Assessment of Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A comparative evaluation of five, commonly used, published rating scales

Abstract

AbstractADHD is one of the most common referrals to school psychologists and child mental health providers. Although a best practice assessment of ADHD requires more than the use of rating scales, rating scales are one of the primary components in the assessment of ADHD. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to provide the reader with a critical and comparative evaluation of the five most commonly used, narrow‐band, published rating scales for the assessment of ADHD. Reviews were conducted in four main areas: content and use, standardization sample and norms, scores and interpretation, and psychometric properties. It was concluded the rating scales with the strongest standardization samples and evidence for reliability and validity are the ADDES, the ADHD‐IV, and the CRS‐R. In determining which of these to use, the prospective users may want to reflect on their goals for the assessment. The ACTeRS and the ADHDT are not recommended for use because they are lacking crucial information in their manuals and have less well‐documented evidence of reliability and validity. Conclusions and recommendations for scale usage are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 341–361, 2003.