Peer-reviewed screening tools for adults, children, and adolescents — with how to access, how to score, and what each one can and cannot tell you. Always consult with your health care professional.
A screener is not a diagnosis. A negative result is reasonably reassuring; a positive result warrants a full clinical evaluation by a qualified professional.
This information comes from numerous LLMs
Harold Robert Meyer
The ADD Resource Center haroldmeyer@addrc.org
www.addrc.org
Reviewed: May 09, 2026
Published: May 19, 2026
Listen to understand, not just to respond
How to choose
The right screener depends on age, setting, and what you intend to do with the result. A 2025 systematic review of 74 studies covering 40 different ADHD instruments found that short tools perform as well as long ones, free tools as well as paid ones, and a negative screen rules ADHD out far more reliably than a positive screen rules it in.
| If you are… | Start with |
|---|---|
| An adult considering whether to seek evaluation | ASRS v1.1, 6-question screener (free) |
| An adolescent 13–17 self-screening | ASRS v1.1, 6-question screener (free; with adult support) |
| An adult evaluation needing childhood history | WURS-25 (free), paired with a current-symptoms instrument |
| A clinician or researcher choosing a current best-practice adult tool | ASRS-5 (licensed) or BAARS-IV (commercial) |
| The parent of a child age 6–12 | NICHQ Vanderbilt parent and teacher forms (free) |
| A clinician screening a child or adolescent 6–18 broadly | SNAP-IV (free) or Conners 4 (commercial) |
| A clinician monitoring treatment response in a child | ADHD-RS-5 (commercial) or SNAP-IV (free) |
| A clinician needing a formal diagnostic interview for an adult | DIVA-5 (free, professional use) |
Adult screeners
ASRS v1.1 — 6-question screener
FreeAdult 18+ & adolescent 13+6 items · ~2 minSelf-report
The most widely used free adult ADHD screener. Six questions developed by Kessler and colleagues with the World Health Organization, drawn from the longer 18-item checklist by identifying the items that, on their own, most strongly predicted a clinical diagnosis. Four items measure inattention, two measure hyperactivity-impulsivity. The questions ask about behavior over the past six months.
Scoring (two valid methods):
- Original (shaded boxes): Each item has darkly shaded response options chosen because they most strongly predict ADHD. Count shaded responses; 4 or more of 6 suggests symptoms consistent with adult ADHD.
- 2024 Harvard alternative (0–24 sum): Score Never = 0, Rarely = 1, Sometimes = 2, Often = 3, Very Often = 4. Sum the six items. 14 or higher suggests symptoms consistent with adult ADHD. Better suited to research and prevalence work.
Strengths:
- Free for non-commercial use; only a citation of Kessler et al. (2005) is required
- Original validation: ~69% sensitivity, ~99% specificity; later research reports AUC near 0.90 with the 0–24 method
- Validated in adolescents 13–17 in community samples (Sibley et al., 2018)
- Available in 19 translations
Limits:
- Captures only the symptoms most predictive of ADHD; not the broader picture (emotional dysregulation, time blindness, rejection sensitivity, executive function gaps)
- A positive screen has a much lower predictive value than a negative screen at typical population prevalence
- Does not rule out conditions that mimic ADHD (sleep, anxiety, depression, thyroid, trauma)
Access: Harvard National Comorbidity Survey — ASRS hub (form, translations, scoring updates).
ASRS-5 (DSM-5 version)
LicensedAdult 18+6 items · ~2 minSelf-reportDSM-5 calibrated
The successor to ASRS v1.1. Ustun, Adler, Rudin, Faraone, Spencer, Berglund, Gruber, and Kessler (2017) applied a machine-learning algorithm — the Risk-Calibrated Supersparse Linear Integer Model — to re-derive the optimal six items against DSM-5 criteria. The result is six different items than the v1.1 screener and a stronger calibration to current diagnostic criteria.
Scoring:
Two scoring approaches exist. The Ustun et al. paper proposes weighted scoring with item-specific point values (range 0–24, cutoff 14+). Kessler subsequently recommended unweighted 0–4 scoring in line with the v1.1 method, citing concern that the weighted DSM-5 scoring overestimates prevalence in some samples.
