finally, a crack in the wall: what the gp adhd reform means for the audhd community

For years, getting an ADHD diagnosis in Australia has meant one thing: a long wait and a large bill. A 12-month wait for a specialist appointment. An out-of-pocket cost of up to $1,400. And for many — especially women, non-binary people, and those also navigating an autism diagnosis — a journey filled with dismissal, self-doubt, and exhaustion before the answers even came.

That's starting to change. NSW and Victoria have just introduced landmark reforms that allow trained GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD. It's not a complete fix. But for the audhd community, it's the most meaningful shift in access we've seen in years.

what actually changed

From March 2026, GPs in NSW who complete a specialised training program can now assess adults and children for ADHD and initiate treatment — without a psychiatrist referral. Victoria is following suit, with funding to train 150 GPs by September. The NSW rollout has already seen more than 800 GPs complete training to manage repeat scripts, and nearly 600 more have applied for the full diagnostic training.

Critically, GP training costs are covered by NSW Health, and GPs working in regional, rural, and remote areas are being prioritised. For people outside major cities who've faced the double barrier of distance and cost, this is significant.

why this matters more if you're audhd

If you're living with both ADHD and autism — the combination now widely known as audhd — the diagnostic gauntlet has often been twice as hard. Autism and ADHD mask each other in complex ways. Professionals who aren't well-versed in the audhd profile frequently miss one or the other, leaving people partially diagnosed, incorrectly medicated, or dismissed entirely.

A recent University of Queensland study found that women seeking ADHD assessment in Australia routinely faced scepticism from healthcare providers, long wait times, and rejected referrals. For those also navigating autism-related masking, the experience was often worse — their coping strategies made their struggles less visible, and less believed.

More accessible ADHD assessment via GPs means more entry points into the system. For people whose ADHD has been the more visible piece of their neurodivergence, a GP assessment could be the first step toward a fuller picture — including eventually understanding the audhd profile.

the catch: what gp reform won't fix

Let's be clear about the limits. GP training in ADHD doesn't automatically include deep expertise in autism, co-occurring presentations, or the specific nuances of the audhd profile. A GP may be well-placed to identify and treat straightforward ADHD — but the more complex intersections of audhd, including sensory sensitivities, pathological demand avoidance, autistic burnout, and executive dysfunction that doesn't neatly fit ADHD checklists, may still require specialist input.

There's also the ongoing issue of medication supply. Methylphenidate shortages have been affecting Australians since 2024, and the TGA has flagged continued supply disruptions through 2026. Accessing a diagnosis is one hurdle; consistent medication access remains another.

And for those whose primary or unrecognised condition is autism, GP ADHD reform doesn't yet address the pathway to an autism assessment — which still largely runs through psychology or psychiatry, with similarly long waits and high costs.

what to do right now

If you've been putting off pursuing an ADHD assessment because of cost or access, now is the time to book a GP appointment and ask about their training status under the NSW or Victorian reforms. If your GP hasn't completed the training, ask for a referral to one who has.

If you suspect you might be audhd — or have an ADHD diagnosis and are wondering if autism is part of your picture — bring both to the conversation. Write down your experiences before the appointment. Masking is real, and it affects what clinicians see.

audhd australia exists because the system wasn't built for us — but we're not waiting for it to catch up. Share this post with someone who's been putting off getting assessed. Join our community. And if you've recently been diagnosed, you're not late — you're right on time.