The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale is one of the most widely used instruments for assessing ADHD in children, and its defining feature is that it is completed twice — once by a parent and once by a teacher. That dual-report design is not a convenience; it is the instrument's core validity check, because DSM-5 requires symptoms to be present in more than one setting before ADHD can be diagnosed.
What the scale measures
The parent and teacher forms each contain the eighteen DSM-5 symptom items, split into a nine-item inattention subscale and a nine-item hyperactivity-impulsivity subscale. Each item is rated on a four-point frequency scale from never to very often. The forms also include an eight-item performance section covering academic and classroom behaviour, and a screen for common comorbidities — oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression.
Interpreting the scores
A subscale is positive when at least six of its nine items are rated often or very often. Six or more on inattention alone suggests the predominantly inattentive presentation; six or more on hyperactivity-impulsivity alone suggests the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation; six or more on both suggests the combined presentation. The performance section is scored separately and flags functional impairment, which is required for a diagnosis. Comorbidity screens that exceed their cutoffs point toward a coexisting condition that may need its own assessment.
Why the teacher form matters
Parent-only reports can reflect the home environment, while teacher reports capture the sustained attention and behavioural demands of a classroom. When the two reports disagree, the discrepancy itself is clinically useful: a child who is symptomatic only at home may have a situational or family issue rather than ADHD, and a child who is symptomatic only at school may be struggling with a specific academic or social demand. The Vanderbilt is a screening and monitoring tool, not a diagnostic test, and a positive screen should lead to a full clinical evaluation.
Source and disclaimer
Source: Wolraich ML et al., Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent and Teacher Rating Scales, developed at Vanderbilt University; aligned with DSM-5 criteria. Educational use only — diagnosis of ADHD requires a comprehensive clinical assessment and is not made from a rating scale alone.