Two useful resources can help South Australian adults find ADHD-trained GPs and other services. But just be aware that assessment is only one part of understanding and responding to attention, organisation and impulse-regulation challenges.
Two resources have recently been circulating among our clinical team in response to a common question:
Do we know which doctors have undertaken additional ADHD training and may be able to assess adults?
If you are exploring an ADHD assessment in South Australia, these two resources may provide a useful starting point:
- RACGP South Australia ADHD GP training program – a list of South Australian GPs who have completed the RACGP’s inaugural ADHD training program. These specially trained GPs can assess, diagnose and treat ADHD in people aged eight and over, including prescribing medication where appropriate.
- Adelaide Adult ADHD services directory – a broader collection of professionals and services that may support adults with ADHD. The suggestions have been gathered from community recommendations and publicly available information.
Availability, fees, waiting times and services offered will vary. Before booking, contact the practice to confirm that the practitioner is accepting new patients and provides adult ADHD assessments.
What might ADHD look like at university?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with ongoing differences in attention, activity and impulse regulation.
At university, possible signs might include persistent difficulty:
- starting or completing tasks
- concentrating on work that feels repetitive or unstimulating
- organising tasks, belongings and time
- remembering instructions, appointments or deadlines
- managing distraction, restlessness or impulsive decisions.
The main challenge (and hence why assessment is required) is that most of us experience some of these difficulties occasionally, especially when stressed, sleep-deprived or overloaded. Similar difficulties can also arise from anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, learning difficulties and other conditions.
ADHD assessment is therefore more involved than matching yourself to a list of symptoms. It considers how persistent the experiences are, how they affect different areas of your life, whether they have been present since childhood, and whether there may be other explanations. You can read more in this Healthdirect overview of ADHD.
What can a diagnosis offer?
I have heard some people describe an adult ADHD diagnosis as transformative. It helped them reinterpret past experiences, become more compassionate towards themselves and find more effective ways of approaching work, study and daily life.
I have heard others describe a more neutral experience. The diagnosis provided some useful information but did not dramatically change their lives.
An assessment may provide clarity and put longstanding challenges into perspective. If ADHD is diagnosed, it may also open access to medication, which some people find very helpful. Medication is not appropriate or equally effective for everyone, and decisions about it need to be made with a qualified prescriber.
It is worth noting that a diagnosis is also not the end of the process. There is usually still work involved in developing practices, environments and strategies that fit the way you function. This might include changing how you plan tasks, manage distractions, structure study sessions, use reminders, seek accountability or arrange support and reasonable adjustments. It is one of the reasons we run the ADHD Support group here at Flinders.
The conversation around ADHD is changing
Since I began working in higher education in 2017, I have seen a much more open and robust discussion of neurodiversity, which includes ADHD. I think that is a positive development.
I have also noticed a shift in how ADHD is discussed. During my clinical training, it was framed primarily as a disorder and a collection of deficits. It is now more common to hear ADHD discussed as a pattern containing both strengths and challenges.
It recognises (correctly) that people with ADHD are not defined solely by their difficulties, while still acknowledging that those difficulties can have significant effects on study, work, relationships and wellbeing.
If you are interested in being part of that conversation, consider exploring the Neurodiversity Community of Practice.
A note about the practitioner lists
I am sharing these resources because they may make it easier to identify possible services. However, BetterU and Flinders University have not assessed the quality, availability or suitability of the individual practitioners listed and cannot personally recommend or vouch for them.
The RACGP page confirms completion of its SA ADHD GP training program. The Adelaide Adult ADHD directory is compiled from lived-experience community suggestions and publicly available information and also states that inclusion is not an endorsement.
Treat both resources as starting points for your own enquiries rather than guarantees about a particular practitioner or service.