Strengths:
- Sensitivity ~91%, specificity ~96% in the general population validation sample
- Calibrated to DSM-5 rather than DSM-IV
- Recommended for new clinical and research projects
Limits:
- Permission required — license through NYU TOV licensing portal
- Academic and non-industry use is generally no-fee under an inter-institutional agreement; commercial use requires a paid license
- Two of the six items relate to executive dysfunction symptoms not in DSM-5; only one of the six measures DSM-5 inattention directly
Access: NYU TOV licensing — ASRS-5.
ASRS v1.1 — 18-question Symptom Checklist
Licensed Adult 18+18 items · ~5 minSelf-report
The longer version of the v1.1 screener. Eighteen items map to the 18 DSM ADHD symptoms — nine inattentive, nine hyperactive-impulsive — with subscale scoring for inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive presentations. Used by clinicians to establish a symptom baseline before treatment and to track change over time. The wording reflects DSM-IV criteria; symptom content carries forward into DSM-5 unchanged.
Important change in access: The 18-item Symptom Checklist circulated freely online for many years. Use now requires a permission license through the NYU TOV licensing portal. Academic and non-industry research is generally no-fee under an inter-institutional agreement; commercial use requires a paid license.
Strengths:
- Captures all 18 DSM ADHD symptoms (vs. the 6-item screener’s selected subset)
- Provides subscale scores for inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive presentations
- Sensitive to change over time, useful for treatment monitoring
Limits:
- Requires permission for use, unlike the 6-item screener
- Item wording predates DSM-5; for new work, the ASRS-5 is preferred
Access: NYU TOV licensing — ASRS v1.1 18-question Symptom Checklist.
WURS-25 — Wender Utah Rating Scale (25-item)
Free / public domain Adult retrospective25 items · ~5 minSelf-report
The standard retrospective measure of childhood ADHD symptoms in adults. Adults rate 25 statements describing how they remember themselves as children. Total score ranges from 0–100. Important because DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR both require ADHD symptom onset before age 12, and adults often need help reconstructing that history.
Scoring:
- Cutoff of 36: ~96% sensitivity, ~96% specificity in the original Ward, Wender, and Reimherr (1993) validation.
- Cutoff of 46: ~86% sensitivity, ~99% specificity. Useful when minimizing false positives matters more than catching every case.
Strengths:
- Public domain; no permission needed
- Strong discrimination between adults with ADHD, non-clinical controls, and clinical controls with depression or anxiety
- Best paired with a current-symptoms instrument (ASRS v1.1, ASRS-5, BAARS-IV) for adult evaluation
Limits:
- Subject to memory bias and reporting bias inherent to retrospective recall
- Most of the 25 items don’t directly assess core ADHD symptoms but were selected because they most strongly differentiated groups in validation
- High scores can reflect other childhood conditions, not only ADHD
Access: Widely reproduced in clinical contexts; an example PDF is hosted by CADDRA.
BAARS-IV — Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale–IV
CommercialAdult 18–89~5–10 minSelf & other-report
A comprehensive adult ADHD scale developed by Russell Barkley. Includes self-report and other-report (spouse, parent, sibling) versions. Three sections: current ADHD symptoms, retrospective childhood symptoms, and a separate scale for what was originally called Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and is now formalized as Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome. The Quick Screen takes 3–5 minutes; the full version 5–7. The BAARS-IV is the adult equivalent of having a current screener and a retrospective screener under one cover.
Scoring:
Items rated as never or rarely, sometimes, often, or very often. Symptoms counted as present when rated often or very often. The Quick Screen yields Current Symptoms and Childhood Symptoms scores; cutoffs of 10–11 (current) and 9–10 (childhood) are most useful for identifying adults likely to have ADHD.
Strengths:
- Internal consistency α ≈ 0.92; test-retest r ≈ 0.75
- Includes Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome items rarely captured elsewhere
- Other-report version helps reduce informant bias
- Permission to photocopy included with the manual purchase
Limits:
- Commercial — manual purchase required
- Item wording reflects DSM-IV criteria, though symptom content carries forward to DSM-5
Access: Guilford Press — BAARS-IV.
Child & adolescent screeners
NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scales
Free (1st ed.)Ages 6–12Parent 55 / Teacher 43 items~10 min eachMulti-informant
The default ADHD screening instrument in U.S. pediatric primary care. Developed by Mark L. Wolraich, MD, and colleagues, published by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Two forms are completed in parallel — Parent Informant (55 items) and Teacher Informant (43 items) — both rated on a four-point frequency scale (Never, Occasionally, Often, Very Often). Includes screens for oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression, plus a performance section rated 1 (excellent) to 5 (problematic).
