ADHD medication for children: what to expect

At a glance

• Who it’s for: children aged 6 to 17 with an ADHD diagnosis from us or a partner clinic.
• Before the first prescription: safety checks, including your child’s GP summary, height, weight and blood pressure.
• First appointment: a 45 to 60-minute initial medication appointment online, with a parent or carer.
• Titration: usually 3 to 4 follow-ups, 3 to 4 weeks apart, until the dose is stable.
• Prices: initial medication appointment £295 after our assessment; titration follow-ups £295 each; repeat prescription £58; medication review £295.
• Who prescribes: our consultant psychiatrist, nurse prescriber and senior clinical pharmacist, each on a UK register.
• Afterwards: we ask your GP to take over prescribing. If the GP declines, we keep prescribing privately.

Many parents feel torn about giving their child a medicine for ADHD. You might worry about side effects, growth, or your child not seeming like themselves. Those worries are fair, and they’re exactly what the checks on this pathway are for. Nothing gets decided in a single appointment. You and the prescriber take each step together.

Is this medication pathway right for my child?

The pathway is for children aged 6 to 17, diagnosed by us or by a partner clinic. AuDHD Psychiatry sees every child online, and a parent or carer stays involved at every step. Anyone aged 18 or over can use our adult ADHD medication pathway instead.

This is for you if:

• Your child has an ADHD diagnosis from us or from a partner clinic.
• You can send us your child’s safety checks before the first appointment.
• You want dose changes made step by step, with regular reviews.
• You’re open to your GP taking over prescribing once the dose is stable.

It might not be right today if:

• Your child needs urgent help now. Call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. Or in Northern Ireland call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000, any time. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E [1].
• You want a prescription without regular monitoring.
• Your child already has an NHS or private prescriber for ADHD medicine.
• Your child is under 6, because our child assessments start at age 6.
• You live outside the UK, because we prescribe for children who live in the UK.

Which ADHD medicines are used for children?

Methylphenidate, short or long acting, is the first medicine NICE recommends from age 5 [2]. The guideline sets care standards for the NHS in England. If 6 weeks at an adequate dose doesn’t help enough, NICE suggests lisdexamfetamine [2]. Atomoxetine or guanfacine come next if neither medicine suits your child or helps enough [2].

At AuDHD Psychiatry, the prescriber recommends a medicine only after your child’s full review and safety checks. Children sometimes need to try more than one medicine to find what works [3]. Our guide on how ADHD medicines compare sets out how each one differs.

What happens before your child’s first prescription?

Safety checks come first, before any medicine is prescribed. Medicine starts only if problems remain once changes at home or school are tried [2]. We ask for your child’s GP summary, height, weight and blood pressure. The NICE baseline also covers medical history, current medicines, pulse and the heart [2]. An ECG (heart tracing) isn’t needed unless there’s a sign of heart risk [2]. Height and weight give a starting point for the growth checks that follow.

Once the checks arrive, our team schedules the initial medication appointment. The appointment lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The prescriber goes over your child’s symptoms, health, daily life and goals. You’ll hear how the medicine works, its side effects and how it’s checked. Your child is encouraged to say how they feel, as NICE advises [2]. If medication is right for your child, the first prescription is issued at the end.

How does titration work for a child?

Titration means starting low and raising the dose step by step [4]. Most children have 3 to 4 follow-up appointments, usually 3 to 4 weeks apart. Some settle sooner and some need longer. On the right dose, methylphenidate should start working within 30 to 60 minutes [5]. Finding that dose, and seeing the full benefit, can take a few weeks [5].

Feedback comes from you and, where it fits, from your child’s school. Parents and teachers score symptoms and side effects on standard scales after each change [2]. NICE says to consider slower titration, with closer checks, alongside autism, tics, anxiety, epilepsy or a heart condition [2]. Your child’s prescriber decides each dose change with you. NICE’s aim is fewer symptoms and progress at school and with friends [2]. Side effects should stay at a level your child can tolerate [2].

What checks continue while your child takes ADHD medicine?

Growth monitoring and heart checks continue for as long as treatment lasts. Height is checked every 6 months under NICE guidance [2]. Weight is checked every 3 months up to age 10, and less often after that [2]. Our prescribers track your child’s height, weight and physical health during titration. Heart rate and blood pressure are checked around each dose change and every 6 months [2]. Routine blood tests and heart tracings aren’t needed without a clinical reason [2].

