Table of Contents
Instructions:
Next to each question mark how often the following applies to your child.
| Never | Occasionally | Often | Very Often | |
| Does not pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes, for example homework | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has difficulty attending to what needs to be done | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Does not follow through when given directions and fails to finish things | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Avoids, dislikes, or does not want to start tasks that require ongoing mental effort | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Loses things needed for tasks or activities (assignments, pencils, books) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is easily distracted by noises or other things | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is forgetful in daily activities | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Leaves seat when he is suppose to stay in his seat | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Runs about or climbs too much when he is suppose to stay seated | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has difficulty playing or starting quiet games | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor” | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Talks too much | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Burts out answers before questions have been completed | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has difficulty waiting his/her turn | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Never | Occasionally | Often | Very Often | |
| Interrupts or bothers others when they are talking or playing games | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Argues with adults | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Loses temper | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Actively disobeys or refuses to follow an adults’ requests or rules | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Bothers people on purpose | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehaviors | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is touchy or easily annoyed by others | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is angry or bitter | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is hateful and wants to get even | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Bullies, threatens, or scares others | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Starts physical fights | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Lies to get out of trouble or to avoid jobs (i.e., “cons” others) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Skips school without permission | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is physically unkind to people | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has stolen things that have value | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Destroys others’ property on purpose | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has used a weapon that can cause serious harm (bat, knife, brick, gun | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Is physically mean to animals | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has set fires on purpose to cause damage | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Has broken into someone else’s home, business, or car | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Never | Occasionally | Often | Very Often | |||||
| Has stayed out at night without permission | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Has run away from home overnight | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Has forced someone into sexual activity | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Is fearful, nervous, or worried | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Is afraid to try new things for fear of making mistakes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Feels useless or inferior | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Blames self for problems, feels at fault | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Feels lonely, unwanted, or unloved; complains that “no one loves | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Is sad or unhappy | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Feels different and easily embarrassed | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| Rate how your child is doing in school overall | ||||||||
|
||||||||
| Problem | Slight Problem | Average | Okay | Above Average | ||||
| How is your child doing in reading? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| How is your child doing in writing? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| How is your child doing in math? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| How does your child get along with you? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| How does your child get along with brothers and sisters? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| How does your child get along with others his/her own age? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| How does your child do in activities such as games or team play? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
Description
The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale is used to help in the diagnostic process of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children between the ages of 6 and 12. It has a total of 55 questions, includes all 18 of the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD and should be completed by a parent of the child. As well as identifying inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or combined subtypes of ADHD, it can also be used to identify symptoms of frequent comorbidities, including oppositional defiance, conduct disorder, anxiety and depression.
Validity and Reliability
Concurrent validity has been established through comparing parent rating with teacher ratings and those independently diagnosed with ADHD (Mark et al., 2003). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed four factors that fitted with the theoretical formulation of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, ODD-CD, and anxiety-depression subscales. Becker et al. (2011) reformulated the scoring method for the comorbid sub-scales by using the total sum of scores for each subscale and found that this method yielded greater clinical utility and more precise cutoff points. In this scoring system using the total sum of the subscales (rather than when a parents rates either 2 or 3 on the Likert scale), ODD is ruled out at <10, CD at <4 and Anxiety/Depression at <4.
Interpretation
Scores are presented for the three subtypes of ADHD: 1. Predominately Inattentive Subtype. A child meets the diagnostic criteria if they have six or more “Often” or “Very Often” on items 1 to 9, plus a performance problem (scores of 1 or 2) on questions 48 to 55. 2. Predominately Hyperactive/Impulsive Subtype. A child meets diagnostic criteria if they have six or more “Often” or “Very Often” on items 10 through 18, plus a performance problem (scores of 1 or 2) on questions 48 to 55. 3. Combined Subtype. A child meets the diagnostic criteria if they meet the above criteria for both Inattentive and Hyperactive/Impulsive subtypes. In addition the ADHD scales, scores are presented for frequently comorbid difficulties using Beck et al. (2011) scoring system. Children with scores below the clinical cutoff are highly unlikely to meet the diagnostic criteria for that disorder. Children above the cutoff on on the ODD, CD, Anxiety/Depression sub-scales should be further evaluated, as this scale is only designed as a cursory screening measure for such problems. – Inattentive Subtype = items 1 to 9 – Hyperactive/Impulsive Subtype = items 10 to 18 – Oppositional Defiant Disorder = items 19 to 26 – Conduct Disorder = items 27 to 40 – Anxiety/ Depression = items 41 to 47
Developer
Wolraich, M. L., Hannah, J. N., Baumgaertel, A., & Feurer, I. D. ( 1998). Examination of DSM-IV critieria for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a county-wide sample. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 19, 162– 168.
Number Of Questions
55
References
Wolraich, M, Lambert, W., Doffing, M., 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, Volume 28, Issue 8, 1, Pages 559–568
Becker, S. P., Langberg, J. M., Vaughn, A. J., & Epstein, J. N. (2012). Clinical utility of the Vanderbilt ADHD diagnostic parent rating scale comorbidity screening scales. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 33(3), 221.
Developer Reference:
Wolraich, M. L., Hannah, J. N., Baumgaertel, A., & Feurer, I. D. (1998). Examination of DSM-IV critieria for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a county- wide sample. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 19, 162– 168.