Teenager near Bolton struggling with GCSEs? Our 30-minute brain screening provides the objective ADHD evidence schools need for exam access — extra time, rest breaks, separate room. Same-day report with clinical letter option. Our parent's guide explains the full EHCP and exam access process.
The NHS ADHD pathway in Greater Manchester is in crisis — not because clinicians don't care, but because demand has overwhelmed capacity. If you're near Bolton and need answers, waiting passively isn't your only option. Over 177,000 people are on waiting lists in England.
What makes this especially harmful is that ADHD is a condition where early intervention matters enormously. A child diagnosed at 7 has a fundamentally different trajectory from one diagnosed at 14. An adult who gets workplace accommodations at 30 saves years of career damage. Every year on the waiting list is a year of preventable harm.
Our screening doesn't replace the NHS diagnostic process. But it provides the evidence to accelerate it — and to access support while you wait. A same-day report with objective brain data gives your GP the justification for an urgent referral, gives your school the evidence for EHCP applications, and gives you the clarity to stop wondering and start acting.
The theta/beta ratio (TBR) is the most-studied EEG biomarker for ADHD, with over 30 years of published research behind it. It measures the balance between slow-wave theta activity (associated with unfocused, daydreaming states) and fast-wave beta activity (associated with focused concentration). In ADHD, the brain consistently produces too much theta relative to beta — the cortex is under-aroused even when the person is trying to focus.
This isn't a fringe measurement. The FDA referenced the theta/beta ratio when clearing the NEBA System in 2013 — the first brain-wave device cleared for clinical use in ADHD evaluation. Our screening uses the same biomarker, measured at the same cortical site (Cz), compared against a normative database drawn from six peer-reviewed sources covering 311+ subjects across 10 age groups.
Results are expressed as z-scores: standard deviations from the age-matched mean. A z-score of 2.0 means your TBR sits 2 standard deviations above normal — a clinically significant finding that any GP or psychiatrist will understand immediately. This is objective, quantified neuroscience — not a subjective impression.
Read the full breakdown of the research behind our screening on our ADHD brain science page.
Clients from Bolton are often surprised how simple the process is. No preparation needed beyond washing your hair (no heavy products), getting normal sleep, and eating normally. Avoid excessive caffeine, but otherwise arrive as you are.
The cap fits like a lightweight beanie. Children sometimes call it a "special thinking hat." After recording, we generate your report. Standard screening (£595) produces a same-day PDF. Comprehensive (£845) adds a 20-minute consultation and formal clinical letter.
See the full step-by-step process on our how it works page, or visit our FAQ for common questions.
For teenagers, the screening has a major advantage over traditional assessment: it doesn't feel like therapy. There's no clinical interview, no awkward questions about feelings, no one asking them to describe their symptoms. It's just a cap, a screen, and a 3-minute game.
Most teens find it genuinely interesting — watching their own brain waves in real time is engaging in a way that rating scales and questionnaires are not. The Go/No-Go task (press for green, don't press for red) feels like a game. The whole recording is 7 minutes. The whole appointment is about 30 minutes.
For parents, the real value comes after: a professional report with objective evidence that schools need for exam access arrangements — extra time, rest breaks, separate room. If GCSEs or A-Levels are approaching, this evidence can be the difference between sitting exams with support and sitting them without.
If you're bringing two family members for the family package, here's how to prepare both. Each person needs clean hair (no gel or heavy products), normal sleep, and normal food. If either person takes ADHD medication, let us know at booking — we'll advise on whether to take it or skip it for each person individually.
Arrive about 5 minutes early. The first person is screened while the second waits (bring a book, phone, or something to keep them occupied for 15–20 minutes). Then we swap. Total time for both screenings is about 50–60 minutes. Each person gets their own individual report with their own age-matched normative comparison.
After screening, our parent's guide and next steps guide help you plan what to do with each person's results — because the pathways may be different for each.
For more detail on the full process from booking to report, see how it works.
We screen children aged 6 and above, teenagers, and adults of all ages from Bolton and across Greater Manchester. Each person is compared against age-matched normative data from published research — because a 7-year-old's brain is neurologically very different from a 40-year-old's.
