ADHD Support Resources: A Practical Guide for Every Stage of the Journey
A private assessment is not the right next step for everyone, and it is certainly not the only step. Whether you are waiting for an NHS diagnosis, looking for community alongside a recent assessment, or simply trying to understand your brain a little better, there is a great deal of support available, most of it free.
We have put this guide together because we believe good information should be accessible to everyone, not just those who come through our doors. These are resources we genuinely rate. We will keep the list updated as things change.
Community and Peer Support
Connecting with people who understand your experience from the inside is often the most immediately useful thing you can do. These organisations offer peer support, lived-experience resources, and a sense that you are far from alone.
ADHD UK — A large, active community with support groups, workplace guidance, and resources for both adults and children. One of the most comprehensive starting points in the UK.
ADHD Aware — Focused specifically on adults, with regular peer support meetings and awareness programmes that are particularly useful if you are newly diagnosed.
ADHDadultUK — A registered charity built around the adult experience, combining research with lived-experience resources and a well-regarded podcast.
ADDISS — The National ADHD Information and Support Service, with training and resources aimed at families and professionals as well as individuals.
The Brain Charity — A broader resource for anyone with a neurological condition, offering information, social activities, and community support.
Mind — The UK's leading mental health charity. Particularly useful if anxiety, low mood, or burnout are part of your picture alongside ADHD.
YoungMinds — Mental health resources and crisis support for children, teenagers, and their parents. A reassuring first port of call for families.
The Advocacy People — Free, independent advocacy for anyone who needs help navigating healthcare, education, or social care. Worth knowing about if you are finding the system difficult to navigate.
Resources for Women and Girls
For a long time, ADHD and autism research focused almost exclusively on male presentations. The result is a generation of women and girls who were missed, misdiagnosed, or told they were simply anxious or oversensitive. Awareness is improving, but targeted support still matters.
ADHD Girls — A UK-based community focused specifically on girls and women with ADHD, offering resources, lived experience, and peer connection.
Neurodivergent Women — A growing community and resource hub for neurodivergent women, covering ADHD, autism, and the intersections between them.
ADHD UK: Women and Girls — A dedicated section of the ADHD UK site covering the specific ways ADHD presents in women and girls, including late diagnosis and masking.
You might also find our own article on this topic useful: Why Many Women Are Only Now Discovering They Are Neurodivergent, available on the Diverse Diagnostics blog.
NHS Information and Talking Therapies
Free, clinically reviewed guidance from the NHS on diagnosis, management, and therapeutic support.
ADHD in Children and Young People — A clear overview of symptoms, diagnosis pathways, and management options for parents and carers.
ADHD in Adults — How adult ADHD is recognised and managed within the NHS, including what to expect from the diagnostic process.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — What CBT involves, how it can help with ADHD-related challenges, and how to access it through the NHS or privately.
NHS Talking Therapies — An overview of the different therapeutic approaches available, including how to self-refer without a GP referral.
Medication: Questions and Support
Starting ADHD medication, or waiting to do so, can raise a lot of questions. These resources can help you navigate the process with more confidence.
ADHD UK: Medication Guide — A thorough, accessible overview of the medications commonly used for ADHD in the UK, how they work, and what to expect.
ADHD UK: Medication Shortage Tracker — If you are struggling to get a prescription filled, this tracker monitors the current availability of ADHD medications across the UK. An unfortunately essential resource at the moment.
Royal College of Psychiatrists: ADHD — Clinically reviewed information on ADHD treatment options, including medication and therapeutic approaches, from the professional body for psychiatrists in the UK.
A note worth making: if you are experiencing significant delays in NHS titration or have concerns about your current medication, it is always worth speaking to your GP directly and asking for a formal review. You are entitled to advocate for yourself.
Workplace Rights and Support
ADHD is a recognised disability under the Equality Act 2010, which means you have legal protections at work. These resources explain what you are entitled to and how to ask for it.
Reasonable Adjustments for ADHD — A practical guide to the adjustments you can request and the legal framework that supports them. Useful to read before any conversation with an employer or HR team.
ADHD and Work Welfare Pack — A downloadable resource designed to help both employees and employers understand ADHD in the workplace. Particularly useful if you are trying to open a conversation with a manager.
Access to Work (GOV.UK) — A government grant scheme that can fund practical support such as coaching, specialist equipment, or travel assistance. Under-used and worth looking into.
For Parents: Education, Schools and SEND
If your child has ADHD, navigating the education system can feel like a full-time job on top of everything else. These resources can help you understand your child's rights and how to advocate effectively for the right support.
IPSEA — The Independent Provider of Special Education Advice. Free, legally based advice for families of children with special educational needs, including guidance on Education Health and Care Plans. One of the most valuable resources available to parents in England.
