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What is the ASRS — and what does it tell us about ADHD?

The ASRS screens for adult ADHD. Here’s how we use it, what your score means, and what happens next.

Updated this week

Struggling to finish tasks, stay organized, or remember what you walked into the room for?

It might not just be “distraction” — it could be executive dysfunction tied to attention regulation.
The ASRS is a widely used screening tool to explore whether ADHD might be part of the picture.


🧠 What is the ASRS?

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) is a 6-question tool developed by the World Health Organization.
It asks how often you experience symptoms related to:

  • Focus and attention

  • Impulsivity

  • Memory lapses

  • Restlessness

  • Task initiation and completion

Each item is rated from:

  • 0 = Never

  • 1 = Rarely

  • 2 = Sometimes

  • 3 = Often

  • 4 = Very often


🧾 What the score means:

There’s no “positive” or “negative” diagnosis from this tool alone.
But if 4 or more answers fall into the "often" or "very often" range, it may suggest clinically significant ADHD symptoms — and a reason to explore further.


🧩 What we do with the results:

ADHD symptoms can overlap with:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Burnout

  • Trauma history

  • Thyroid or metabolic imbalances

  • Sleep deprivation

  • Medication side effects

That’s why we use your ASRS score as a starting point — not a conclusion.

We ask:

  • How these symptoms show up in your life

  • When they began

  • What your environment, workload, or stress load looks like

  • What’s helped or hurt in the past

Then we tailor a workup and plan that fits you — not just the checklist.


🧠 If ADHD seems likely:

We may suggest:

  • Further validated questionnaires or partner/collateral input

  • Labs (e.g., thyroid, ferritin, B12, glucose, hormones)

  • Coaching, executive function strategies, or therapy

  • Medication options (stimulant or non-stimulant, when appropriate)

  • Nutrition and sleep strategies for focus regulation

  • Supplements like omega-3s, L-tyrosine, Rhodiola, magnesium (based on context)


🧠 If ADHD seems unlikely:

We don’t stop there — we help you explore:

  • Whether your focus issues are situational or system-based

  • Whether unresolved burnout, grief, trauma, or fatigue are in play

  • What supports your focus — and what pulls you off-track


💡 Bottom line:

The ASRS is not a label. It’s a flashlight.
It helps us explore what’s happening in your brain and build a care plan that meets you where you are — whether that includes ADHD or not.

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