What an online ADHD evaluation includes
An ADHD evaluation is a clinical assessment, not a single test. Your clinician works from the diagnostic criteria in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5-TR. For adults (17 and older), that means at least five symptoms of inattention, or of hyperactivity and impulsivity, that have lasted at least six months, started before age 12, and cause problems in more than one setting, such as work and home (American Psychiatric Association; NIMH). The symptoms also need to cause real impairment, and your clinician has to rule out other explanations for them (NICE NG87, 1.3.3; American Family Physician, 2024).
Expect questions about your symptoms today and how long you've had them; what school and childhood were like; how attention, organization and impulsivity affect your work, studies, relationships and money; and your sleep, mood, alcohol, caffeine and substance use, medical history and current medications. Guidelines describe this as a full clinical and psychosocial assessment with a developmental and psychiatric history (NICE NG87, 1.3.1; American Family Physician, 2024).
Your clinician may ask you to fill out a validated rating scale such as the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1), developed with the World Health Organization (Kessler et al., 2005). Scales help organize symptoms, but a diagnosis shouldn't rest on a rating scale alone (NICE NG87, 1.3.2). If you want a starting point before you book, take our free ADHD test.
Because ADHD starts in childhood, your clinician may ask to hear from someone who knew you as a child or knows you well now, such as a parent, sibling or partner, when possible, and may look at old report cards or other records (NIMH).
Several conditions cause trouble focusing, and some often come with ADHD: anxiety, depression, sleep problems, alcohol or substance use and learning disabilities (CDC). Other look-alikes include bipolar and other mood disorders; medical causes such as thyroid disease, sleep apnea and hearing problems; and side effects of some medicines, caffeine or nicotine (American Family Physician, 2012). Your clinician asks about each of these before deciding whether ADHD explains your symptoms best.
ADHD evaluation vs. psychological testing
What we do by video is a clinical evaluation: the interview, history, rating scales and input from others described above. That is the assessment guidelines use to diagnose ADHD in adults (NICE NG87; American Family Physician, 2024). No blood test, brain scan or neuropsychological test can confirm ADHD on its own (Planton et al., 2021).
We don't do psychological or neuropsychological testing. That is a longer set of tests of memory, planning, reasoning and other thinking skills, usually given by a psychologist. It can map strengths and challenges and look for learning disabilities (NIMH), and it can add accuracy when childhood history or reports from others aren't available, or when other conditions blur the picture (American Family Physician, 2024). If you need that kind of testing, for example because a school or employer asks for it, your clinician can talk with you about where to get it.
For more on who can diagnose ADHD, from psychiatrists and nurse practitioners to psychologists and primary care, see who can diagnose ADHD and the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist.
Who you'll see
Your evaluation is a private video visit with one licensed psychiatric clinician (a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, depending on your state). Online ADHD evaluations can be booked in 47 states and Washington, D.C. A physician is bookable in 43 of those 48; in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia and New York, no physician is bookable, so your evaluation is with another licensed psychiatric clinician, such as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. Each clinician's credential is in the state list above and on their profile; you can also meet our team.
Whether a nurse practitioner or physician assistant can prescribe a given medication, including stimulants, depends on state law. Your clinician will tell you what applies to you.
What an ADHD evaluation costs
Self-pay is $150 per visit, paid when you book, and follow-up visits are also $150. If your clinician needs more history, the evaluation may continue at a follow-up visit. We don't do psychological or neuropsychological testing, so there is no testing fee.
With insurance, your cost is what your plan charges for a mental health visit: a copay, coinsurance or your deductible. We can bill a plan in network only when a clinician you can book in your state is in network with it; the state list above shows those plans, and you can check your exact plan in the insurance checker. In Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, we don't have an in-network plan to list yet, so self-pay is the way to book there.
Medicaid can't be billed out of network, so Medicaid works only where a clinician you can book is in network with your state's Medicaid. The states where we can list Medicaid today are Colorado, Florida, Montana, Nevada and Utah; elsewhere, check the insurance checker or call (702) 848-2256. If your plan is out of network, you can pay $150 and ask for a superbill to send to your plan; whether you get money back depends on your plan. Superbills don't apply to Medicaid, which can't be billed out of network.
What happens after your evaluation
Your clinician tells you whether you meet the criteria for ADHD and why. Sometimes the answer is a different diagnosis, such as anxiety, depression or a sleep problem, or more than one. Sometimes your clinician needs more information first.
If you have ADHD, you build a treatment plan together. Plans can include skills and organization strategies, therapy, and medication when clinically appropriate, with follow-up visits to check how it's working and adjust it (CDC). Medication is never guaranteed: your clinician decides after the evaluation, and may recommend a non-stimulant or no medication. Read more about ADHD treatment and non-stimulant ADHD medication.
We can't prescribe controlled substances, including stimulants, in Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania or West Virginia. Where we see patients in those states, we can still evaluate you and discuss non-controlled options when clinically appropriate. Federal telehealth rules for controlled substances are temporary through Dec 31, 2026 and may change. The current rule is in the Federal Register notice of Dec 31, 2025.





