Skip to main content

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 over 3 months ago

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.

Did this answer your question?