What is the Vanderbilt Assessment for ADHD?

What is the Vanderbilt Assessment (VADRS)?

The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) is a psychological screening tool that was created to measure symptoms in children ages six to 12. There are two versions of the assessment available:

1. Vanderbilt ADHD Parent Rating Scale (VADPRS), primary version for parents with 55 questions 
2. Vanderbilt ADHD Teacher Rating Scale (VADTRS), another version for teacher with 43 questions.

Each of these assessments also have a shorter follow-up version for both parents and teachers to assess the child’s progress after treatment or intervention has begun. 

Since its creation in 2003, the VADRS has been used to help parents, teachers, and providers identify core symptoms of ADHD. The model specifically aims to identify symptoms that align with standard diagnostic criteria. 

Today, it’s recommended as a diagnostic tool by the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) and the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

What does the Vanderbilt assessment test for?

The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) is used to assess ADHD symptoms and their impact on a child’s behavior and academic performance. It also evaluates other conditions often co-occurring with ADHD. The assessment contains subscales for different disorders and uses a four-point scale to rate the severity of symptoms:

• ADHD inattentive type
• ADHD hyperactive/impulsive type
• ADHD combined type
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Conduct disorder
• Anxiety/depression

Parent Version

The VADPRS includes 55 items that align with diagnostic criteria for ADHD and the disorders listed above. It typically takes about 10 minutes to complete the assessment. Parents read each question and rate the severity of each behavior or symptom over the past six-month period using a four-point scale:

• 0 – Never
• 1 – Occasionally
• 2 – Often
• 3 – Very Often

Once all 55 items have been answered, scores are tallied and compared to the scale’s guidelines. The results offer parents, teachers, and mental health professionals guidance on whether the criteria for inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or combined subtypes of ADHD are met. 

The screening also helps providers identify other concerns; certain scores for items associated with other conditions can indicate that a more thorough assessment of these areas is needed. 

The parent version of the VADRS includes 55 items across these subscales. Parents rate each behavior or symptom over the past six months using a four-point scale: 0 (Never), 1 (Occasionally), 2 (Often), and 3 (Very Often). The scoring criteria for the subscales are:

The assessment typically takes about 10 minutes to complete and provides guidance on whether further evaluation is necessary.

Teacher Version

The teacher version of the VADRS include 43 questions with 5 subscales and focuses on the child’s behavior in academic settings. Teachers rate behaviors on the same four-point scale, with a score of 1 or 2 on any performance-related items indicating potential impairment. The scoring criteria for the subscales is similar to the parent one:

Rating scale used:

• 0 – Never
• 1 – Occasionally
• 2 – Often
• 3 – Very often

The 5 subscales focused in this version are:

• ADHD inattentive type
• ADHD hyperactive/impulsive type
• ADHD combined type
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Anxiety/depression

NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scale

The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) utilizes Vanderbilt assessment scales to support providers aiming to diagnose ADHD in children. Along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, NICHQ has created an adapted version of the scale to serve as a resource for mental health professionals.

Parents can rank their child’s experiences with ADHD-related symptoms like:

• Having difficulty organizing tasks or activities
• Talking too much or interrupting others
• Losing things necessary for everyday tasks or activities
• Having trouble paying attention to things that need to be done
• Having difficulty waiting one’s turn

Meanwhile, they’ll also consider symptoms related to other comorbid conditions, such as:

• Actively defying or refusing to comply with adults’ requests or rules
• Bullying, threatening, or starting fights with others
• Feeling angry or resentful
• Feeling lonely, unloved, or unwanted
• Frequently feeling worried, anxious, or fearful

Finally, the final section of the scale will ask parents to evaluate their child’s performance, including their:

• Overall school performance
• Relationships with friends, parents, and siblings
• Performance in specific subjects (reading, writing, etc.)

VADRS Assessment Scoring & Interpretation

With all items on the scale filled out, parents and teachers can share their findings with mental health providers. Scoring for the VADRS is based on pre-established rules, since certain questions or items are associated with certain diagnostic criteria.

For instance, to meet the criteria for ADHD diagnoses, children evaluated by the VADRS must have six positive responses to either the core nine inattentive-subtype ADHD symptoms, core nine hyperactive symptoms, or both. 

The final section of any version of the Vanderbilt assessment asks respondents to rate a child’s performance and interactions. Children who have at least one score in this section that is a 5 (representing “problematic” performance) or two scores that are at least 4 may meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD, as these scores demonstrate impairment in learning and development. 

How can providers use the Vanderbilt Assessment for ADHD?

Over the past few decades, the VADRS has been proven to be reliable, easy to administer, and consistent. Its ability to highlight issues that may otherwise go unidentified–such as anxiety or depression–further boosts its value as a diagnostic tool. Overall, it helps providers quickly and accurately address areas of need.

Virtually any clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, or neurologist working with children can leverage the VADRS alongside other assessments to inform their diagnoses. The Vanderbilt assessment scales can also be used to measure a child’s progress and quality of life at different benchmarks in the treatment process. 

Administering the VADRS for ADHD with Linear Health

Behavioral healthcare professionals using Linear Health can include a digital version of the VADRS in their clinical assessment regimen. Simplify the process of getting to know new patients with digital clinical assessments that can be completed in minutes, whether you’re in the office or not. 

Linear Health is a patient communication and engagement platform designed to support better health outcomes through meaningful interactions between patients and providers. 

Making the switch to digital assessments also allows you to automate and save time. Providers can calculate scores instantly, compare different versions of patient reports to track changes, and quickly access past information to shape their care decisions. 

Everyone involved in the care process benefits from a standardized method for measuring symptoms. Our mission is to help you save time, energy, and effort so that you can focus on what matters most: connecting with and providing top-quality care to patients. 

Ready to get started? Reach out to us today to learn more about how our platform and solutions can help you.