expected. Relief comes from finally having a framework for experiences that have felt confusing or painful for a very long time. Grief comes from the recognition of what you did not have, the support, the understanding, the compassion, for all the years before this realisation. Holding both of those feelings at once is not a contradiction; it is an honest response to a genuinely complex situation. Many late-diagnosed adults describe exactly this experience, and it tends to shift, slowly, with time and with support.

Is self-diagnosis valid?

Self-identification, or arriving at the strong sense that neurodivergence explains your experience, is a meaningful and legitimate step.  It is not the same as formal diagnosis, and formal assessment remains the most reliable way to confirm or clarify the picture. But self-recognition is not merely self-indulgence. For many people, it is the first accurate framework they have ever found for understanding themselves, and that matters whether or not it is eventually followed by a formal process.

How do I start the process of finding out if I am neurodivergent?

A good starting point is to speak to your GP, who can make a referral for formal assessment through the NHS (though waiting times vary significantly by region). You can also research private assessment options if you are in a position to do so financially. At Capisco Coaching, I offer screenings for ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia. 

Reading about neurodivergence, including first-person accounts from late-diagnosed adults, can help you build a clearer sense of whether your experience aligns with what you are reading. And speaking to a specialist neurodivergence coach, before, during, or after a formal process, can help you make sense of what you are experiencing and take practical steps forward, regardless of where you are in the diagnostic process.

You were not missing anything, the system was

If you have arrived at this page questioning whether you might be neurodivergent, or sitting with the weight of a late diagnosis, what I hope you take from it is this: the experience you are describing is real, the recognition you are seeking is valid, and the fact that it took this long is not a reflection on you. It is a reflection on systems that were not built to see you, environments that were not designed to support you, and a world that asked you to perform normality so effectively that even you sometimes believed the performance.

Understanding why late recognition happens does not undo the years before it, but it can change the meaning of those years. It can shift the narrative from one of personal failure to one of extraordinary adaptation in difficult circumstances. And it opens the door to something that may have been in short supply for a long time: genuine, informed, tailored support.

I work with adults who are neurodivergent or who think they might be, before, during, and after any formal diagnostic process. You do not need a diagnosis to work with me. You need only the sense that something has been hard for a long time, and the readiness to explore that with someone who understands why.

Book a free introductory call today and take the first step toward understanding how your mind actually works and how to build a life that works with it.