A comprehensive ADHD evaluation, with differential diagnosis built in.
For families in Connecticut who need more than a brief rating-scale visit and do not need the cognitive testing of a full neuropsychological battery. We deliver a DSM-5-TR diagnosis when criteria are met, and a clear differential picture when they do not, with a written report your family, pediatrician, and your child’s school can actually use.
Where this evaluation fits
Most ADHD pathways in pediatric mental health give families one of three options: a 30 to 60 minute office visit using one or two rating scales, a 60 to 90 minute evaluation paired with a commitment to ongoing weekly or biweekly therapy before any diagnostic clarity is given, or a full pediatric neuropsychological battery focused on cognitive profiling. Each has its place. None is structured around the question parents typically arrive with, which is why is this happening, what is driving it, and what to do next.
The Root-Cause ADHD Evaluation is designed for families who want a more thorough and integrated answer. It runs over four to six weeks at a more accessible cost than a full pediatric neuropsychological battery, and it goes substantially deeper than a rating-scale screening by integrating differential diagnosis into every assessment.
| Rating-scale evaluation | The Root-Cause ADHD Evaluation | Pediatric neuropsychological evaluation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Connecticut cost | $200 to $500 | $1,850 to $3,450 | $2,500 to $5,000+ |
| Time invested | One office visit, 30 to 60 minutes, or a 60 to 90 minute evaluation paired with a commitment to ongoing weekly or biweekly therapy | 4 to 6 weeks, 12 to 18+ clinical hours | 8 to 16+ testing hours, plus reporting |
| Primary tools | One or two ADHD rating scales | Multi-informant rating scales, structured clinical interview, executive function and sensory measures, anxiety, OCD, and autism screeners, sluggish cognitive tempo measure, mood disorder workup, trauma screeners, sleep instruments, PANS/PANDAS/Neuroimmune workup as indicated | Full cognitive (IQ) testing, achievement testing, neuropsychological subtests, continuous performance testing |
| Structured differential diagnosis | Limited | Yes, every evaluation | Variable, focused on cognitive differentials |
| Reviews biological, sleep, and neuroimmune contributors | Rarely | Yes | Rarely |
| Written report for family, pediatrician, and school | Brief or none | 15 to 30 pages, with resources | Yes, typically lengthy |
| Best fit | Initial screening when concerns are mild and uncomplicated | Most ADHD evaluation questions in children and teens, especially complex, atypical, or unresolved cases | Specific cognitive profiling, suspected learning disability, complex neurodevelopmental questions |
What “ADHD evaluation with differential diagnosis” means
Differential diagnosis is the structured clinical process of evaluating ADHD alongside the other conditions most likely to mimic, mask, or co-occur with it. ADHD is the most frequently requested and most frequently misattributed evaluation in pediatric mental health, in large part because so many other conditions look like it on the surface.
A diagnosis describes what is happening. The evaluation investigates why.
Every Root-Cause ADHD Evaluation is a differential evaluation by design. We do two things in parallel. We assess against full DSM-5-TR criteria for ADHD using validated multi-informant rating scales, structured clinical interview, observational data, and collateral input from teachers and other providers. We also systematically evaluate the conditions most likely to produce overlapping symptoms in children and teens, and the biological, sleep, and neuroimmune contributors that drive attention-like presentations. The reasoning is documented in the written report.
Conditions considered during every evaluation
Psychiatric & developmental
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Sluggish cognitive tempo and cognitive disengagement syndrome
- Adjustment disorders
- Trauma and adverse childhood experiences
- Autism and social communication differences
- Mood concerns including depression
- Specific learning disorders
Biological, sleep & neuroimmune
- Sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea
- PANS and PANDAS
- Post-infectious neuropsychiatric presentations
- Lyme and tick-borne co-infections
- Long COVID and post-viral neurocognitive sequelae
- Mast cell activation and histamine-mediated symptoms
- Celiac disease and nutrient deficiencies
- Genetic disorders with neuropsychiatric presentations
- Head injury history including subclinical concussion
- Sensory processing and interoceptive deficits
- Treatment side effects
The Beta Program does not order labs, imaging, or physician evaluations. We synthesize the gathered information, identify which differentials the clinical picture warrants pursuing, and provide your child’s pediatrician with a structured letter outlining potential platforms for discussion. Decisions about medical testing and medical diagnosis belong to your child’s pediatrician and any specialists they refer to.