SENDIASS — Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Services. Every local authority in England has one, and they offer free, impartial advice to parents and young people on SEND matters.
Contact — A charity for families with disabled children, offering practical guidance on benefits, education, and healthcare navigation.
ADHD UK: School Resources — Practical tools and guidance for parents trying to support a child with ADHD through the school system, including template letters and advice on reasonable adjustments.
The Whole School SEND Consortium — Resources and guidance aimed at schools, but useful for parents who want to understand what good ADHD support in an educational setting should look like.
Support Groups and Communities
Sometimes the most useful thing is simply talking to someone who gets it. These groups operate online, in person, or both.
Diverse Diagnostics Adult ADHD and ASD Support Group — Our own Facebook community, open to everyone regardless of whether you are a client. A warm, active group for adults with ADHD or ASD.
Diverse Diagnostics Child ADHD and ASD Parent Support Group — A space for parents and carers of children with ADHD or ASD to share experiences, advice, and support.
ADHD UK Support Groups — Regular video-based groups and online communities covering a wide range of ADHD topics and experiences.
ADHD Aware Peer Support Meetings — Monthly peer support for adults with ADHD, their partners, and parents of children with ADHD.
AADD-UK — A peer-led community run by and for adults with ADHD in the UK, with over a decade of experience behind it.
Podcasts
If you prefer to listen, these podcasts approach ADHD from different angles: lived experience, research, coaching, and practical strategies.
The ADHD Adults Podcast — Honest, often funny conversations about living with ADHD as an adult in the UK. Highly relatable if you have recently been diagnosed.
ADHD UK Science Podcast — Research-focused episodes that make the latest clinical thinking genuinely accessible without oversimplifying it.
Translating ADHD — Coaching-based episodes with practical strategies you can try straight away. Good if you want something actionable rather than purely informational.
ADHD reWired — One of the longest-running ADHD podcasts, with a strong back catalogue of expert interviews and personal stories.
I Have ADHD Podcast — Weekly episodes covering expert advice and practical strategies for managing ADHD day to day.
Reading and Blogs
For those who prefer to read, these sites offer a mix of clinical insight, lived experience, and practical guidance.
Diverse Diagnostics Blog — Our own articles covering ADHD, autism, and neurodevelopmental topics, written for anyone affected rather than just our clients. We publish regularly and cover everything from the science of sleep to practical workplace strategies.
ADDitude Magazine — One of the most widely read ADHD publications in the world, with strategies, research summaries, and personal essays across a broad range of topics.
Tools and Apps
These are not treatments, but many people with ADHD find them genuinely useful for focus, organisation, and accountability.
Focusmate — Virtual co-working with a real person on camera. Surprisingly effective for tasks you keep finding reasons to avoid.
Flow Club — Structured online co-working sessions designed to help you settle into a productive rhythm with others doing the same.
LlamaList — A to-do list app built specifically with ADHD in mind, designed to make task management feel less overwhelming and more achievable.
ONE Mind PsyberGuide — Independent, evidence-based reviews of mental health apps. A useful filter before committing time to any new tool.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme
For some people, ADHD can present challenges in busy or unpredictable public environments such as airports, hospitals, and supermarkets, where a little extra patience or support from staff can make a real difference. The Sunflower lanyard and pin offer a discreet way to signal that without having to explain yourself. It is not for everyone, and ADHD looks and feels very different from person to person. But if you find certain public environments genuinely difficult to navigate, it is worth knowing the scheme exists.
Tracking Your Wellbeing
If you are trying something new, whether that is a different routine, a new approach, or medication, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale is a free, validated tool that can help you monitor how you are feeling over time and get a clearer sense of what is actually making a difference
If Things Feel Overwhelming
ADHD can make the hard moments feel harder. If you are struggling and need to talk to someone, these services are available around the clock.
Samaritans — Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 for free from any phone. You do not need to be in crisis to reach out.
Shout — A free, confidential text-based support service. Text SHOUT to 85258 if you would rather not speak out loud.
Mind Infoline — Information and signposting on mental health support. Available Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
There is no threshold you need to reach before asking for help. If things feel unmanageable, that is enough of a reason.
We will keep this guide updated as new resources become available. If you know of a UK-based ADHD charity, support group, or tool that deserves a place here, we would be glad to hear about it. This guide is reviewed every six months to ensure all links and information remain current.
If you would like to find out more about our ADHD and ASD assessment services, visit us at www.diversediagnostics.co.uk or call us for a free initial consultation.
Diverse Diagnostics does not endorse or take responsibility for the content or services provided by any third-party organisation listed in this guide. Inclusion does not constitute a clinical recommendation. All links were verified in April 2026.
