Start with the decision you need to make
If you are considering an adult ADHD assessment in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, first identify what is still unclear: finding a suitable service, understanding an offer or preparing for a booked appointment. These are different tasks. An online screening is optional and does not give you a diagnosis or priority on a waiting list.
“ADD” is still used in everyday language for predominantly inattentive difficulties. When contacting a service, ask whether it assesses ADHD in adults. Do not assume that a general mental health appointment includes the assessment you are seeking.
Find out what an appointment includes
Ask whether the service currently accepts adults, whether there are referral or regional requirements and whether the offered appointment is an initial consultation or part of a full assessment. Record the date of the answer. A waiting-list place is not a confirmed appointment.
For Germany, the 116117 patient service can help with access to care. A booking through the service is not a guarantee of a specialist ADHD assessment. Confirm the scope with the practice. The German-language appointment guide includes a message template and questions for a first enquiry.
Compare fees before committing
Ask whether the specific service will be billed to your insurer or to you privately. A clinician's qualification does not by itself determine insurance coverage. Get a written quote and clarify whether it includes consultations, scoring, written findings, feedback and any additional appointments.
We do not have a representative current price or waiting-time survey for the three countries. A single “DACH average” would conceal differences between services and insurance arrangements. Use the practice's current offer and your insurer's answer for your decision. Do not transfer German reimbursement rules to Austria or Switzerland.
Keep the quote, the insurer's response and the booking confirmation together. If the offer says only “assessment package”, ask what that means. Establish how extra work and cancellations are charged. A low price is not proof of poor care, and a high price does not prove a comprehensive service.
Prepare questions, not a predetermined result
Ask the practice which records it needs. Write down a few situations that trouble you, their practical consequences and situations in which the same task goes well. Distinguish your memories from information in old records. If you do not remember something, say so rather than filling gaps with guesses.
Rating scales can support an assessment, but cannot establish ADHD on their own. NICE NG87 sets out the role of specialist assessment. Your clinician should explain how the information is interpreted and what remains uncertain. The German preparation guide offers additional organisational questions.
Plan the feedback and the next step
Before booking, ask how findings will be explained and whether a written report is included. At feedback, ask what the conclusion means for the difficulties that brought you there. If ADHD is not confirmed, ask what else may explain them and what support is recommended.
A private assessment does not automatically arrange follow-up care. Clarify who is responsible for the next contact and whether a new appointment or a separate quote is needed. This is useful regardless of the eventual diagnostic outcome.
Where screening fits
Our ADHD screening organises self-reported answers. It cannot decide whether an assessment is financially worthwhile, exclude other causes or provide a clinical diagnosis. Basic orientation is free; an expanded report is an optional paid product. Buying it is not a requirement for seeking care.
If you want to clarify the words you are reading, see what neurodivergence means. For questions about overlapping experiences, see ADHD and autism. Persistent difficulties deserve attention even when a screening score is low.