Assessment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and problem behavior in youths.
Author: C. Keith Conners, PhD
An instrument that uses observer ratings and self-report ratings to help assess attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and evaluate problem behavior in children and adolescents.
Various CRS-R versions offer flexible administration options while also providing the ability tocollect varying perspectives on a child’s behavior from parents, teachers, caregivers, and the childor adolescent.
There are three versions—parent, teacher and adolescent self-report—all of which also have a short and long form available. In addition, there are three screening tools that offer the option of administering a 12-item ADHD Index or the 18-item DSM-IV® Symptom Checklist, or both. These instruments also offer versions for parents, teachers, and adolescents.
How to Use This Test
The CRS-R instruments are used for routine screenings in schools, mental health clinics, residentialtreatment centers, pediatric offices, juvenile detention facilities, child protective agencies, and outpatient settings. The test can help:
- Measure hyperactivity in children and adolescents through routine screening
- Provide a perspective of the child’s behavior from those who interact with the child on a daily basis
- Establish a base point prior to beginning therapy and monitor treatment effectiveness andchanges over time
- Provide valuable structured and normed information to further support conclusions, diagnoses,and treatment decisions when the parent, teacher, and self-report scales are combined
Key Features
Based on the original Conners’ Rating Scales, the CRS-R has many advantages, including:
- A large normative database to help support the instrument’s reliability and validity
- Multidimensional scales that help assess ADHD and comorbid disorders with links to DSM-IVdiagnostic categories
- Teacher, parent, and self-report scales in long and short formats
- Applicability to managed care situations through the quantification and measurement of a variety of behavior problems
| Administer To |
Parents and teachers of children and adolescents ages 3–17 and adolescent self-report ages 12–17 |
| Reading Level |
6th–9th grade (varieswith version) |
| Completion Time |
Long Version: 15–20minutes, Short Version: 5–10 minutes |
| Formats |
Paper-and-pencil |
| Scoring Options |
Hand Scoring |
| Scales |
See below |
| Norms |
8,000+ children and adolescents, males and females ages 3 to 17 |
Conners’ Parent Rating Scales Revised
Long Version (CPRS-R:L)
The CPRS-R:L contains 80 items. It’s typically used with parents or caregivers when comprehensiveinformation and DSM-IV consideration are required.
Scales include:
- Oppositional
- Cognitive Problems/Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Anxious-Shy
- Perfectionism
- Social Problems
- Psychosomatic
- Conners’ Global Index
- DSM-IV Symptom Subscales
- ADHD Index
The CPRS-R:L also includes a Treatment Progress ColorPlot™ Form for proper age and genderprofiling of scale scores.
Short Version (CPRS-R:S)
The CPRS-R:S contains 27 items and covers a subset of the subscales and items on the long parent form. Scales include:
- Oppositional
- Cognitive Problems/Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- ADHD Index
Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales Revised
Long Version (CTRS-R:L)
The CTRS-R:L is typically used with teachers who have time to complete the long form and whenextensive information and DSM-IV consideration are required. This scale has 59 items. Scales include:
- Oppositional
- Cognitive Problems/Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Anxious-Shy
- Perfectionism
- Social Problems
- Conners’ Global Index
- ADHD Index
- DSM-IV Symptom Subscale
The CTRS-R:L also includes a Treatment Progress ColorPlot™ Form for proper age and gender profiling of scale scores.
Short Version (CTRS-R:S)
The short QuikScore™ form for teachers contains 28 items. The scale should be used when time isof the essence and when multiple administrations over time are desired. Scales include:
- Oppositional
- Cognitive Problems/Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- ADHD Index
Conners-Wells’ Adolescent Self-Report Scale
Long Form (CASS:L)
The CASS:L contains 87 items and is appropriate for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17.Typically used with adolescents when extensive information and DSM-IV consideration are required.Scales include:
- Family Problems
- Emotional Problems
- Conduct Problems
- Cognitive Problems/Inattention
- Anger Control Problems
- Hyperactivity
- ADHD Index
- DSM-IV Symptom Subscales
The CASS:L also includes a Treatment Progress ColorPlot Form for proper age and gender profiling of scale scores.
Short Form (CASS:S)
The CASS:S contains 27 items and is designed for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. Scales include:
- Conduct Problems
- Cognitive Problems/Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- ADHD Index
Conners’ ADHD/DSM-IV Scales
Parent (CADS-P)
The CADS-P contains 26 items and features the option of having parents complete both or just oneof the two subcomponents. The 26-item form includes the ADHD Index items and DSM-IV Symptom Subscale. The form allows the clinician to indicate whether the respondent should complete one or both subscales.
Teacher (CADS-T)
The QuikScore form for this scale has been constructed like the CADS-P to allow for the optional administration of the subcomponents.
Although this scale contains 27 items, teachers can complete just 12 items or just 18 items.
Adolescent (CADS-A)
This scale consists of 30 items and elicits meaningful results whether just a subcomponent or the entire scale is administered.
Subscales for CADS-P, CADS-T, CADS-A:
- ADHD Index (12 items)
- DSM-IV® Symptom Subscales (18 items)
- DSM-IV Inattentive (9 items)
- DSM-IV Hyperactive-Impulse (9 items)
Results
When the profile forms are completed, an easy-to-interpret graphical display of the results isproduced to help present results to parents, teachers, or other relevant parties.
Feedback forms enable the practitioner to summarize the scores for the child or adolescent in broad terms. Intervention suggestions and advice are also included.
Norms were based on a sample of 8000+ children and adolescents, males and females ages 3 to 17. Minority group samples were represented. Standardized data were based on the means and standarddeviations for groups of children with ADHD and children without psychological problems.