ADD Information::
Adult ADD Checklist

After printing this page, 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.

You have the option to print results.

O = Never, 1=Sometimes, 3= Often, 4= Always.
IMPORTANT: This is not a tool for self-diagnosis. Its purpose is simply to help you determine whether ADD may be a factor in the behavior of the person you are assessing using this checklist. An actual diagnosis can be made only by an experienced professional. If you need a referral to such a professional in your area, contact your local chapter of CH.A.D.D. (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder).
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
  1. _____ Short attention span, unless very interested in something

  2. _____ Easily distracted, tendency to drift away (although at times can be hyper focused)

  3. _____ Lacks attention to detail, due to distractibility

  4. _____ Trouble listening carefully to directions

  5. _____ Frequently misplaces things

  6. _____ Skips around while reading, or goes to the end first, trouble staying on track

  7. _____ Difficulty learning new games, because it is hard to stay on track during directions

  8. _____ Easily distracted during sex, causing frequent breaks or turnoffs during lovemaking

  9. _____ Poor listening skills

  10. _____ Tendency to be easily bored (tunes out)
Restlessness
  1. _____ Restlessness, constant motion, legs moving, fidgetiness

  2. _____ Has to be moving in order to think

  3. _____ 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.

  4. _____ An internal sense of anxiety or nervousness
Impulsiveness
  1. _____ Impulsive, in words and/or actions (spending)

  2. _____ Say just what comes to mind without considering its impact (tactless)

  3. _____ Trouble going through established channels, trouble following proper procedure, an attitude of "read the directions when all else fails"

  4. _____ Impatient, low frustration tolerance

  5. _____ A prisoner of the moment

  6. _____ Frequent traffic violations

  7. _____ Frequent, impulsive job changes

  8. _____ Tendency to embarrass others

  9. _____ Lying or stealing on impulse
Poor Organization
  1. _____ Poor organization and planning, trouble maintaining an organized work/living area

  2. _____ Chronically late or chronically in a hurry

  3. _____ Often have piles of stuff

  4. _____ Easily overwhelmed by tasks of daily living

  5. _____ Poor financial management (late bills, check book a mess, spending unnecessary money on late fees)

  6. _____ 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
  1. _____ Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started

  2. _____ Starting projects but not finishing them, poor follow through

  3. _____ Enthusiastic beginnings but poor endings

  4. _____ Spends excessive time at work because of inefficiencies

  5. _____ Inconsistent work performance
Negative Internal Feelings
  1. _____ Chronic sense of underachievement, feeling you should be much further along in your life than you are

  2. _____ Chronic problems with self-esteem

  3. _____ Sense of impending doom

  4. _____ Mood swings

  5. _____ Negativity

  6. _____ Frequent feeling of demoralization or that things won't work out for you
Relational Difficulties
  1. _____ Trouble sustaining friendships or intimate relationships, promiscuity

  2. _____ Trouble with intimacy

  3. _____ Tendency to be immature

  4. _____ Self-centered; immature interests

  5. _____ Failure to see others' needs or activities as important

  6. _____ Lack of talking in a relationship

  7. _____ Verbally abusive to others

  8. _____ Proneness to hysterical outburst

  9. _____ Avoids group activities

  10. _____ Trouble with authority
Short Fuse
  1. _____ Quick responses to slights that are real or imagined

  2. _____ Rage outbursts, short fuse
Frequent Search For High Stimulation
  1. _____ Frequent search for high stimulation (bungee jumping, gambling, race track, high stress jobs, ER doctors, doing many things at once, etc.)

  2. _____ Tendency to seek conflict, be argumentative or to start disagreements for the fun of it
Tendency To Get Stuck (thoughts or behaviors)
  1. _____ Tendency to worry needlessly and endlessly

  2. _____ Tendency toward addictions (food, alcohol, drugs, work)
Switches Things Around
  1. _____ Switches around numbers, letters or words

  2. _____ Turn words around in conversations
Writing/Fine Motor Coordination Difficulties
  1. _____ Poor writing skills (hard to get information from brain to pen)

  2. _____ Poor handwriting, often prints

  3. _____ Coordination difficulties
The Harder I Try The Worse It Gets
  1. _____ Performance becomes worse under pressure.

  2. _____ Test anxiety, or during tests your mind tends to go blank

  3. _____ The harder you try, the worse it gets

  4. _____ Work or schoolwork deteriorates under pressure

  5. _____ Tendency to turn off or become stuck when asked questions in social situations

  6. _____ Falls asleep or becomes tired while reading
Sleep/Wake Difficulties
  1. _____ Difficulties falling asleep, may be due to too many thoughts at night

  2. _____ Difficulty coming awake (may need coffee or other stimulant or activity before feeling fully awake)
Low Energy
  1. _____ Periods of low energy, especially early in the morning and in the afternoon

  2. _____ Frequently feeling tired
Sensitive To Noise Or Touch
  1. _____ Startles easily

  2. _____ 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: _______
Dr. Amen suggests: "More than 20 items with a score of three or more indicates a strong tendency toward ADD. Items 1, 6, and 7 are essential to make the diagnosis."

He further adds: "One of the most common ways I diagnose ADD in adults is when parents reluctantly tell me that they have tried their child's medication and that they found it very helpful. They report it helped them concentrate for longer periods of time. They became more organized and were less impulsive. Trying your child's medication is not something I recommend!"
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