GCSEs are looming. A-levels are approaching. University applications are due. Your teenager is struggling and the NHS waiting list stretches years into the future. Objective brain data can change the trajectory — in 30 minutes.
Primary school is relatively structured. A supportive teacher can scaffold a child with ADHD through the day. But secondary school changes everything. Multiple teachers, multiple classrooms, homework from six different subjects, long-term project deadlines, independent study expectations. The safety net disappears — and undiagnosed ADHD becomes impossible to hide.
For many teenagers, this is where things fall apart. Grades drop. Homework doesn’t get handed in. Motivation evaporates. Parents and teachers assume it’s “laziness” or “not caring.” The teenager — who IS trying — starts to believe them. Self-esteem crumbles. Anxiety builds. Sometimes depression follows.
Meanwhile, the NHS CAMHS waiting list is 2–5 years. Your teenager doesn’t have 2–5 years. Their GCSEs are in months, not years. They need evidence now — evidence that can unlock exam access arrangements, school support, and a clinical pathway.
That’s what our qEEG brain screening provides: objective neurological data, compared against age-matched norms for their exact age group, delivered the same day in a professional report your GP and school will take seriously.
Capable but underperforming. Can ace a topic that interests them, can’t start an essay that doesn’t. Homework mysteriously vanishes between completion and submission. Reports say “not meeting potential.”
Glued to their phone, gaming, or social media for hours — but can’t sustain 20 minutes on homework. This isn’t laziness. It’s a brain seeking dopamine from the only source that delivers it instantly.
Can’t fall asleep because their mind won’t switch off. Can’t wake up because they finally fell asleep at 2am. Chronic sleep deprivation compounds every other ADHD symptom. A vicious cycle.
Bigger reactions than peers to setbacks. Quick to anger, quick to tears. Perceived rejection hits harder. Friendship drama feels like the end of the world. Parents walk on eggshells.
Can’t plan ahead. Can’t break large tasks into steps. Starts revision the night before. Loses PE kit weekly. Forgets deadlines that were written in the planner they also lost.
Not all teen ADHD is visible. Girls especially may mask with people-pleasing, perfectionism, and anxiety. They get adequate grades through extraordinary hidden effort — then burn out.
If several of these patterns match your teenager, a brain screening can provide the objective data to move from suspicion to action. Our screening measures the theta/beta ratio — the brain’s balance between unfocused and focused activity — and compares it against published norms for their specific age group.
Teenagers are often more open to a “brain scan” than a psychiatric appointment. It feels scientific, not clinical. It takes 30 minutes, not an hour of questions about their childhood. And the Go/No-Go attention task feels more like a game than a test.
We place a lightweight cap with four dry electrodes. No gel, no needles, no discomfort. The recording takes 7 minutes: 2 minutes eyes-open, 2 minutes eyes-closed, and a 3-minute attention task. Most teenagers complete it without any difficulty. A parent or guardian stays in the room for under-18s.
We get it. Some teens arrive reluctantly, dragged by worried parents. We explain the process directly to them — not over their head to mum and dad. We show them the live brain waves on screen (most teens find this genuinely cool). And we make it clear: this isn’t about proving something is “wrong” with them. It’s about understanding how their brain works so they can get the right support.
A 14-year-old’s brain is very different from a 7-year-old’s or a 30-year-old’s. We compare against specific norms for age groups 12–13, 14–15, and 16–17 — all from published peer-reviewed research including Arns et al. (2013). As the brain matures through adolescence, the theta/beta ratio naturally decreases, so the clinical thresholds are different for each group.
A professional screening report with objective brain data opens doors that “we think our child has ADHD” cannot:
Extra time, rest breaks, separate room, word processor access. Schools and exam boards require evidence of need for these accommodations. A comprehensive assessment with clinical letter provides exactly that. Our reports have been used to support JCQ access arrangement applications across multiple schools.
SENCOs need objective evidence for EHCP applications and SEN register placements. Our reports provide citable neurological data that sits alongside educational psychology assessments and teacher observations.
Many GPs are reluctant to refer teenagers for ADHD assessment without evidence beyond parental concern. Our report gives them objective data to justify an urgent referral or support a Right to Choose application.
If your teenager is heading to university, having a screening (or diagnosis) before they go means they can access Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), exam accommodations, mentoring, and assistive technology from day one — rather than struggling for a year and then seeking help.
Perhaps the most important outcome: your teenager stops blaming themselves. Seeing objective data that shows their brain works differently — not deficiently, differently — can be profoundly validating for a teenager who’s been told they’re lazy for years.
Our screening doesn’t replace the clinical diagnostic process (NICE NG87). But it provides the evidence to start that process — and the data to get support in place while you wait. Read our full guide on alternatives to the NHS ADHD waiting list.
We screen teenagers from 13 upwards with specific normative data for age groups 12–13, 14–15, and 16–17. We also screen younger children from age 6 and adults of all ages. Each person is compared against their own age group.
Many teens who resist psychiatric appointments are open to a “brain scan.” It feels scientific rather than clinical. The process is quick (30 minutes), the Go/No-Go task feels like a game, and seeing their own brain waves on screen is genuinely fascinating for most teens. We talk to them directly, not over their head to parents.
Yes. Our reports provide objective neurological evidence that schools can use when applying for JCQ exam access arrangements (extra time, rest breaks, separate room, word processor). The comprehensive package includes a clinical letter specifically designed for educational contexts. Read our guide on EHCP and exam evidence.
Ideal timing. A screening before university means your teen can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), register with the university’s disability service, access exam accommodations, mentoring, and assistive technology from day one — rather than struggling for a year and then seeking help when it’s already affected their grades.
Under-18s require a parent or legal guardian to provide informed consent and be present during the screening. We also explain the process to the teenager directly and ensure they’re willing to participate. We never force a recording. 18-year-olds can consent independently and attend alone. Full details in our terms of service.
Our reports include peer-reviewed citations, z-scores against age-matched norms, and clear clinical context. Many GPs have used our teenage reports to support CAMHS referrals and Right to Choose applications. The comprehensive package clinical letter is particularly effective. See our GP evidence guide.
Absolutely. The inattentive presentation is significantly underdiagnosed in girls and women. Daydreaming, slow processing, difficulty following instructions, and quiet disengagement are all ADHD — just not the stereotypical kind. Our screening measures brain activity, not behaviour, so it detects the cortical pattern regardless of outward presentation.
Yes — our Family Package (£1,095) covers two children or teenagers with individual reports and a comparative overview, saving £95 vs separate bookings. For three or more, contact us for a custom quote.
For an initial baseline scan, most clinicians prefer unmedicated. For a medication comparison scan (£345), take medication as normal. Discuss timing with your prescribing clinician — we can accommodate either approach.
A normal theta/beta ratio doesn’t rule out ADHD — it means this specific biomarker isn’t elevated. ADHD is complex with multiple presentations. A normal result still helps narrow the diagnostic picture and may redirect investigation toward other possibilities. Learn more about what TBR can and can’t tell you.
Macclesfield, Cheshire — accessible from Manchester (30 min), Stockport (20 min), Wilmslow (10 min), Warrington (35 min), and the wider North West. Free parking. Same-week appointments usually available.
Get objective brain data before the next exam season. Same-day report. Evidence that opens doors.
