Gavin Lobo Health provides comprehensive Adult ADHD Assessments for both enrolled and casual patients. 

Understanding Adult ADHD

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain manages focus, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Many adults don't realize they have ADHD because symptoms are often dismissed as stress, disorganization, or laziness.

What Adult ADHD Can Look Like

While everyone struggles with focus occasionally, adult ADHD is a persistent pattern that can make daily work and relationships feel much harder than they should be.

You might notice everyday challenges like:

• Unfinished Projects: Having the ability to do the work, but struggling to cross the finish line.
• Time Blindness: Consistently losing track of time, procrastinating, or forgetting important deadlines.
• Physical or Mental Restlessness: Finding it difficult to sit still or experiencing a mind that constantly jumps between topics.
• Social Impulsivity: Interrupting others during conversations without realizing you are doing it, or making sudden decisions.
• Low Frustration Tolerance: Feeling easily distracted by your surroundings or completely overwhelmed by small setbacks.

A professional assessment can clarify whether ADHD is affecting your life, giving you the answers and treatment options you need to move forward.

How Your Assessment is Conducted

Dr Gavin Lobo uses:

DSM-5 diagnostic criteria – The standard framework for ADHD diagnosis

Standardized assessment tools – Validated questionnaires to measure ADHD symptoms

Medical checks – Blood tests, blood pressure, and heart rate to rule out other conditions

Mental health screening – Assessment for anxiety, mood, or other co-occurring conditions.

How the ADHD Assessment Process Works

Step 1: Initial Enquiry and Medical History

Contact our reception team to request an Adult ADHD Assessment Information Pack.

Email reception@gavinlobohealth.co.nz and we will send you our Medical History and Consent Form.

Once returned, your information will be reviewed to determine whether an Adult ADHD Assessment service is appropriate for your needs.

Some patients with complex medical, neurological, psychiatric or sleep-related conditions may be better suited to specialist assessment.

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Step 2: ADHD Questionnaires

Once accepted into the pathway, you will receive a comprehensive set of questionnaires covering:

• Current ADHD symptoms and childhood experiences
• Education, employment and relationships
• Organisation, concentration and everyday functioning
• Medical and mental health history
• Mood, anxiety and lifestyle factors
• Three personal and social areas to achieve through treatment

We encourage supporting information from a parent, partner or someone who knows you well. Previous school reports are also welcome.

Please allow approximately 60–90 minutes to complete the questionnaires.

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Step 3: Medical Investigations

Before your clinical assessment, we will arrange appropriate medical investigations. These may include:

• Blood tests
• Blood pressure and pulse
• Height and weight
• ECG when indicated, including for patients aged 45 years and over or with a relevant cardiac history

Required investigations must be completed before your assessment appointment.

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Step 4: Your 60-Minute Clinical Assessment with Mandi Lobo, RN

Your first appointment is a dedicated 60-minute clinical assessment with Mandi Lobo, Registered Nurse.

This is an opportunity to explore your symptoms and personal experience in detail.

Mandi will review:

• ADHD symptoms throughout childhood and adulthood
• Attention, organisation, impulsivity and emotional regulation
• The impact of symptoms on your study, work, relationships and daily life
• Medical, mental health and family history
• Sleep, lifestyle and other factors affecting concentration
• Your completed questionnaires and supporting information
• Your three personal and functional goals

Mandi uses recognised ADHD assessment tools and diagnostic criteria to structure the clinical interview.

Following this appointment, Mandi prepares a comprehensive clinical assessment report for Dr Lobo to review before your diagnostic consultation.

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Step 5: Diagnostic Consultation with Dr Gavin Lobo

Approximately one week after your RN assessment, you will attend a separate consultation with Dr Gavin Lobo.

Dr Lobo will review your clinical assessment findings and complete the diagnostic evaluation using DSM-5 criteria.

During this appointment, Dr Lobo will:

• Review and explain your comprehensive ADHD Assessment Report
• Discuss the findings from your clinical assessment and questionnaires
• Explain whether you meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD
• Explore appropriate treatment and management options
• If ADHD is diagnosed, discuss medication options, education and practical management strategies

You will receive a copy of your completed Adult ADHD Assessment Report.

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Step 6: Medication Titration and Monitoring

If medication is appropriate, Dr Lobo will develop an individualised medication titration plan.

Our approach is to start low and go slow, gradually adjusting medication to find the most effective dose while minimising side effects.

During the initial treatment period, Mandi provides nursing support and will contact you approximately two weeks after starting medication to review your progress.

We encourage regular updates to monitor:

• Medication dose and response
• Improvements in attention, organisation and daily functioning
• How long each dose remains effective
• Sleep, appetite and general wellbeing
• Any side effects or concerns

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Step 7: Four-Week Medication Review

Approximately four weeks after commencing medication, you will have a review with Dr Gavin Lobo.

During this appointment, Dr Lobo will assess how you are responding to treatment and whether adjustments are required.

This may include changes to medication dose, timing or formulation.

The aim is to identify a treatment regimen that provides meaningful improvement in symptoms and functioning while minimising unwanted side effects.

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Step 8: Medication Stabilisation and Ongoing Care

Patients Enrolled with Gavin Lobo Health

If you are enrolled with our practice, your ongoing ADHD management remains with Dr Lobo.

Following your four-week medication review:

• If medication is changing, a further GP review is generally arranged four weeks later.
• If medication is unchanged and you are stable, your next routine GP review is generally three months later.

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Casual Patients Enrolled with Another GP

Casual patients will generally have a second medication review approximately eight weeks after starting treatment.

Once your medication has stabilised, you can choose between two ongoing care options.

Option 1 – Return to Your Usual GP

You can return to your regular GP for ongoing ADHD management and prescribing.

Dr Lobo will provide a comprehensive clinical handover, including:

• Your ADHD diagnosis and assessment findings
• Your stabilised medication regimen
• Treatment recommendations
• Relevant Special Authority information
• Recommendations for ongoing monitoring

Your regular GP can then continue your ADHD care.

Option 2 – Continue ADHD Management with Dr Gavin Lobo

You can choose to receive ongoing ADHD management with Dr Lobo while continuing to see your regular GP for other healthcare needs.

We offer ongoing ADHD management for casual patients at $30 per month.

This includes:

• Ongoing ADHD medication management and prescribing
• Scheduled six-monthly medication reviews with Dr Lobo
• Monitoring of treatment effectiveness and side effects
• Ongoing clinical oversight of your ADHD treatment

You do not need to change your GP or remain enrolled with Gavin Lobo Health to receive this service.

If your medication has not yet stabilised, additional reviews may be required before transitioning to ongoing management.

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Telehealth ADHD Assessments

We welcome patients from throughout New Zealand.

Our ADHD assessment pathway can be completed through telehealth where clinically appropriate.

Patients living outside Auckland will need to arrange any required blood tests, ECG and physical observations before their appointments.

Our team will provide instructions to help you complete these requirements locally.

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Important Information

• - Completing the initial questionnaires does not guarantee an ADHD diagnosis or a prescription for medication.
• - A formal ADHD diagnosis is based solely on a comprehensive clinical assessment by a doctor.
• - Incomplete questionnaires or outstanding laboratory tests will delay your formal assessment.
• - Additional collateral history (such as school reports or interviews with family members) may be requested where clinically appropriate.

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