For children, the most common scenario is parents who've been told their child "just needs to try harder." For teenagers, it's GCSE or A-level pressure exposing hidden attention difficulties. For adults, it's often a lifetime of wondering — sometimes triggered by a child's diagnosis.
Women and girls are particularly underserved by standard assessment. The inattentive presentation — quiet, dreamy, internally restless — is systematically missed by questionnaires designed around hyperactive boys. Our brain screening measures neurology directly, bypassing the behavioural bias.
Learn more: children 6+ · teenagers · adults · women & girls
View packages: standard screening (£595) · comprehensive (£845) · family package (£1,095) · all pricing
After your screening: ADHD support hub · results explained · what to do next · GP appointment guide · parent's guide
Not everyone with attention difficulties has ADHD. Several conditions produce overlapping symptoms, which is why objective brain data is so valuable — it helps distinguish between them. Anxiety can mimic ADHD by causing restlessness, poor concentration, and distractibility. However, anxiety typically shows elevated alpha rather than elevated theta on EEG. Depression can reduce motivation and focus, but the neurological pattern is different from ADHD's characteristic theta/beta imbalance.
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) can coexist with ADHD — roughly 50–70%% of autistic people also meet criteria for ADHD. Our screening identifies the ADHD-specific theta/beta pattern regardless of comorbidities. Sleep disorders — particularly obstructive sleep apnoea and delayed sleep phase — can produce attention and concentration problems that look identical to ADHD during the day. Thyroid conditions can affect energy, focus, and mood.
Our screening measures what questionnaires cannot: the specific neurological pattern associated with ADHD. An elevated theta/beta ratio doesn't diagnose ADHD on its own, but it provides objective evidence of the cortical hypoarousal pattern that characterises the condition — evidence that helps your clinician make a more accurate differential diagnosis.
Every screening produces a detailed same-day report with theta/beta ratios, z-scores, frequency band analysis, and Go/No-Go attention task results — all compared against published age-matched norms.
This is the standard report included with our ADHD Brain Screening (£595). The Comprehensive Assessment (£845) adds a clinical interpretation letter addressed to your GP, school, or employer.
Objective brain data with z-scores gives your GP the evidence to write a stronger referral or submit a Right to Choose application.
SENCOs use our reports for EHCP applications, SEN register placements, and JCQ exam access (extra time, rest breaks).
Adults use the clinical letter for Access to Work applications — government-funded coaching, headphones, assistive technology.
Brain data gives a private psychiatrist an objective data point they wouldn't otherwise have, making assessment more focused.
Already on medication? A follow-up medication comparison scan (£345) shows objective before-and-after changes.
Still on the NHS waiting list? Our report gives you actionable evidence for school, work, and GP support right now.
During your screening, you'll see your own brain waves updating in real time on screen. Here's what the testing dashboard looks like during each phase of the 7-minute recording.
Want to understand what each screen means? Our science page explains every frequency band and what elevated theta looks like in real data.
After your screening, you have a same-day report in your hands. Here's the recommended action plan: Week 1 — book a GP appointment (request a double appointment, 20 minutes). Bring the clinical letter and report. Ask for a Right to Choose referral to Psychiatry-UK or an urgent CAMHS referral. Week 1–2 — email the report to your child's school SENCO. Request a meeting to discuss SEN register, exam access, and EHCP evidence. Week 2–4 — if you're an adult in work, start an Access to Work application online. Attach the clinical letter as supporting evidence.
While you wait for formal assessment (3–6 months via Right to Choose, 2–5 years via NHS): use the report for any immediate support needs — workplace adjustments, school accommodations, private therapy, or family understanding. The report doesn't expire. It's your evidence for as long as you need it.
We always recommend staying on the NHS waiting list while pursuing our screening. The NHS pathway leads to fully-funded ongoing care. Our screening gives you evidence and support in the meantime — and data that strengthens your case when the NHS appointment finally arrives.
We screen clients at private venues across Cheshire and the wider region — not a hospital, not a clinical waiting room. Just a quiet, comfortable space where you or your child can relax. The venue is confirmed after booking based on your location and availability.