The clinical qualifications behind this evaluation
The depth of differential reasoning in this evaluation is possible because of a specific combination of clinical training that is uncommon in the pediatric ADHD evaluation market.
ADHD evaluations gain their depth from the clinician’s ability to recognize what else might be in the picture. Training across mental health, neuroscience, infectious disease, functional medicine, behavioral analysis, clinical nutrition, and parasitology, combined with extensive experience in complex cases, is what allows a single evaluation to surface underlying factors alongside the core ADHD assessment, and to translate those findings into specific recommendations your family, pediatrician, and school can act on.
Who this evaluation is for
- Children ages 5 and up with concerns about attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, or executive function.
- Teens through age 17 navigating organization, time management, motivation, school performance, or emotional regulation.
- Families with an existing ADHD diagnosis seeking a deeper, neurobiologically grounded picture of how it is showing up.
- Children and teens with sudden-onset, waxing-and-waning, or treatment-refractory presentations, including any concern for PANS or PANDAS.
- Families whose previous evaluation did not hold up in the world or left them with more questions than answers.
- Young adults ages 18 to 22 by request.
What the evaluation looks at
A reliable ADHD evaluation looks past the surface behavior to the systems underneath.
Attention regulation
Sustained attention, selective attention, and the ability to shift focus on demand.
Executive function
Working memory, task initiation, planning, organization, flexible thinking, inhibitory control, self-monitoring.
Time perception & motivation
Time blindness and task paralysis are common features of ADHD that are routinely misread as laziness.
Emotional regulation
Emotional intensity and rejection sensitivity travel with ADHD for many children and teens.
Sensory & interoceptive
How a child’s nervous system reads the outside world and the signals from inside the body.
Sleep architecture
Sleep quality and sleep-disordered breathing are among the most under-recognized drivers of attention concerns.
Strengths
Pattern recognition, divergent thinking, and resilience often travel with ADHD. Documenting strengths shapes the recommendations.
Our six-phase evaluation protocol
A complete evaluation runs four to six weeks from intake to feedback session and represents 12 to 18+ hours of clinical work, depending on tier and complexity.
Pre-intake Screening
Structured digital intake covering developmental, biological, immunization, infection, sleep, sensory, gut, family, and academic history alongside validated screening instruments. The clinician arrives at the first session with a working differential hypothesis.
Clinical interview and record review
A 90-minute structured caregiver interview, a 60 to 90 minute clinical session with your child or teen, and asynchronous review of records, prior evaluations, IEP or 504 documentation, and specialist notes.
Structured assessment battery
Multi-informant ADHD rating scales, executive function scales, anxiety, OCD, and autism screeners, sluggish cognitive tempo measure, sensory and sleep instruments, trauma screening, and PANS Research Consortium symptom checklist when red flags are present. Teacher input is strongly recommended.
Differential review
Systematic review of the gathered data against the differential landscape, with structured letters for your current team where indicated.
Report integration and writing
Four to six clinician hours producing the written evaluation report, written for three readers at once: your family, your current providers, and the school.
Feedback session and follow-through support
A 90-minute working feedback session with the report delivered 48 hours in advance. Includes one 30-minute follow-up call within 60 days and one provider-to-provider call, if requested.
Pricing
The Beta Program is a private-pay practice. Three tiers are available, sized to the complexity of the presentation.
Payment plans and HSA accepted. Buy Now, Pay Later Detailed superbill available for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Parent interviews and follow-up calls can be conducted via telehealth if requested.
Focused ADHD Differential Assessment
- All six phases of the protocol
- Standard assessment battery
- Parent and child interviews, teacher ratings
- Structured record review
- 15 to 20 page integrated report
- 90-minute feedback session
- One 30-minute follow-up call within 60 days
- One provider-to-provider call as requested
Best fit for relatively clear attention or executive concerns, limited biological complexity, and no sudden-onset or neuroimmune red flags.