Scoring (positive screen requires both):
- 6 or more of 9 inattentive symptoms OR 6 or more of 9 hyperactive-impulsive symptoms rated Often or Very Often, AND
- At least one performance item rated 4 or 5
Strengths:
- Combined parent + teacher scoring: ~80% sensitivity, ~75% specificity, and ~98% negative predictive value (Wolraich et al., 2003)
- Free 1st edition (2002) downloadable from NICHQ
- 2nd edition (2011) and 3rd edition (2019) available through the AAP Bookstore
- Recommended as first-line by the AAP 2019 Clinical Practice Guideline
- Simultaneously screens for common co-occurring conditions
Limits:
- Validated for ages 6–12; newer editions extend into preschool with caveats but are not the same instrument
- Both parent and teacher forms must be completed — DSM-5 requires symptoms in two or more settings
- Single-informant scoring is unreliable; parent-only and teacher-only versions of this screen should not be treated as positive screens on their own
Access: Free 1st edition at NICHQ; AAP-hosted parent form (PDF) and teacher form (PDF); current editions through the AAP Bookstore.
SNAP-IV — Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale–IV
Free / public domainAges 6–1818 / 26 / 90 itemsMulti-informant
A teacher and parent rating scale for ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms in children and adolescents ages 6 to 18. The original full version is 90 items; in clinical practice, the 18-item and 26-item short forms are most common. Items rated on a four-point scale (Not at All, Just a Little, Quite a Bit, Very Much).
A note on DSM alignment:
The SNAP-IV item wording reflects DSM-IV criteria. The nine inattentive and nine hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in DSM-IV carried forward unchanged into DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR, so item content maps cleanly onto current diagnostic criteria. The label is dated; the content is not.
Strengths:
- Public domain; widely used in clinical and research settings
- Sensitive to treatment effects — used as primary outcome in the landmark MTA study and many subsequent trials
- Subscales for inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms
Limits:
- Should not be used as a diagnostic instrument on its own
- Parent and teacher ratings often differ — informant disagreement is data, not error, and warrants a fuller evaluation
- The 18-item version has not been formally validated as a stand-alone measure; psychometrics are inferred from the 26- and 90-item versions
Access: Widely available; an authoritative copy is hosted by University of Washington (PDF); scoring guide from University of Florida (PDF).
ADHD Rating Scale–5 (ADHD-RS-5)
CommercialAges 5–1718 + 6 items · ~5–10 minMulti-informantDSM-5 calibrated
DuPaul, Power, Anastopoulos, and Reid’s DSM-5 update of the widely used ADHD-RS-IV. Eighteen items mapped directly to DSM-5 ADHD symptoms, plus six functional impairment items rated no problem to severe problem. Home and school versions; separate child (5–10) and adolescent (11–17) wording. The standard primary efficacy measure in modern ADHD pharmaceutical trials.
Scoring:
Items rated 0–3 over the past week. Total scores 0–54 across the 18 symptom items; subscale scores for inattention (0–27) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (0–27).
Strengths:
- Tightly aligned to DSM-5 symptom wording
- Strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and sensitivity to treatment response
- Adolescent-specific wording where the child version would be developmentally inappropriate
Limits:
- Commercial — manual purchase required
- Brief; does not screen for co-occurring conditions (use Vanderbilt or Conners 4 if a broader screen is needed)
Access: Guilford Press — ADHD-RS-5.
Conners 4 (2022)
CommercialAges 6–18Multi-informantDSM-5-TR aligned
Released by Multi-Health Systems in 2022, the Conners 4 replaces Conners 3 (2008). A comprehensive multi-informant assessment for children and adolescents ages 6 to 18: parent, teacher, and self-report (8+) forms, with full-length, short, and ADHD Index versions. Aligned to DSM-5-TR. Goes beyond ADHD symptoms to assess common co-occurring problems — anxiety, depression, conduct, oppositional defiant — and impairment domains across home, school, and social settings.
Scoring:
T-scores generated against age- and gender-normed samples. T-scores above 65 indicate elevated symptoms; 70 or higher indicates clinically significant levels. Includes inter-rater comparison reports when multiple informants complete forms.
