How to Score an 18-Item ASRS

Even the best tool is useless when not used properly. The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) is just such a tool. With proper use, the six-question screen can be used accurately and consistently to predict adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The 18-question tool includes the original six questions and so maintains that reliability, but it goes beyond that with 12 more questions that help to pinpoint areas of needed services. Fortunately, using this tool is a simple and straightforward process.

Instructions

Scoring the 18-item ASRS with Gray Shading

• 1

  Shade the correct answer boxes gray with a pencil if they are not already shaded gray on your sheet. For Part A, questions 1 through 3, shade the answers "Sometimes," "Often" and "Very Often" gray. For the rest of the questions in Part A, shade only answers "Often" and "Very Often" gray.

  For Part B's questions 9, 12, 16 and 18, shade the answers "Sometimes," "Often" and "Very Often" gray. For the rest of Part B's questions, shade only the answers "Often" and "Very Often" gray.

• 2

  Add the number of answers that the test subject marked in the areas shaded gray. Write the total number of Part A Xs next to the text "Part A" on your answer sheet, and write the total number of Part B Xs next to the text "Part B" on your answer sheet.

• 3

  Review the results. If Part A has four or more marks in the gray shaded areas, then the test subject's symptoms are highly consistent with adult ADHD and the diagnosis deserves further exploration. No total score or diagnosis is linked with the final 12 questions in this scoring method; they guide practitioners in understanding specifics of how ADHD may affect a person's life.

Scoring the 18-item ASRS with Numbering

• 4

  Scoring the 18-item ASRS takes only five to 10 minutes.

  Write numbers on your sheet if they are not already written. Assign the following numbers for frequency: 0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes; 3 = often and 4 = very often. You may write the numbers at the top of each column for reference.

• 5

  Add the numbers for each item marked based on the numbering system. If a client marked the box corresponding to "Very Often" for the first question, for example, then give a score of 4 for that question. Write the total for each section in the box provided for that section.

• 6

  Review the results. A score of 24 or higher on either Part A or Part B is indicative of ADHD in an adult. If a patient scores in the 17 to 23 range, then an ADHD diagnosis is still likely. A score of fewer than 17 means that ADHD is unlikely.