What ADHD Questionnaires Are Used During Diagnosis?

This guide explains the main ADHD assessment questionnaires, who they're for, what they measure, and why a score alone can never diagnose ADHD.

ADHD can't be diagnosed with a blood test or a brain scan. Instead, clinicians build up a detailed picture of someone's life, from childhood to now.

Questionnaires are one part of that picture. They help your clinician:

• see which ADHD traits might be present, and how often
• understand how these affect home, work, school and relationships
• compare views from different people, such as parents and teachers
• use your appointment time to focus on what matters most

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was developed with the World Health Organization. It's one of the most widely used ADHD questionnaires for adults.

What it measures: The ASRS asks how often you experience common ADHD traits, such as:

• finding it hard to finish the final details of a project
• having difficulty getting organised
• putting off tasks that need a lot of thought
• fidgeting or feeling restless when sitting for a long time
• feeling driven to stay busy, as if "driven by a motor"

You answer each question on a scale from "never" to "very often". The full version has 18 questions, and the first six are sometimes used as a short screening tool.

What it can tell your clinician: A higher score suggests ADHD traits may be worth exploring. But many things can affect your answers, including stress, anxiety, low mood and poor sleep.

The SNAP-IV is a rating scale completed by a parent or carer, and often by a teacher too. It's used for school-age children and teenagers.

What it measures: It asks how much a child shows each recognised sign of ADHD, such as:

• making careless mistakes or not paying attention to details
• seeming not to listen when spoken to directly
• fidgeting, or leaving their seat when they're expected to stay put
• finding it hard to wait their turn

The most common version also includes questions about behaviours like arguing, losing their temper or refusing to follow rules. These can sometimes occur alongside ADHD.

Why views from home and school both matter: For a diagnosis, ADHD traits need to show up in more than one setting. A child may seem very different at home and at school, so seeing both views helps your clinician understand the full picture. If school sees a different child to the one you see at home, that's useful information too.

The Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS) looks at something different. Rather than asking about ADHD traits, it asks how much difficulties are affecting everyday life.

There's a self-report version for adults, and a parent version for children. It covers areas such as:

• family and relationships
• work, school or learning
• life skills, like managing money, routines or sleep
• self-confidence and how you see yourself
• social activities and friendships
• risky behaviours

Why it matters: To be diagnosed with ADHD, traits need to cause real difficulties in daily life, not just be present. The WFIRS helps your clinician see where those difficulties are, which also shapes the recommendations in your report.

It's natural to want to know what your score means. But no questionnaire can diagnose ADHD on its own, for a few reasons:

• Other things can look similar. Anxiety, low mood, trauma, sleep problems and other conditions can all raise scores.
• Some people under-report. Adults who have masked their difficulties for years, or girls who work hard to fit in, may score lower than expected.
• Context matters. A questionnaire can't tell whether traits started in childhood, or what else is going on in someone's life.
• Scores are a snapshot. They reflect how someone feels at that moment, which can vary from week to week.

That's why your clinician brings your questionnaires together with a detailed interview, such as the DIVA-5 for adults, and follows DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria and NICE guidelines.

There are no right or wrong answers. A few things can help:

• Answer based on how things usually are. Try not to focus only on your best or worst days.
• Don't overthink it. Your first response is often the most accurate.
• Take breaks. You can complete them in chunks if that's easier.
• Ask someone close to you. A partner, parent or friend may notice things you don't.

Raiys works nationwide, offering online ADHD assessments for adults and for children and young people aged 5 to 17 across the UK. You'll complete your questionnaires securely through your Raiys portal before your appointment, so your clinician can get to know your story first.

For children's assessments, we also ask a teacher who knows your child well to complete a questionnaire, so quieter difficulties aren't missed.

If you're in crisis right now, call 999, go to A&E, or call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time of day or night.

Ready to take the next step? Find out more about our adult ADHD assessment or child ADHD assessment.

Questionnaires are just one part of the process. Your answers help start the conversation, and the full assessment is where your story is properly understood.