Expert ADHD Testing in Santa Monica
Struggling with focus, organization, motivation, or follow-through? Wondering if ADHD could explain what’s been going on for you or your child?
Grey Matter Psychological Assessment provides expert ADHD testing in Santa Monica, California, serving Greater Los Angeles and offering virtual evaluation services for California residents
Who You'll Work With
Real clinicians, not a call center — here's who's actually behind your evaluation.
Dr. Quincee Gideon
"A diagnosis isn't a label — it's a map. My job is to hand you that map in a way that actually makes sense for your life, not just check a clinical box."
Dr. Megan Johnson
"I bring the same commitment: to see the whole person, not just the question I've been asked to answer."
What you get from an ADHD evaluation
A thorough assessment can help you:
Confirm (or rule out) ADHD with evidence-based testing
Understand your unique strengths and challenges
Receive a detailed written diagnostic report
Support accommodations for school, college, standardized testing, or work (e.g., 504 Plan documentation, disability services paperwork)
What’s the Process?
Consultation
A free call to talk through what you're noticing and what testing would involve — no commitment required.
Testing
2–4 hours of standardized testing across one or two sessions, plus a full clinical interview and history.
Report & Feedback
A written diagnostic report and a feedback session to walk through findings and next steps, typically within 2–6 weeks.
Do I need a Screening or a Comprehensive Evaluation?
Online Screening
A quick questionnaire or online quiz can suggest ADHD symptoms are present. It's a useful first read — but it isn't a diagnosis, and it isn't accepted for school, workplace, or testing-board accommodations.
Full Evaluation
Standardized testing, a full clinical interview, and a review of your history and development. This is what produces the documentation required for 504 plans, workplace accommodations, and exam boards — and it's the only path to an actual diagnosis.
What Does ADHD Testing Actually Cost?
Every evaluation below includes a full clinical interview, standardized testing, a written report, and a feedback session, unless noted otherwise. Your exact fee is confirmed on your consultation call, before anything is scheduled.
Mini-ADHD Screener
One session plus a written report to bring to a therapist or prescriber. Not a full diagnostic evaluation.
ADHD Evaluation
Full comprehensive testing for ADHD on its own. This is what produces documentation for school, work, or exam-board accommodations.
Combined AuDHD Evaluation
Testing for ADHD and autism together, in one process. One report, not two conflicting ones.
Superbills provided for every evaluation, for out-of-network insurance reimbursement.
ADHD Testing Services We Offer
Children
Understanding whether your child has ADHD can change the trajectory of their education and mental health. We evaluate children beginning at age 6, with a clear diagnosis when appropriate.
Teens
If focus, attention, motivation, or organization issues are affecting school performance or social functioning, a comprehensive evaluation can provide real clarity.
Adults
If you suspect ADHD was missed earlier — or you've always had to work harder than everyone else — a thorough evaluation can help you understand your executive functioning profile and build strategies that actually fit your brain.
How Prevalent is ADHD?
ADHD Can Be Missed — Especially When You've Spent Years "Getting By"
Many people learn to mask ADHD by overworking, compensating, or white-knuckling through it — until stress, a heavier workload, or a life transition finally makes it too hard to keep up. If you're someone who's always found a way to power through, that skill is exactly why you might have been missed. This isn't a guess. It's documented.
The gap has narrowed, but it hasn't closed. In the 1970s, boys were diagnosed with ADHD at roughly 25 times the rate of girls; today that ratio is closer to 3 to 1 — evidence that girls' symptoms were being missed, not that girls didn't have ADHD.
Average diagnosis age: study of 900 adults with ADHD (Psychiatric Times, 2026). Historical diagnosis ratio: CHADD.
If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone:
- ✓You work twice as hard to get "normal" results
- ✓You feel chronically behind, overwhelmed, or mentally exhausted
- ✓You've been told you're smart — but your performance doesn't match your effort
- ✓You worry others think you're careless, lazy, or not trying
An accurate diagnosis matters because it gives you language, data, and a plan — so you can stop guessing and start advocating.
