General
Adult ADD Symptom Checklist
IMPORTANT:
This checklist is not substitution for a professional diagnosis.
Its
purpose is simply to increase awareness of whether ADD may be a factor in the
behavior of the person being assessed with this checklist.
Only
an experienced professional can make an actual diagnosis.
I
use the following general adult ADD checklist in my office to help diagnose
ADD.
No
adult with ADD has all of the symptoms, but if you notice a strong presence
(score of 3 or more) on more than 20 of these symptoms, there is a strong
suspicion for it.
Please read this list of
behaviors and rate yourself (or the person who has asked you to rate him or
her) on each behavior listed. Use the following scale and place the appropriate
number next to the item.
0 = never 1 = rarely 2 = occasionally 3
= frequently 4 =
very frequently
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Past
History 1. History of
ADD symptoms in childhood, such as distractibility, short attention span,
impulsivity or restlessness. ADD doesn't start at age 30. 2. History of
not living up to potential in school or work (report cards with comments such
as "not living up to potential") 3.
History
of frequent behavior problems in school (mostly for males) 4.
History
of bed wetting past age 5 5.
Family
history of ADD, learning problems, mood disorders or substance abuse problems
Short
Attention Span/Distractibility 6.
Short
attention span, unless very interested in something 7.
Easily
distracted, tendency to drift away (although at times can be hyper focused) 8.
Lacks
attention to detail, due to distractibility 9.
Trouble
listening carefully to directions 10.
Frequently
misplaces things 11.
Skips
around while reading, or goes to the end first, trouble staying on track 12.
Difficulty
learning new games, because it is hard to stay on track during directions 13.
Easily
distracted during sex, causing frequent breaks or turn-offs during lovemaking
14.
Poor
listening skills 15.
Tendency
to be easily bored (tunes out) Restlessness 16.
Restlessness,
constant motion, legs moving, fidgetiness 17.
Has
to be moving in order to think 18.
Trouble
sitting still, such as trouble sitting in one place for too long, sitting at
a desk job for long periods, sitting through a movie or a talk 19.
An
internal sense of anxiety or nervousness Impulsivity 20.
Impulsive,
in words and/or actions (spending) 21.
Say
just what comes to mind without considering its impact (tactless) 22.
Trouble
going through established channels, trouble following proper procedure, an
attitude of "read the directions when all else fails" 23.
Impatient,
low frustration tolerance 24.
A
prisoner of the moment 25.
Frequent
traffic violations 26.
Frequent,
impulsive job changes 27.
Tendency
to embarrass others 28.
Lying
or stealing on impulse Poor
Organization 29.
Poor
organization and planning, trouble maintaining an organized work/living area 30.
Chronically
late or chronically in a hurry 31.
Often
have piles of stuff 32.
Easily
overwhelmed by tasks of daily living 33.
Poor
financial management (late bills, check book a mess, spending unnecessary
money on late fees) 34.
Some
adults with ADD are very successful, but often only if they are surrounded
with people who organize them. Problems
Getting Started and Following Through 35.
Chronic
procrastination or trouble getting started 36.
Starting
projects but not finishing them, poor follow through 37.
Enthusiastic
beginnings but poor endings 38.
Spends
excessive time at work because of inefficiencies 39.
Inconsistent
work performance Negative
Internal Feelings 40.
Chronic
sense of underachievement, feeling you should be much further along in your
life than you are 41.
Chronic
problems with self-esteem 42.
Sense
of impending doom 43.
Mood
swings 44.
Negativity 45.
Frequent
feeling of demoralization or that things won't work out for you Relational
Difficulties 46.
Trouble
sustaining friendships or intimate relationships, promiscuity 47.
Trouble
with intimacy 48.
Tendency
to be immature 49.
Self-centered;
immature interests 50.
Failure
to see others' needs or activities as important 51.
Lack
of talking in a relationship 52.
Verbally
abusive to others 53.
Proneness
to hysterical outburst 54.
Avoids
group activities 55.
Trouble
with authority Short
Fuse 56.
Quick
responses to slights that are real or imagined 57.
Rage
outbursts, short fuse Frequent
Search For High Stimulation 58.
Frequent
search for high stimulation (bungee jumping, gambling, race track, high
stress jobs, ER doctors, doing many things at once, etc.) 59.
Tendency
to seek conflict, be argumentative or to start disagreements for the fun of
it Tendency
To Get Stuck (thoughts or behaviors) 60.
Tendency
to worry needlessly and endlessly 61.
Tendency
toward addictions (food, alcohol, drugs, work) Switches
Things Around 62.
Switches
around numbers, letters or words 63.
Turn
words around in conversations Writing/Fine
Motor Coordination Difficulties 64.
Poor
writing skills (hard to get information from brain to pen) 65.
Poor
handwriting, often prints 66.
Coordination
difficulties The
Harder I Try The Worse It Gets 67.
Performance
becomes worse under pressure. 68.
Test
anxiety, or during tests your mind tends to go blank 69.
The
harder you try, the worse it gets 70.
Work
or schoolwork deteriorates under pressure 71.
Tendency
to turn off or become stuck when asked questions in social situations 72.
Falls
asleep or becomes tired while reading Sleep/Wake
Difficulties 73.
Difficulties
falling asleep, may be due to too many thoughts at night 74.
Difficulty
coming awake (may need coffee or other stimulant or activity before feeling
fully awake) Low
Energy 75.
Periods
of low energy, especially early in the morning and in the afternoon 76.
Frequently
feeling tired Sensitive
To Noise Or Touch 77.
Startles
easily 78.
Sensitive
to touch, clothes, noise and light
When you have completed
the above checklist, calculate the following: 1.
Total Score:
_______ 2.
Total Number
of Items with a score of three (3)
or more: _______ 3.
Score for
Item #1: _______ 4.
Score for
Item #6: _______ 5.
Score for
Item #7: _______ Items 1, 6, and 7 are more indicative of people
with ADD. |
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