Strengths:
- Excellent psychometrics: median omega coefficient 0.94, test-retest r ≈ 0.89
- Multi-informant comparison reports highlight inter-rater disagreement
- Updated terminology for inclusivity and respondent comprehension
- Screens broadly for co-occurring conditions in addition to ADHD
Limits:
- Commercial — purchase and per-administration costs apply
- Inter-rater reliability between two teachers is moderate (median r ≈ 0.52), reflecting genuine cross-classroom variation in child behavior
Access: Multi-Health Systems or Pearson Assessments.
Diagnostic interview
DIVA-5 — Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults
Free (professional use) Adults, semi-structured · 60–90 min DSM-5 alignedDiagnostic — not a screener
A semi-structured diagnostic interview, not a screener. Updated to DSM-5 by the DIVA Foundation in 2019. Walks the clinician and patient through current adult ADHD symptoms, retrospective childhood symptoms, age of onset, two-setting impairment, and rule-outs. Listed here so readers understand what a full evaluation looks like beyond a screener.
Strengths:
- Diagnostic accuracy ~92% in the Korean validation study, with similar findings in Italian and Farsi validations
- Free for clinical use; available in many translations
- Provides the structured framework a thorough adult ADHD evaluation requires
Limits:
- Requires a trained clinician; not appropriate for self-administration
- Takes 60–90 minutes
Access: DIVA Foundation — DIVA-5.
What no screener can do
No screener establishes a diagnosis. No screener rules out the conditions that mimic ADHD — anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, thyroid dysfunction, learning disabilities, trauma. No screener captures the impairment criterion that DSM-5 requires (real interference with work, school, or relationships in two or more settings). And no screener has the clinical conversation that distinguishes ADHD from a life under too much pressure with too few supports. A screener is the front door. The room behind it is a full clinical evaluation. Some of these screeners might require an interpretation by an HCP.
Bibliography
- Brevik, E. J., Lundervold, A. J., Haavik, J., & Posserud, M. B. (2020). Validity and accuracy of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) symptom checklists in discriminating between adults with and without ADHD. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 141(4), 357–369.
- Bussing, R., Fernandez, M., Harwood, M., Hou, W., Garvan, C. W., Eyberg, S. M., & Swanson, J. M. (2008). Parent and teacher SNAP-IV ratings of ADHD symptoms: Psychometric properties and normative ratings from a school district sample. Assessment, 15(3), 317–328. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3623293/
- Conners, C. K. (2022). Conners 4th Edition (Conners 4) manual. Multi-Health Systems.
- Di Lorenzo, R., Latella, E., Gualtieri, F., et al. (2025). Validity of the Italian version of DIVA-5: Semi-structured diagnostic interview for adult ADHD based on the DSM-5 criteria. Healthcare, 13(3), 244. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11816683/
- DuPaul, G. J., Power, T. J., Anastopoulos, A. D., & Reid, R. (2016). ADHD Rating Scale–5 for children and adolescents: Checklists, norms, and clinical interpretation. Guilford Press.
- Hong, J., Lee, S., et al. (2020). Validity of the Korean version of DIVA-5: A semi-structured diagnostic interview for adult ADHD. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 16, 2371–2379. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33116536/
- Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Ames, M., et al. (2005). The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): A short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychological Medicine, 35(2), 245–256. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15841682/
- Mulraney, M., Arrondo, G., Musullulu, H., et al. (2022). Systematic review and meta-analysis: Screening tools for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(8), 982–996. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34958872/
- Sibley, M. H., Coxe, S. J., Stein, M. A., Meinzer, M. C., & Valente, M. J. (2018). Reliability and preliminary validity of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale v1.1 Screener in an adolescent community sample. Journal of Attention Disorders. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30407687/
- Ustun, B., Adler, L. A., Rudin, C., et al. (2017). The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(5), 520–526. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28384801/
- Ward, M. F., Wender, P. H., & Reimherr, F. W. (1993). The Wender Utah Rating Scale: An aid in the retrospective diagnosis of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150(6), 885–890. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8494059/
- Wolraich, M. L., Hagan, J. F., Allan, C., et al. (2019). Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 144(4), e20192528. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31570648/
- Wolraich, M. L., Lambert, W., Doffing, M. A., Bickman, L., Simmons, T., & Worley, K. (2003). Psychometric properties of the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale in a referred population. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28(8), 559–567. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14602846/
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