Thinking carefully
about complex minds.

ADHD, autism, and related presentations exist on spectrums, and the clinical picture is rarely simple. Many people have genuine difficulties that deserve careful attention — and a good evaluation looks at the whole picture rather than starting from a conclusion. We are a general psychiatric practice, not a specialist neurodevelopmental service, but we take these questions seriously and try to be genuinely useful.

Difficulty concentrating is real and often significant. It is also one of the most diagnostically complex symptoms in psychiatry. Mood disorders, anxiety, sleep difficulties, trauma, and personality structure all frequently present with attention difficulties — and are sometimes mistaken, by patients and clinicians alike, for ADHD alone.

We approach concentration concerns through a full psychiatric evaluation — taking the difficulty seriously and looking at the whole picture. Many things can cause problems with attention and concentration, and we will give you an honest assessment of what we think is driving it. That assessment may or may not confirm ADHD, and we will explain our reasoning either way.

For children, the clinical picture is often genuinely complex — a child struggling in school whose teacher and parents describe quite different things, a developmental history that raises questions, a presentation that doesn't resolve neatly into a single explanation. That kind of puzzle is something we are well-suited to think through carefully, in conversation with families and, where helpful, with school counsellors and teachers.

A practical note for families referred by schools: international schools sometimes refer children hoping to access stimulant medication through a psychiatrist. We can help think through the clinical picture — but we cannot prescribe stimulants. If medication is the immediate goal, it is worth contacting VinMec or one of the hospitals below first, and coming to us for the broader evaluation conversation.

Where formal neuropsychological testing would genuinely add value, we will say so and help families think through how to access it — including options in Singapore, Hong Kong, or your home country where home-language assessment is more available.

Autism spectrum presentations span a wide range — from significant support needs and intellectual disability, to more subtle differences in social cognition or sensory experience that cause real difficulty without being obvious to others. We see patients across that range. Where a broader team is helpful — occupational therapy, educational support, or specialist assessment — we will say so.

We can offer a careful clinical perspective on whether autism is part of the picture and whether formal assessment elsewhere would add something useful. We do not administer formal autism diagnostic instruments, but a clinical impression with clear reasoning is often a practical starting point in a context where specialist assessment access is limited.

Dr. Allison has clinical experience with OCD and Tourette syndrome, including more complex presentations, from his training and clinical work in the United States. These are areas where Hà Nội has very limited specialist options, and where a psychiatrist with relevant background can make a meaningful difference — whether that is getting the diagnosis right, thinking through medication options, or helping patients and families understand what they are dealing with.

Where Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is indicated — the evidence-based behavioural treatment for OCD — we will discuss this clearly and help identify appropriate resources, though dedicated ERP therapists remain limited in Hà Nội.

For patients who need stimulant medication in Hà Nội, the available routes are through hospital pharmacies. There are currently no non-stimulant ADHD medications available in Vietnam.