ADHD or Something Else?
These conditions can look alike from the outside, which is exactly why a screening isn't enough. Here's a starting point for telling them apart.
Anxiety
Anxiety can cause distraction and restlessness too — but with ADHD, focus problems are usually there before the worry started, not caused by it.
Depression
Low motivation and self-esteem can come from depression — but with ADHD, the follow-through problems are lifelong, not tied to a mood episode.
OCD
Getting stuck on a thought isn't the same as struggling to start a task. OCD loops are driven by anxiety reduction; ADHD attention lapses aren't.
Trauma
Trauma can also affect memory, focus, and follow-through — but ADHD symptoms typically predate the trauma and don't resolve once it's processed.
Not sure which fits? That's exactly what a comprehensive evaluation is for. Schedule a consultation and we'll sort it out together.
What is ADHD?
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, executive function, and self-control. A professional ADHD assessment is essential to receive an accurate diagnosis in Los Angeles and access testing accommodations for school, work, and standardized exams
ADHD is a neurological diagnosis, which means that something different is happening in your brain. That difference is not a bad thing, but it can feel like a bad thing when you aren’t sure what is happening to you. Did you know that about 8% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD? It’s typically identified in school-aged children, but sometimes teachers, parents, and mentors miss it.
The good news? It is diagnosable and you can get treatment. You just need the right testing in order to get a real ADHD diagnosis. We’ve become mavens at providing the best ADHD assessments so that you can finally get focused. Many students who receive an ADHD diagnosis later pursue testing accommodations for exams like the SAT or ACT.
In your ADHD assessment, we test your neurological functioning and collect meaningful data about your educational history. Why? Because we want to write a report that helps you advocate for yourself at your school and/or work. Our reports include all the necessary information for you to advocate for your needs when you submit them to your work or school’s Disabilities Office. You can’t get testing accommodations unless you have one of these reports.
Why formal testing (not just screening) matters?
Some providers offer an “informal” ADHD diagnosis based on an interview alone. However, accommodations for school, standardized testing, and many workplaces typically require objective testing data and a formal written report.
We focus on producing the kind of documentation that is:
Clear
Evidence-based
Easy to use for accommodations and next steps
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that affects focus, attention, and self-control. Many people live with undiagnosed ADHD, which can impact school, work, relationships, and daily life. A professional ADHD assessment can help you:
Understand your unique challenges and strengths
Access academic or workplace accommodations
Develop effective strategies for success, including customized executive functioning hacks to keep you on track
Organizing your most important life tasks in manageable ways
Learning realistic skills you can use to help you stay motivated and on track (body doubling, anyone?)
Skills for assessing what is working and what tends to sabotage your focus efforts
Creating conversations to get your partner, parents, and important people on board with what you might need to function well
Improve your overall mental health, because your self-esteem has likely taken a hit from the feedback you’ve gotten over the years that you aren’t great at focusing
Serving Santa Monica & Los Angeles
We are located in Santa Monica, CA and serve clients throughout Los Angeles, including West LA, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, and surrounding areas (and virtually across California).
If you’re wondering whether testing is right for you, you can learn more about the cost of ADHD testing in Los Angeles and how evaluations work.
Frequently Asked Questions about ADHD Testing
Everything you need to know before your evaluation
How do I know if I need ADHD testing?
1
If attention, organization, task initiation, procrastination, impulsivity, or follow-through issues are regularly affecting your school performance, work, relationships, or self-esteem, a formal ADHD evaluation can provide clarity. Testing is especially worth considering if you've always felt like you had to work harder than everyone else to get the same results, you've been told you're smart but your performance doesn't match your effort, or life transitions (a new job, college, parenthood) have made it suddenly harder to keep up. An evaluation doesn't just confirm or rule out ADHD—it explains why things feel so hard and gives you a clear, data-informed plan.
What does an ADHD evaluation at Grey Matter include?