Side effects are part of every review. Common side effects in children include headaches, trouble sleeping and loss of appetite [6]. Some children lose a little weight in the early months of treatment [6]. Our guide to side effects of ADHD medication covers each one and what helps. The NHS says methylphenidate slows growth in fewer than 1 in 10 children after a year [7]. If height is clearly affected, NICE suggests a planned school-holiday break for catch-up growth [2].

How is your child’s school involved?

Under NICE guidance, school hears about the diagnosis and treatment plan, with your consent [2]. The specialist explains how symptoms affect school life, and which adjustments would help [2]. Teachers’ ratings feed into each titration review, alongside yours. The NHS advises telling school if a dose falls in the school day [4].

A special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) can talk through changes that help in class [3]. Our medication reviews can include updated guidance for school too. Methylphenidate is a controlled drug, so pharmacies can ask you to prove your identity [5]. Each prescription must be collected within 28 days [5]. Plan who collects it, especially if a dose is taken at school.

What does ADHD medication for children cost?

AuDHD Psychiatry charges medication appointments separately from the assessment. Our child ADHD assessment fee includes a route into ADHD treatment if your child is diagnosed. If a partner clinic diagnosed your child, the first appointment also reviews that clinic’s report. The prescriber adds a diagnostic interview at that appointment if one is needed. Titration follow-ups continue until the dose settles, and then repeat prescriptions and reviews take over. The medicine itself is paid for at the pharmacy, outside these fees. You’ll find every other price under all our fees, including the assessments. Each step of the pathway has its own fee:

Appointment	Price	What it covers
Initial medication appointment, after one of our assessments	£295	Your child’s first prescribing appointment, with ongoing access to ADHD medication and shared care support
Initial medication appointment, if a partner clinic diagnosed your child	£350	A review of the clinic’s report, and a diagnostic interview if needed
Follow-up medication consultation (titration)	£295 per appointment	Each follow-up while the dose is adjusted
Repeat prescription	£58	A new prescription when the dose is stable and unchanged
Medication review	£295	Progress reviewed, the prescription reissued or adjusted, and updated guidance for school if needed. Children have this review every 3 months once titration is finished

Prices checked on 01/10/2026.

How does shared care with your GP work for a child?

Your child’s GP can take over prescribing once the dose is stable. NICE guidance says prescribing and monitoring should then move to shared care with the GP [2]. Under NHS guidance, a GP takes over only with a shared care agreement [3]. The agreement is between the GP and the ADHD specialist. AuDHD Psychiatry then asks your GP for shared care and sends structured reports.

The GP decides whether to accept, so we can’t promise shared care. If the GP accepts, prescribing moves to the NHS. NHS prescription rules where you live then apply. If the GP declines, we carry on prescribing privately, with repeat prescriptions and reviews. Whoever prescribes, a specialist reviews the medicine at least once a year [2].

Who prescribes for children at AuDHD Psychiatry?

At AuDHD Psychiatry, children mainly see three prescribers, all on UK professional registers. Dr Daniela Maria Tomus is our Consultant Psychiatrist, GMC number 7123700. Dr Tomus sees adults and children, and specialises in ADHD medication management and shared care. Gayatri Watson is our Nurse Prescriber for children and young people. She specialises in ADHD medication titration and reviews.

Isma Yaqoob, GPhC number 2059353, is a senior clinical pharmacist in the prescribing team and sees adults and children. NICE says only a professional with ADHD training and expertise should start the medicine [2]. In the NHS, ADHD specialists for children include paediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists [3]. You can meet everyone on our clinical team.

How do you start ADHD medication for your child with us?

Your first step depends on whether we’ve already assessed your child. Families we’ve assessed start by sending us the safety checks. Our team books the first medication appointment once they arrive. If your child hasn’t been assessed yet, start with our child ADHD assessment. After it, your child can join this pathway. If you also notice signs of autism, our child AuDHD assessment looks at both conditions.

If you’re unsure which route fits, start with a free 15-minute call. The call gives you information and isn’t an assessment. Was your child diagnosed by a clinic outside our partners? You can transfer their care to us for £425. We review the assessment and diagnosis free of charge first, then start treatment if your child is eligible. We answer calls and emails from 9am to 6pm every day. Assessment appointments run until 8pm. Call 0131 516 1656 or email hello@audhdpsychiatry.co.uk.

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