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Conners 4th Edition (Conners 4)
6 to 18 years, with self-report from 8 years
The Conners 4th Edition is a set of standardised rating scales used in the assessment of ADHD in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years, with a self-report form available from 8 years. It is also searched for as the Conners rating scale and the Conners ADHD test.
Rating scales gather structured information about how a young person functions across settings, from the people who see them in those settings. They are not a test the child sits.
Who completes the Conners 4?
There are three forms. A parent or caregiver completes one, a teacher completes another, and from 8 years the young person completes a self-report.
Collecting all three is the point. ADHD requires evidence that difficulties are present in more than one setting, and a child who is described very differently at home and at school is telling you something important either way. Where the reports diverge sharply, that discrepancy becomes part of what needs explaining.
What does it cover?
The Conners 4 covers inattention and executive dysfunction, hyperactivity, impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, depressed mood, anxious thoughts and problems with peers and family. It also includes DSM-5 symptom scales and impairment items.
It carries validity indices that flag inconsistent or unusually negative responding, which is a useful check when the stakes of an assessment are high.
Can the Conners 4 diagnose ADHD?
No. Elevated scores indicate that a young person is described as having significant difficulty with attention or activity relative to others their age. They do not establish why.
Anxiety, sleep deprivation, trauma, hearing difficulty, learning disorder and intellectual disability can all produce elevated inattention ratings. An ADHD assessment has to work through those alternatives, which is why rating scales sit alongside developmental history, school information, cognitive testing where indicated and clinical interview.
What does a full ADHD assessment involve at Ivy?
A clinical interview covering developmental, medical, educational and family history. Standardised rating scales from multiple informants. Cognitive assessment where the referral question calls for it. Review of school reports and any previous assessments. Consideration of co-occurring and alternative explanations. A feedback session and a written report with recommendations.
ADHD assessments are provided by Christopher Lim, Kerolos Saad, Francesca Mannucci and Lisa Khuong Monday to Friday, with Saturdays available on request, for children, adolescents and adults.
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This page is general information about an assessment instrument and is not clinical advice. Whether a particular assessment is appropriate depends on the individual and the question being asked.