Alternatively, we come to you. Home visits are available across Greater Manchester — same equipment, same protocol, same report. Many clients from Bolton prefer this option, especially families screening children or adults who want maximum discretion. Book online or call to arrange.
We understand — difficulty sitting still is often why you're here. Recording is only 7 minutes with breaks available. If a phase is too noisy, we redo it free. If your child can't tolerate the cap, we offer a free retry.
Right to Choose lets you be assessed by a private provider at NHS expense. Your GP submits the referral. Our clinical letter provides objective evidence that helps GPs feel confident making that referral.
ADHD Brain Screening is £595 (scan + same-day PDF report). Comprehensive Assessment is £845 (scan + consultation + clinical letter). Family Package is £1,095 (two screenings). Medication Comparison Scan is £345.
No. This is an objective brain screening providing quantitative neurological data to support clinical evaluation. ADHD diagnosis requires a qualified clinician. Our report provides powerful supporting evidence.
About 30 minutes from arrival to departure. The brain recording itself is 7 minutes. Setup takes about 5 minutes. Your report is delivered the same day by email.
Yes. SENCOs across Greater Manchester use our reports for EHCP panel submissions and JCQ exam access (extra time, rest breaks, separate room). The comprehensive clinical letter is designed for educational contexts.
We understand — difficulty sitting still is often why you're here. Recording is only 7 minutes with breaks available. If a phase is too noisy, we redo it free. If your child can't tolerate the cap, we offer a free retry.
Right to Choose lets you be assessed by a private provider at NHS expense. Your GP submits the referral. Our clinical letter provides objective evidence that helps GPs feel confident making that referral.
No. Screening provides objective data; diagnosis requires comprehensive clinical assessment by a qualified professional. Our screening gives you neurological evidence to support the diagnostic process — it doesn't replace it. Think of it as providing the brain data that questionnaires and interviews cannot capture, making the eventual diagnosis more accurate and evidence-based. Our next steps guide explains every pathway from screening to formal diagnosis.
If you're currently waiting years on the NHS list with no support, paying £595–£845 for same-day objective data that can unlock GP referrals, school support, workplace accommodations, and Right to Choose applications is highly cost-effective. Many clients tell us the screening paid for itself within weeks through the support it unlocked.
Our reports include peer-reviewed citations, z-scores against published normative data, and formal clinical interpretation letters. Many GPs across the UK have used our reports to support CAMHS referrals, Right to Choose applications to Psychiatry-UK, and urgent assessment requests. The report is designed to be credible and actionable within the NHS system. Our GP appointment guide includes scripts for presenting your results.
No GP referral is needed. You can book directly online or by phone. Many clients book the screening first, then take the objective results to their GP as evidence to support a formal referral. Having brain data in hand often makes the GP conversation significantly more productive — our GP appointment guide shows you exactly what to say.
Yes. The theta/beta ratio has been studied for over 30 years, replicated across hundreds of independent studies, and was referenced in the FDA's 2013 clearance of the NEBA System for ADHD evaluation. The International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR) rates qEEG assessment as Level 1 (Best Practice) for ADHD. It's well-established science, not experimental. Our ADHD brain guide explains the neuroscience in plain English.
No. Screening provides objective data; diagnosis requires comprehensive clinical assessment by a qualified professional. Our screening gives you neurological evidence to support the diagnostic process — it doesn't replace it. Think of it as providing the brain data that questionnaires and interviews cannot capture, making the eventual diagnosis more accurate and evidence-based. Our next steps guide explains every pathway from screening to formal diagnosis.
Signs, age norms, school evidence, what parents need to know
Decades of masking, late diagnosis, workplace impact
Inattentive type, misdiagnosis as anxiety, hormonal triggers
GCSE/A-level pressure, exam access, university prep
NHS-funded private assessment in months, not years
4 things you can do while you wait
What to say, what to bring, how to get referred
School applications, exam access, SENCO guidance
Free coaching, tech, and adjustments for employed adults
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A 60-second look at the ADHD brain screening experience.
Same-day report. Evidence your GP will take seriously. From £595.
