ADHD in Malta: assessment routes and what helps meanwhile
By Rossella Ricchiari, SEN Specialist. Last reviewed: [confirm date on publication].
In Malta, ADHD in children is assessed and diagnosed by doctors and psychologists, not confirmed by an online test. Start with your family doctor or your child’s paediatrician.
How do you get an ADHD assessment in Malta?
The first step is usually your family doctor or a paediatrician. Public child development services include the Child Development Assessment Unit (CDAU); news reports list developmental paediatrics and psychiatry among its services, and also report waiting times. Some families choose a private assessment. [confirm: current referral route, and whether to mention private assessment]
Ask each service what the assessment involves and how long the wait is likely to be. Keep a simple record of what you notice at home, and if your child’s school has concerns too, ask the teacher to write down what they see in class.
Only your child’s doctor can advise on medication. I don’t assess, diagnose or advise on medication. My work sits alongside the medical side, not in place of it.
What happens at school?
A diagnosis doesn’t automatically mean an IEP (Individual Education Plan). In Malta, a child gets an IEP once the Statementing Moderating Panel and Appeals Board (SMP/AB) recognises them as having special educational needs. ADHD is among the needs the panel recognises, but not every child with ADHD has an IEP.
With an IEP, a Learning Support Educator (LSE) may be assigned, one-to-one or shared, working alongside the class teacher. Malta’s policy is to include children in mainstream classes. My guide to IEPs in Malta explains the plan and the meeting.
Without an IEP, the school can still help. Talk to the class teacher about what works at home, and ask what they’re trying in class.
What helps at home while you wait?
Predictable routines take some of the decisions out of the day: the same order of things from morning to evening. Break tasks into short chunks, a few minutes of work and then a break, so the whole job isn’t in front of your child at once.
Visual reminders help, such as a simple list on the fridge, so your child can check it instead of you repeating yourself. Give one instruction at a time. “Put your shoes on” lands better than three things in one sentence. Build movement in, such as a walk or a quick game before homework.
For homework, set the space up the same way each time and keep sessions short, ending before frustration builds. Praise effort as well as results. The hardest part of the day is often straight after school, so plan for it: a snack, a quiet change of pace, then the routine.
Where can parents find support?
ADHD Malta is a national NGO for people with ADHD and their families, and a useful place to find information and other parents. Your child’s school and your doctor are the other two starting points.
I’m one practical option alongside them. With or without a diagnosis, I help parents with routines, homework, big feelings and preparing for school meetings, in English or Italian. More on my ADHD support for parents page.
Sources: Eurydice (European Commission), Malta: Special education needs provision within mainstream education, read 25 September 2026; news reports on the CDAU (Newsbook, The Malta Independent). [confirm: Rossella to review every Malta fact before publication]