Updated
Original VAYEMA symptom and impact self-check – not a validated scale
Attention and activity patterns
Answer the symptom statements below to see which experiences and areas of daily life you report as most affected. These are original VAYEMA questions, not a validated diagnostic scale. No clinical severity or probability score is calculated.
Answers are processed only in this page by this assessment. They are not submitted, monitored or automatically saved. No name, email or account is required. Use a private device and clear your answers when finished.
For adults aged 18 and over. This self-check cannot diagnose or rule out a condition. Concerns about a child require an age-appropriate professional assessment.
Thinking about the past four weeks, how well does each statement describe your experience?
Additional context – not included in any questionnaire score
These are original VAYEMA questions, not a diagnostic instrument or a validated severity scale. They summarise the experiences you select and do not predict a diagnosis or future harm. Background condition information; this source does not endorse this self-check.
What an ADHD assessment is trying to establish
The clinician explores whether there is a persistent developmental pattern of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity that causes meaningful difficulties. They also consider whether something else better explains the experience or occurs alongside it. The purpose is not to reward a convincing description or make everyone fit the same label. The NICE diagnostic recommendations include clinical and psychosocial assessment, developmental history and information from different sources.
You can arrive uncertain. A useful appointment allows the assessor to explain what they are asking, why it matters and what the evaluation can reasonably conclude. If the service needs another professional’s input, that should be made clear. An administrative discussion of fees or availability is separate from the clinical assessment itself.
A screening questionnaire is one source of information
Questionnaires can organise reported symptoms or help identify a need for further assessment. They do not independently establish ADHD. The clinician must consider duration, developmental onset, impairment, different settings and alternative explanations. A person can recognise many questionnaire statements during sleep deprivation or distress, so the meaning of the answers cannot be reduced to an online total.
This page does not reproduce a validated questionnaire. The interactive section is an original preparation worksheet with no cut-off or probability estimate. It cannot determine eligibility for medication or certify that a child needs a particular educational arrangement. The CDC diagnostic resource explains why the process draws on more than a single test. Bring formal results you already have, but do not keep retesting to obtain a preferred outcome.
Choose examples that show the practical effect
Examples are most useful when they connect an experience with its consequence. Rather than only saying concentration is poor, describe losing track of a conversation, missing a step in a familiar task or needing repeated reminders. Include how often this happens and what support is already involved. An approximate description can be useful without a minute-by-minute record.
Include situations that go well too. Someone may manage a structured activity but struggle when organising it independently. That contrast helps the assessor understand the task and context. It does not prove either that the person could manage everything by trying harder or that ADHD is definitely present. The understanding ADHD guide explains why symptoms are interpreted as a pattern.
Developmental history matters even in a later assessment
ADHD begins during development, so assessors ask about earlier experiences even when the appointment concerns current difficulties. Useful material might include school reports, previous assessments or memories of organisation, attention and behaviour. A childhood diagnosis is not required for the question to be explored later. The clinician should distinguish missing evidence from evidence that difficulties were absent.
Do not reconstruct a perfect childhood story or change uncertain memories to match a checklist. Mark estimates and gaps honestly. Family members may remember different aspects, and access to them may be limited or inappropriate. The NIMH assessment overview describes the role of history and other observations. Adult-specific preparation is covered separately in our adult ADHD assessment guide.
Understanding more than one setting
A clinician needs to know how difficulties appear across settings, such as home, education, employment and relationships. Different demands or levels of support can change what is visible. A person may receive help that prevents missed deadlines while still experiencing significant effort or disruption. Equally, a problem found only in one situation may suggest that the environment itself needs closer examination.
For children, information from caregivers and teachers may be useful under appropriate arrangements. Their reports should describe observations rather than substitute a diagnosis. An assessment also needs the child’s perspective in a form they can use. In adults, partners or others may contribute with agreement. Differences between reports are information to explore, not a reason to assume that one person must be dishonest.
Sleep, mood, health and learning need consideration
Poor sleep, anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms and physical-health problems can affect attention or activity. Learning and communication difficulties may change how a person responds to instructions. ADHD can coexist with these concerns, so the assessor should not force a choice between one explanation and every other need. The clinical task is to understand how they relate.
