Private ADHD and autism assessment in Stirling

Psychiatric ADHD and autism assessment for Stirling adults

Caledonian Psychiatry provides private adult ADHD and autism assessment for people living in and around Stirling, including Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Alloa, Callander and the wider Forth Valley area, as well as Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and the villages of rural Stirlingshire. Every assessment is carried out by Dr David Crocker, a GMC-registered psychiatrist (MRCPsych), and the practice holds Healthcare Improvement Scotland registration (reg. 03427). Because the whole process happens by video, it makes no difference whether a patient lives in the city centre or out towards the Trossachs — the standard of care is the same either way.

Stirling sits where the Edinburgh and Glasgow railway lines meet the routes north into the Highlands, and a great many local adults build a working week around that timetable rather than a single employer nearby. A video appointment fits into that pattern far more easily than a clinic visit ever could — there is no train to catch into town, no parking to find, and nothing to reschedule around a delayed connection. Whether the appointment happens from a kitchen table before the school run, a spare room between meetings, or a quiet corner of a flat near the university campus, the assessment itself does not change: the same doctor, the same NICE-aligned process, and the same detailed written report that a patient would receive from an in-person consultation.

The University of Stirling adds a large student and postgraduate population to the mix, and plenty of enquiries follow a familiar shape: coping well enough through school, then struggling once independent study, deadlines and shared housing remove the structure that held things together before. Parents juggling a Forth Valley commute with a young family often describe a similar realisation from the other direction — the demands multiply, and patterns that were manageable in a quieter life stop being manageable at all. Either way, a formal assessment gives shape to years of lived experience rather than adding another unresolved question to the list.

The NHS picture in Stirling

NHS Forth Valley provides adult ADHD and autism assessment across Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire, and referral numbers here have grown in line with the national trend. University terms come and go, school years turn over, and a place on the Forth Valley waiting list can still sit largely unchanged years later — for most adults referred through the NHS, a first assessment appointment is measured in years rather than months.

Scotland-wide, the picture is stark: roughly 23,300 adults were waiting for an ADHD or autism assessment as of March 2025, with a median adult wait of approximately 76 weeks (Scottish Parliament, 2025). Our page on NHS ADHD and autism waiting times across Scotland sets out how different board areas compare, and our Right to Choose page explains why the route available south of the border does not apply here.

None of that applies to a private assessment. Caledonian Psychiatry does not require a GP referral to get started, and a first appointment is normally available within a few weeks of getting in touch.

What the assessment involves

Every assessment is built around NICE guideline NG87 and runs across two 60-minute video appointments. Across those two sessions, Dr Crocker builds a detailed developmental and clinical history, applies validated diagnostic rating scales, and, where it is available, draws on collateral information from people who know the patient well, so the conclusions rest on more than a single conversation. A full written report follows, setting out the reasoning behind the diagnosis and what is recommended next. Our ADHD assessment page covers exactly what each of the two appointments involves, and our approach explains how Dr Crocker structures the history-taking and reaches his conclusions.

Autism assessment in Stirling

Caledonian Psychiatry also carries out private adult autism assessment for people across Stirling and Forth Valley. It is common for someone who first gets in touch about ADHD to recognise autistic traits in themselves too — the two conditions overlap often enough that Dr Crocker assesses for both rather than asking a patient to guess in advance which one fits best. This shows up particularly among adults who managed well through school and university but found that a first job, a young family, or the logistics of a daily central-belt commute eroded coping strategies that had worked for years. The autism assessment itself follows the same structured, NICE-aligned approach — a detailed developmental history, validated assessment tools, and a thorough written report at the end.

Where it is not clear whether ADHD, autism, or a combination of both best fits, a combined ADHD and autism assessment looks at both together in one pathway rather than two separate processes. More detail is available on our autism assessment page and on private autism assessment in Scotland.

What it costs

A standalone ADHD assessment — two 60-minute video appointments — costs £800. Every charge, including prescriptions and follow-up appointments, is set out in full on our fee schedule page.

Autism assessment alone is also £800, and a combined ADHD and autism assessment covering three 60-minute sessions costs £1,300. For the many Stirling patients unsure which applies to them, the combined route is often the more practical choice — and the price is the same whether the booking comes from Stirling itself, Dunblane, or a village out towards Callander.

After a diagnosis — treatment and shared care

A confirmed ADHD diagnosis often opens up medication as one treatment option among others. Scotland has no national policy compelling a GP to take on shared-care prescribing after a private diagnosis — unlike parts of England, it is left to each practice to decide for itself. Dr Crocker writes his reports with that decision in mind: they follow NICE and RCPsych standards and lay out the diagnostic reasoning clearly enough for a Forth Valley GP to reach a view without needing to chase further information. More on how the arrangement typically works is on our shared care with your GP page.

If medication is started, dose adjustments happen in short review appointments over the same video link — a slot that fits before a train into Glasgow or Edinburgh rather than a half-day taken off work. Every assessment is carried out against the published quality standards for ADHD and autism assessment, which is part of what gives a Forth Valley GP or NHS service confidence in the diagnosis later on.

Seen across Stirling and Forth Valley by secure video

There is no clinic to find, no parking to pay for, and no waiting room to sit in. Patients across Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Alloa, Callander, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire join their appointment from wherever suits them — a living room, a spare office, student halls, or anywhere else quiet enough for an hour. That matters as much for someone out in the Trossachs or the Hillfoots villages, who would otherwise face a long drive for a single specialist appointment, as it does for someone slotting a session in between trains on a working day. Appointments run throughout the week, including early mornings and Fridays, and getting in touch below is the first step — expect a reply within 48 hours.