Ask if Tier 1 fitsComprehensive Root-Cause ADHD Assessment
- Everything in Tier 1
- Expanded differential battery
- Sensory profile and interoceptive assessment
- Anxiety, OCD, and autism screeners
- Sluggish cognitive tempo measure
- Structured PANS and PANDAS review when indicated
- Comprehensive biological differential review with pediatrician letter
- 20 to 25 page report with resources
- Extended feedback session (up to 2 hours)
- Two follow-up calls
- Two provider-to-provider calls as requested
The default recommendation for families arriving from elsewhere or presentations with sudden onset, sleep or GI concerns, neuroimmune history, or unresolved prior evaluations.
Ask if Tier 2 fitsComplex Presentation Assessment
- Everything in Tier 2
- Full PANS and PANDAS symptom timeline
- Cunningham Panel discussion as relevant
- Extended neuroimmune, tick-borne, and post-infectious review
- Integration of prior neuropsychological testing
- Multi-specialist referral coordination
- 25 to 30+ page report with detailed differential reasoning
- Two feedback sessions
- Three follow-up calls within 6 months
- Unlimited provider-to-provider coordination for 90 days as requested
Designed for biologically complex histories, sudden-onset presentations, suspected PANS or PANDAS, failed prior evaluations, and dual-diagnosis populations.
Ask if Tier 3 fitsFrequently asked questions
How much does an ADHD evaluation cost in Connecticut?
Connecticut ADHD evaluation pricing falls along a wide range. A pediatrician rating-scale evaluation runs $200 to $500. A licensed clinician ADHD screening runs $500 to $900. A comprehensive clinical ADHD evaluation, like the Root-Cause ADHD Evaluation, runs $1,200 to $2,500 in most of the state and $1,850 to $3,450 with us depending on tier. A full pediatric neuropsychological evaluation runs $2,500 to $5,000 or more.
What is the difference between an ADHD evaluation and a neuropsychological evaluation?
An ADHD evaluation is built around the diagnostic question of whether a child meets DSM-5-TR criteria for ADHD and what is co-occurring. The Root-Cause ADHD Evaluation adds structured differential diagnosis across psychiatric, biological, sleep, and neuroimmune contributors. A neuropsychological evaluation is a longer, more specialized testing battery focused on detailed cognitive profiling, often used for suspected learning disorders or complex neurodevelopmental questions.
Is the assessment diagnostic?
Yes. When DSM-5-TR criteria for ADHD or a related condition are met, the report issues a formal clinical diagnosis with presentation specifier and severity. When criteria are not met, the report says so plainly and documents the differential picture and the clinical reasoning behind the conclusion.
What does it mean that the assessment includes differential diagnosis?
It means we do not evaluate only for ADHD. We assess against full ADHD criteria while systematically evaluating the conditions most likely to mimic, mask, or co-occur with it, including anxiety, OCD, sluggish cognitive tempo, autism, trauma-related presentations, and the biological, sleep, and neuroimmune contributors known to drive attention-like presentations.
At what age can my child be evaluated?
We evaluate children beginning at age 5 and teens through age 17. Young adults ages 18 to 22 are seen by request.
Will the report help with school accommodations?
Yes. The report includes resources written for school teams to support 504 plans, IEPs, and classroom accommodation conversations. Eligibility decisions for services are made by the school district based on its own evaluation criteria.
Can the evaluation be done by telehealth?
The evaluation is delivered in person at the North Haven, CT office, with a hybrid option for some components, including remote rating scales and parent sessions. We will help you decide on the right configuration during the intake.
My child has a sudden-onset behavior change. Is this the right evaluation?
It can be, particularly at Tier 2 or Tier 3. Sudden onset, waxing-and-waning courses, and post-infectious presentations are explicitly part of the differential review and a clinical focus area.
Where are you located?
Our office is at 22 Broadway, North Haven, CT 06473. We see families across Connecticut, from as far as the NY, MA, and RI borders.
Request more information
Tell us a little about your child and what is prompting the inquiry, and we will respond within one to two business days with information about availability, fit, and next steps.
The Beta Program is a functional mental health practice serving children, teens, and families across Connecticut. The information on this page is educational and does not constitute medical advice or replace the guidance of a licensed physician.