ADHD treatment options

First steps: information and support

Understanding ADHD is a treatment in its own right. NICE says everyone diagnosed with ADHD should be offered clear information about:

• what ADHD is and how it might affect you
• your treatment options and what's involved in each
• support groups, charities and other sources of help
• your rights at work or in education, including reasonable adjustments

Decisions about treatment should be shared: your preferences, goals and worries matter as much as the clinical picture.

Changes to your environment

NICE recommends looking at your surroundings and routines before starting medication, and keeping these changes going alongside any treatment. These are sometimes called "environmental modifications". Examples include:

• a quieter place to work, noise-cancelling headphones or fewer distractions
• breaking work into shorter chunks with movement breaks
• written instructions, checklists and visual reminders
• flexible hours or deadlines at work, or extra time in exams
• phone alarms, timers and calendar apps to help with time and memory

Employers and schools have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and ADHD can count as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. The Access to Work scheme can help fund support at work.

Talking therapies and psychological support

For adults, NICE recommends a structured psychological intervention focused on ADHD, with regular follow-up. This might be offered if you:

• have chosen not to take medication
• find it hard to take medication consistently
• found medication didn't help enough, or couldn't tolerate it

This often includes elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps you understand the links between thoughts, feelings and actions, and build practical skills for planning, organisation and managing emotions.

For young people, NICE suggests considering CBT if they've benefited from medication but still have symptoms that cause significant difficulties. Focus areas include social skills, problem-solving, self-control, active listening, and dealing with and expressing feelings.

ADHD coaching

Coaching is practical, goal-focused support to help you build routines, strategies and self-understanding. NICE doesn't name coaching specifically, but it does recommend the kind of structured support, information and environmental changes that good coaching provides. Research on ADHD coaching is growing and encouraging, but still limited, so it's best thought of as a helpful part of a wider plan.

Coaching is not a replacement for medical care or therapy, but it can work well alongside both. Find out about our STILL Method coaching.

Other conditions

ADHD often comes with other things, such as anxiety, low mood, autism, dyslexia, sleep problems or difficulties with alcohol or drugs. These should be recognised and supported too. Treating ADHD can sometimes help with them, but they may need their own treatment.

Thinking about medication? Read our guide to ADHD medication, including what happens after a private diagnosis.

Source: NICE guideline NG87, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management. Page last reviewed September 2026.