Digital technologies for assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Overview

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that affects around 1 in 20 school-aged children worldwide. If undiagnosed or untreated it can significantly affect personal development, academic outcomes, and family interaction.

Timely detection and treatment are likely to moderate risks and improve outcomes, but in the NHS there was no simple test to determine whether a child had ADHD.

Despite evidence-based national guidelines, the diagnostic process can include multiple steps based on clinical judgement and informed by subjective reports from parents, teachers, and observation of the child.

As a result, across the NHS many children seeking diagnosis and treatment for ADHD face long waiting times – with some people across the UK waiting for up to 5 years – along with patchy or unavailable services.