Mention current prescriptions, recent changes, supplements and substance use where relevant. Do not stop medication to make an assessment appear clearer unless the responsible clinician gives appropriate instructions. The sleep guide provides related background. A sudden severe change, confusion or another acute medical concern needs timely medical attention rather than waiting in a routine developmental-assessment pathway.
What tests may or may not be useful
A specialist may use structured interviews, rating scales or targeted tasks when these answer a particular assessment question. Tests of learning or cognitive skills may help identify additional needs. No isolated blood test, brain scan or attention task should be treated as a complete ADHD diagnosis. Ask what a proposed test adds and how its result will be interpreted alongside the history.
Digital tools have specific intended uses and age ranges; their presence does not make every assessment more accurate or appropriate. The NICE guidance describes selected uses within a wider clinical evaluation. A paid package containing many tests is not automatically better than a focused assessment. The assessor should explain what is needed rather than rely on the appearance of technical sophistication.
Make the appointment accessible
Tell the service about anything that helps you participate: written questions, breaks, a quieter room, an interpreter or someone to help recall information. You do not need to perform perfect eye contact, stillness or organisation to be heard. A short list of priorities may help when concentration is difficult. Ask what information is useful beforehand and what can be discussed during the appointment.
For a child or teenager, the process should match their developmental and communication needs. Consent, confidentiality and caregiver involvement need appropriate age-specific handling. VAYEMA must confirm relevant specialist expertise and available services rather than imply that a general adult consultation covers every child assessment. The NHS child and teenager resource explains the importance of an appropriate pathway.
What a useful assessment outcome includes
The conclusion should explain the evidence, the working diagnosis or alternative understanding, and any uncertainty. Ask for a practical account of the next steps, not only a label. Recommendations might include changes at home or work, educational support, psychological care, medication discussion or assessment of another condition. The reasons for each should be understandable.
The ADHD treatment guide explains the main options. Confirm who provides follow-up, what any additional costs cover and whether other professionals have agreed to participate. A diagnosis does not automatically secure a prescription from another doctor or an accommodation from an institution. The service should explain the scope and intended use of its report without guaranteeing decisions outside its control.
Using your notes after the conversation
Bring the questions that remain unanswered to the assessor. You may want to know which difficulties the diagnosis explains, which need another evaluation and what can help now. If the conclusion is uncertain, ask what further information would be useful and whether there is a review plan. Practical support should not disappear simply because one label was not confirmed.
The worksheet does not send information to VAYEMA, create an inquiry or alert a clinician. Any optional downloaded notes remain your responsibility to store privately. You can instead contact the assessment team about suitable professional input. Reading, preparation and screening are aids to access, not hurdles. Immediate danger or a serious acute change requires appropriate local urgent services rather than a result from this page.
Frequently asked questions about ADHD assessment and tests
Can an online ADHD test diagnose me?
No. Screening may identify questions worth exploring, but diagnosis requires developmental history, impairment, different settings and alternative explanations to be considered. The worksheet here is unscored and is not a validated screening instrument. It does not determine medication eligibility or the appropriate level of care.
Do I need school reports before requesting an assessment?
They can be helpful when available, but missing records should be discussed rather than treated as a reason not to ask. Explain what you remember and what is uncertain. The assessor can consider other evidence and describe any limits this places on the conclusion without asking you to invent detail.
Can someone else answer all the questions for me?
Other people can contribute observations with appropriate agreement, but their account is not interchangeable with your experience. For a child, age-appropriate caregiver and school information may be important. The clinician should identify whose perspective each report represents and consider differences rather than treating a proxy questionnaire as a diagnosis.
Will I have to stop my medication for the assessment?
Do not change prescribed treatment without instructions from the responsible clinician. Tell the assessor what you take and any recent changes. They can explain whether special preparation is needed for a particular test. A general website should not tell everyone to pause medicines before an appointment.
What happens if ADHD is not diagnosed?
The difficulties still deserve an explanation and appropriate support. Ask what else may account for them, what remains uncertain and which next step is recommended. A useful assessment does not end with a negative label alone or assume that the absence of ADHD means nothing needs attention.
Will completing these notes book an appointment?
No. Entries are not transmitted or monitored, and the worksheet does not contact the clinic. Use the separate assessment inquiry to discuss arrangements. You may attend without completed notes, and urgent concerns should be directed to an appropriate clinical or emergency service rather than entered into this tool.
Resources and references
[1] NICE NG87: ADHD diagnostic assessment