The Young DIVA (Young Diagnostic Interview for ADHD) is a structured diagnostic tool used to assess Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. It is a semi-structured interview designed to gather information about a young person's behavior, symptoms, and history based on the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, as outlined in DSM-5 or ICD-10.

The Young DIVA is typically used by trained professionals, such as psychiatrists, to obtain comprehensive information from both the child or adolescent and their parents or caregivers. It includes questions that cover various aspects of ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, across different settings such as home, school, and social environments. The interview is helpful in providing a standardized method for evaluating ADHD symptoms and determining whether they meet the criteria for a diagnosis.

This tool is always used as part of a broader diagnostic assessment process, which also includes observations, questionnaires, and reports from teachers or other adults who interact with the child regularly. The Young DIVA is considered a valuable resource for ensuring that ADHD diagnoses are made accurately and comprehensively, taking into account the multiple contexts in which a young person’s behavior occurs.

The ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) is a comprehensive, semi-structured interview used by clinicians to assess individuals suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is considered one of the gold-standard tools for diagnosing autism and is primarily used in clinical and research settings.

The ADI-R is conducted with the parent(s) or caregiver(s) of the individual being assessed and is designed to gather detailed information about the child or adolescent’s developmental history, behavior, and social interactions. It focuses on three core areas of ASD:

Social Interaction: This includes questions related to how the individual interacts with others, such as their ability to form relationships, share interests, understand social cues, and respond to others in typical ways.

Communication: This aspect of the interview explores the individual’s verbal and non-verbal communication skills, including their use of language, gestures, and body language, as well as any challenges with initiating or maintaining conversations.

Repetitive Behaviors and Interests: The ADI-R probes the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors, such as rigid routines, repetitive movements, or highly focused, unusual interests that are characteristic of ASD.

The interview includes a structured set of questions that the clinician uses to gather specific behavioral information from parents or caregivers, covering the individual’s history from early childhood to the present. The ADI-R also incorporates an algorithm to assist in the diagnostic process by comparing responses to established criteria for ASD.

In practice, the ADI-R is always used alongside other diagnostic tools, such as the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule), which provides a direct observational assessment of the individual. The combination of these assessments allows clinicians to form a thorough understanding of the individual’s strengths and challenges, supporting an accurate and reliable diagnosis of ASD.

Given its rigorous methodology, the ADI-R is a highly respected tool in the field of autism diagnostics, offering valuable insights into the development and behavior of individuals across a wide range of ages, including both children and adults.

The ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) is one of the gold-standard tools used in the assessment of autism. It is a structured but relaxed observation — not a test your child can pass or fail — in which the clinician spends time with your child in a series of carefully designed activities and conversations.

The activities are chosen to gently draw out the kinds of social interaction and communication that are most relevant to an autism assessment: how your child initiates conversation, responds to others, uses gesture and eye contact, engages in imaginative play, and navigates the natural flow of a two-way exchange. Different versions of the ADOS are used depending on your child's age and language level, so the session is always appropriate for where your child is developmentally.

For younger children it can feel much like play. For older children and teenagers it tends to feel more like a relaxed conversation with an unfamiliar adult.

The observation is conducted by a qualified Speech and Language or Occupational Therapist and typically lasts between 40 minutes and one hour. Parents are usually present at the start and may be asked to step out briefly during part of the session — this is entirely normal and helps the clinician see how your child interacts with an unfamiliar adult independently.

The ADOS is always used alongside the ADI-R parent interview and information from school. No single tool is used in isolation — it is the combination of all sources of information that leads to a clinical conclusion.