ADHD Questionnaire for Adults: A Practical Guide for Australians

ADHD questionnaire for adults: what it can and cannot tell you

A questionnaire shows patterns worth discussing, and that is all it is designed to do.

• ReachOut Australia states that ADHD cannot be diagnosed online or through an ADHD quiz (ReachOut Australia).
• The Guideline says rating scales can assist with diagnosis but should not be used alone (AADPA clinician factsheet).
• A questionnaire can help you put words to difficulties you have lived with for years and prepare for a GP visit.
• Treat any online result as a prompt for a conversation, not an answer.

ADHD screener for adults: tools clinicians use

The Australian ADHD Guideline names several adult screening tools, and positive screening should be followed by further assessment (AADPA).

Ask your GP which tool they use and what the next step is after it.

ADHD questionnaire for adults: reading the ADHD scoring scale

A score from a scale is one piece of information, not the whole story.

• Treat a high result as a reason to book a proper assessment, not as a label you have received.
• Treat a low result with care too; if difficulties are affecting your life, talk to your GP anyway.
• Remember that DSM-5 lists 9 inattentive and 9 hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, with 5 needed for people over 17 and 6 for children (Australian ADHD Guideline).
• Take your result and any notes to your GP rather than acting on it alone.
• Do not start, stop or change medicine because of a score; talk to your GP, psychiatrist or pharmacist.

TQN Care support workers help with personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). Tell us what you need and we will call you back.

ADHD screening test in Australia: how assessment works

Screening is only the first step; a full assessment follows if your GP agrees it is worthwhile.

1. 1Complete a screening questionnaire. Your GP or a clinician may ask you to fill in a screening tool and discuss it with you.
2. 2Gather childhood evidence. Adults need evidence that symptoms began in childhood, and healthdirect notes school reports may be requested (healthdirect).
3. 3Book a clinical interview. The Guideline notes a detailed interview may take between 2 and 3 hours (AADPA).
4. 4Show impact in two settings. AADPA’s checklist requires symptoms before age 12, for at least 6 months, and causing impairment in at least two settings.
5. 5Discuss next steps. Ask your clinician to explain the outcome and what happens next.

Our guides to how ADHD is tested, ADHD diagnosis in adults and online ADHD assessment by telehealth cover each stage in more detail.

ADHD questionnaire for kids and child ADHD questionnaires

Children are assessed by different clinicians, and the symptom threshold is different.

• healthdirect says children are usually diagnosed by a paediatrician or a child psychiatrist or psychologist.
• For children, 6 of the 9 symptoms in a group must be present to reach the diagnostic threshold under DSM-5.
• If you are looking for a child ADHD questionnaire PDF, ask your child’s clinician which form, if any, they want you to complete.
• Read our guide to the ADHD test for kids and Raising Children Network’s ADHD guide for children and teens.

ADHD parent questionnaire and adult observer questionnaire

Some rating scales and assessments ask for information from people who know you or your child well.

• A parent questionnaire asks a parent about what they see at home.
• An adult observer questionnaire is completed by a partner, family member or close friend who sees your daily habits.
• If your clinician asks for an observer form, ask them who should complete it.
• School reports may be requested, and older relatives may remember what you were like before age 12.
• Choose a person you trust, and tell them the answers are for a clinician, not for judging you.

If you want to try a free tool first, read about the free ADHD test for adults. If your difficulties seem closer to autism, see autism screening in Australia.

Screen time and ADHD

Some families wonder whether screens and attention difficulties are connected. A clinician looks at the whole picture.

• An ADHD diagnosis needs evidence of symptoms before age 12, present for at least 6 months and causing impairment in at least two settings.
• Keep a note of how much time is spent on screens and what the child or adult is doing, and share it with the clinician.
• Ask your GP or paediatrician if you are worried, rather than relying on online forums.

When to talk to a GP or specialist

You do not need a high score to see a GP. Call 000 in an emergency.

• Attention, organisation or restlessness is affecting work, study, relationships or daily routines.
• You recognise lifelong patterns from childhood that you want to understand.
• Your child is struggling at home or school and teachers have raised concerns.
• Low mood or anxiety is building; if you feel hopeless, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, and call 000 if anyone is in immediate danger.
• You are unsure which online tool to trust or what your result means.

TQN Care support workers help with personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne and surrounding areas (NSW & VIC). Tell us what you need and we will call you back.

Your next step

TQN Care provides personal care, community access, respite and help around the home across Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Wollongong and Geelong. Explore our NDIS services, then send a referral and we will talk through what could help. We support daily life, not diagnosis or treatment.