You have decided to do something about it. Then you try to work out who to actually call, and the answer turns out to be genuinely unclear. Do you need a paediatrician or a psychologist? Does the GP refer you, and to whom? Is there a public option? How long is this going to take?
A lot of families lose months at exactly this point, not because anything went wrong but because nobody explains the shape of the process. Here is that shape. Details vary between states and territories and between individual clinics, so treat this as a map rather than a timetable, and confirm the specifics with your GP.
- 1Your GPBook a long appointment. The GP rules out what can look similar, and writes the referral.
- 2Paediatrician or child psychiatristGenerally the person who makes the diagnosis, though trained GPs can now do this in SA and NSW. Psychologists play a substantial role in assessment.
- 3The assessment itselfUsually more than one session. History, rating scales from you and the school, observation, and other explanations ruled out.
- 4A written reportAsk for it. It is what unlocks conversations with the school, and school supports differ by state.
Public costs less and generally waits longer. Private is faster. Ask any clinic for the total cost including reports, and check rebates with Services Australia rather than a forum.
Step one is almost always the GP
For most families the path starts with a general practitioner. Traditionally the GP has not been the person who diagnoses ADHD, but rather the person who writes the referral, rules out the things that can look similar, and knows what is actually available in your area. That is changing in some states, and it is covered further down.
Book a long appointment rather than a standard one, and say when you book that you want to discuss concerns about your child's behaviour and attention. This conversation does not fit into a short consultation, and being rushed through it is the most common reason families leave without a clear next step. See how to talk to your GP about your child's behaviour for how to prepare for that appointment specifically.
Who can diagnose ADHD in a child
In Australia, a diagnosis of ADHD in a child is generally made by a paediatrician or a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Psychologists play a substantial role in assessment, particularly in understanding learning and cognitive profiles and in ruling other things in or out, and in some circumstances contribute to or make a diagnosis. The arrangements differ depending on where you are and what the assessment is being used for, including whether it needs to support an application for school funding or other supports.
Prescribing is controlled more tightly again. Medication for ADHD is regulated at state and territory level, and which specialists may start it and which may continue it differs across the country. If medication is something you want to understand before you commit to a pathway, ask your GP how it works where you live, because the answer genuinely is different in different states.
GPs can now diagnose ADHD in some states
This is the part most existing guidance has not caught up with, and it is worth knowing before you join a paediatrician waiting list. Several states are expanding what a GP is allowed to do, so in some parts of the country the GP may now be the whole pathway rather than the first step of one.
- South Australia. From 28 February 2026, specially trained GPs can assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe for ADHD in children aged 8 and above, and in adults where clinically appropriate, without a referral to a paediatrician or psychiatrist. See SA Health on accessing ADHD care through a GP.
- New South Wales. From March 2026, GPs who complete NSW Health funded training can diagnose and treat ADHD. Separately, since September 2025 a larger group of NSW GPs has been able to continue existing ADHD prescriptions, so an established patient may not need a specialist visit just for a repeat. See NSW Health on the ADHD reforms.
Two things to hold on to here. This applies only to GPs who have completed the specific training, not to every GP, and the numbers are small to begin with. Both states have said priority goes to GPs working in the areas of greatest need, which in practice means rural and regional places where the wait for a paediatrician is worst.
So the question worth asking your practice, before you do anything else, is whether anyone there is accredited to assess ADHD. It costs one phone call to reception and it can save you a place on a waiting list. If the answer is no, ask whether they know of a practice nearby that is.
This area is being reformed right now and the position differs by state and keeps moving. Treat the dates above as the position at the time of writing and confirm the current arrangements with your GP or your state health department rather than with a forum post.
Public or private
Both routes exist and both are legitimate. Assessment through a public hospital or community health service costs substantially less, and demand generally exceeds supply, so waiting lists are common and in many areas they are long. Private assessment is usually much faster and carries out of pocket costs that vary widely between practitioners.
Some costs attract a Medicare rebate, particularly where a valid referral is in place, and private health cover may contribute to some services. Rebates, thresholds and eligibility change over time, so ask the clinic directly what you will pay and what you will get back, and check current arrangements with Services Australia rather than relying on what a friend paid last year or what a forum post says.
Ask any private clinic two questions before you book. What is the total cost of the full assessment including any written reports, and what is the realistic wait. A quoted appointment fee is often not the whole picture, because assessments normally run across more than one session and a report may be charged separately.