2
Our ADHD evaluations include a comprehensive clinical interview and developmental and educational history, standardized measures of attention, focus, and executive functioning, and a differential diagnosis process that distinguishes ADHD from conditions that can look similar—such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or learning disorders. You'll receive a detailed written report with diagnostic conclusions (when applicable), an explanation of your strengths and challenges, clear and actionable recommendations, and documentation formatted for schools, colleges, workplaces, or testing boards. Most evaluations are completed within 2–6 weeks from your intake appointment.
Do you test children, teens, and adults?
3
Yes. We provide ADHD testing for children beginning at age 6, adolescents, college students, and adults of all ages. Many of our adult clients were never evaluated as children—often because they developed strong compensating strategies, or because their ADHD presented in ways that were easy to miss (particularly in women and girls). It is never too late to get answers.
How long does an ADHD evaluation take?
4
The evaluation process takes place across several appointments. After an initial consultation call, you will have one or more in-person or virtual testing sessions (typically 2–4 hours total), followed by a feedback session where Dr. Gideon walks you through your results and written report. From intake to receiving your final report, most clients complete the process within 2–6 weeks. If you need results sooner, let us know during your consultation and we will do our best to accommodate your timeline.
Can your report be used for school or workplace accommodations?
5
Yes. Our reports are specifically written to meet the documentation standards required by schools, colleges, universities, and employers. This includes 504 Plan documentation for K–12 students, disability services documentation for colleges and graduate programs, standardized testing accommodations for the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, and Bar Exam, and workplace accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We write detailed, evidence-based reports so that you have everything you need to advocate for yourself without having to retest.
Does Grey Matter accept insurance for ADHD testing?
6
We are a private pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. However, we provide superbills—detailed receipts with billing codes—that you can submit to a PPO insurance plan for potential out-of-network reimbursement. We also offer payment plans. During your consultation call, we will explain the full cost of your evaluation and available payment options so there are no surprises.
What is the difference between an ADHD screening and a full ADHD evaluation?
7
An ADHD screening (such as an online quiz or a brief questionnaire from a primary care provider) can suggest whether ADHD symptoms are present, but it is not sufficient for a formal diagnosis. A full ADHD evaluation uses standardized psychological testing, clinical interviews, and a review of your history to provide an objective, evidence-based diagnosis. Only a formal evaluation produces the documentation required for school accommodations, workplace accommodations, and standardized testing boards. Informal screenings cannot be used for these purposes.
Can ADHD look different in women and girls?
8
Yes—ADHD is frequently missed or diagnosed later in women and girls because it often presents differently than the hyperactive, disruptive behavior most people associate with ADHD. Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to show inattentive symptoms: difficulty sustaining focus, losing things, mental exhaustion from over-compensating, emotional dysregulation, and internalized struggles with self-esteem. Many women are not diagnosed until adulthood—sometimes after decades of being told they were disorganized, too sensitive, or not trying hard enough. Our evaluations are conducted with a neurodivergent-affirming lens that accounts for these differences.
Can ADHD occur alongside anxiety, depression, or autism?
9
Yes, and this is more common than many people realize. ADHD frequently co-occurs with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder. In fact, research suggests that 30–50% of autistic individuals also show symptoms of ADHD. This is one reason why a comprehensive evaluation—rather than a brief screening—is so valuable: it identifies the full picture of what's happening, not just a single diagnosis. Our reports reflect the complexity of your profile and provide recommendations tailored to all of your needs.
Is virtual ADHD testing available?
10
Yes. We offer virtual ADHD evaluations for California residents. Virtual testing uses the same standardized assessment tools and produces the same comprehensive written report as our in-person evaluations. If you are located outside of the Santa Monica area or prefer the convenience of being evaluated from home, our telehealth option provides the same high standard of care. In-person testing is available at our Santa Monica offices for clients who prefer or require it.
Not Sure ADHD Is the Whole Picture?
We test for a lot more than ADHD alone. If something else on this list sounds closer to what you're dealing with, start there instead.