It is also worth asking your GP whether there is a public pathway locally, even if you expect to go private. In some areas there are community services that are not obvious from the outside, and the answer costs you nothing but the question.
What the assessment actually involves
It is rarely a single appointment and it is never a single questionnaire. Expect some combination of the following:
- A detailed developmental and family history, covering pregnancy and birth, early milestones, and whether ADHD, learning difficulties or mental health conditions run in the family.
- Standardised rating scales, usually completed both by you and by a teacher. This is why the school's involvement matters and why it is worth warning the teacher that something may be coming.
- Direct observation and conversation with your child, the depth of which depends on their age.
- A review of school reports and any previous assessments, including speech, occupational therapy and psychology reports if you have them.
- Consideration of other explanations, including sleep problems, hearing and vision, anxiety, and specific learning difficulties. A thorough assessment spends real time here, and that is a sign of quality rather than delay.
Evidence from more than one setting sits at the centre of all of it. That is why the clinician will keep returning to whether the same pattern appears in the classroom and at home, and why a report from the school carries so much weight.
What to do while you wait
Waiting is the part families find hardest, and it is also where preparation pays off most. None of the wait has to be passive.
- Start a daily record now. Three or four weeks of short notes is worth more than anything you can assemble the night before. By the time the appointment arrives you may have months of it. See how to track your child's ADHD symptoms at home.
- Ask the school to put its observations in writing, and request copies of past reports while you are at it. Teachers change, and last year's teacher may have seen something this year's has not.
- Get hearing and vision checked if that has not happened recently. It is straightforward, it is often free or low cost for children, and it removes an alternative explanation before anybody has to ask about it.
- Look at sleep. Sleep problems both imitate and worsen attention difficulties, and improving sleep helps regardless of what the assessment eventually concludes. This is worth doing on its own merits.
- Write your questions down as they occur to you, rather than trying to remember them on the day.
ParentPilot was built for this window. A thirty second daily check-in, assessments you can compare over time, and a PDF report you can hand to a clinician. It is a tracking tool, not a diagnostic one. It does not diagnose ADHD and it is not a substitute for an assessment.
After the appointment
Whatever the outcome, ask for it in writing. A written report is usually what unlocks conversations with the school, and school supports are administered at state and territory level so the process differs depending on where you live. Ask what the review plan is and when you should come back.
If the answer is that your child does not meet the criteria for ADHD, that is not the end of the road. Ask what does explain what you have been seeing and what the next step is for that. The difficulties you walked in with are still real and still worth addressing, and a clear no to one thing should come with a direction towards something else.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral to see a paediatrician?
Generally yes. A referral from a GP is normally required for a Medicare rebate to apply, and many paediatricians will not take a booking without one. Referrals also have validity periods, so if there is a long wait between getting the referral and being seen, check with the clinic whether yours will still be current at the appointment.
Can my GP diagnose ADHD instead of a paediatrician?
In some states, if they have done the training. South Australia allows specially trained GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD in children aged 8 and above from 28 February 2026, and New South Wales began a similar programme from March 2026. It applies only to accredited GPs and not to every practice, so ring your own practice and ask directly. Elsewhere, and for younger children, the pathway still runs through a paediatrician or a child psychiatrist.
How long do the waiting lists actually run?
This varies enormously by location and by whether you go public or private, so any number quoted online is unreliable. Ask each clinic directly when you enquire, and ask to be told if a cancellation comes up. Some families also ask to be placed on more than one list, which is usually acceptable if you tell each clinic you have done it.
Can a school diagnose ADHD or refer us?
A school cannot diagnose ADHD. What a school can do is provide observations, complete rating scales as part of an assessment, and in many cases point you towards local services or a school psychologist. Their written observations are genuinely valuable to the assessment, so it is worth telling the school what you are doing.
Is a diagnosis from a psychologist accepted everywhere?
It depends on what you need it for. For understanding your child and putting strategies in place, a thorough psychological assessment is useful in its own right. For medication, and sometimes for particular school or funding processes, a medical practitioner is generally required. Ask at the outset what the assessment you are booking will and will not enable, because this is the point families most often discover a gap later.
What if we move states partway through?
Take copies of everything with you, including the referral, any reports and any correspondence. Prescribing arrangements differ between states and territories, so if medication is involved, ask the new GP early about what needs to happen locally rather than assuming existing arrangements simply carry across.