Executive Function Questionnaire

Executive functions include staying focused, planning, managing time, organizing, remembering, and reasonably controlling emotional states.  A common cause of disorders of executive function is ADD, but there are other causes as well, including depression, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, sleep problems, anxiety, and others.  For this reason, simply adding up an individual's score on all the questions is not useful for making the diagnosis of ADD.  The main value of the questionnaire is to identify issues that are important to consider when carrying out an evaluation and, if repeat testing is done over time, helping to judge whether treatment is being effective.  That being said...

If...

it strongly suggests that the person has an executive function disorder and probably ADD.  However, cslinical judgment and experience are required to interpret the answers and make the proper diagnosis.

It would be wonderful if there were a questionnaire that gave a clear cut answer whether a person had ADD. However, for a variety of reasons, there is none presently available.  First of all, research has shown that all ADD questionnaire results are, at best, as reliable as the observations of the person who completed them.  Different people observing the same person with ADD in different circumstances might score the questionnaire differently.  A spouse of a person with ADD might give very different scores than would the person with ADD. 

Also, the questions and the scoring system are not as scientific as one might wish.   For example, the best single indicator of ADD is distractibility.  But for the questionnaire item, "I am easily distracted", exactly what does "easily" mean, and for that matter what does the respondent think "distracted" means?  Furthermore, with there currently being no reliable physical or chemical test for ADD, there is no way to be certain any questionnaire "made the right diagnosis."  However, a good questionnaire answered by a good observer will generally point in the right direction.

So... questionnaire test results should be regarded as one of many pieces of information that a clinician would consider in deciding whether a person has ADD and/or an executive function disorder.

That being said, AdultADD.info offers a set of questionnaires to clinicians to help them more quickly and rapidly evaluate patients who may have ADD.  The set includes a computerized questionnaire on the patient's symptoms, one on the patient's ADD related and psychiatric history, and one on the patient's medical history for help identifying the possible contraindications to treatment with ADD medication.  If you are a clinician and would like more information about the questionnaire, please send me an email, including your professional credentials and intended use of the questionnaires.   Click here to send your request.

 

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Scoring key
Answer how well each statement describes you when you don't use special aids or tricks you have developed to get around or compensate for difficulties you might have.  Score each answer as follows:

 

0 - doesn't describe me at all

 

1 - describes me somewhat

 

2 - describes me pretty well

 

3 - describes me very well

 

 

Score

INITIATION

 

I have trouble getting started doing things

 

I procrastinate

 

 

 

COMPLETION

 

I have trouble completing things

 

 

 

EXECUTION

 

I don't do tasks efficiently (good job in short time)

 

It is hard for me to do two or three tasks in a row.

 

I don't always do what needs to be done.

 

 

 

DISTRACTION

 

I am easily distracted by things I hear or see even when I am trying to concentrate

 

I get distracted by my own thoughts.  

 

 

PERSEVERANCE AND FOCUS

 

I don't stick to tasks that are optional

 

I can't stick to a task even if I have to

 

I often switch from doing one thing to another

 

 

 

INATTENTIVENESS

 

I don't pay attention when I should

 

I have trouble listening while others speak to me

 

I am absent minded

 

 

 

MEMORY

 

I have trouble remembering things I want to do

 

I get so deeply into one thing that I forget others

 

I have trouble with my short term memory

 

I lose or misplace things

 

 

 

TIME

 

I confuse appointment times

 

I forget appointments

 

I am often late for appointments

 

 

 

FUTURE AWARENESS AND PLANNING

 

I have trouble making plans long in advance

 

I let my gas tank needle get close to empty

 

I rarely get to trains at least 10 minutes early

 

 

 

ORGANIZATION

 

I get disorganized

 

My personal work area is messy

 

I put on my seat belt after the car has started moving

 

I don't prioritize or plan my day

 

I can't work well without structure or direction

 

I have difficulty taking command of my time.

 

I waste a lot of time doing nothing.

 

 

 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (HYPERACTIVITY)

 

I need to keep walking, moving around

 

I have trouble sitting still, I fidget

 

 

 

FRUSTRATION/IMPULSIVENESS

 

I get angry easily

 

I am easily frustrated

 

I get impatient easily

 

I interrupt when other people are talking

 

I am impulsive, do things without thinking

 

 

 

ANXIETY

 

I focus and concentrate better if I am somewhat anxious.

 

 

 

MULTI-TASKING (parallel)

 

I have trouble doing more than one thing at a time well

 

I often try to do more than one task at a time

 

I tend to make things more complicated than they need to be

 

 

 

MULTI-TASKING (serial)

 

I dislike tasks that require a long series of steps

 

 

 

SLEEP

 

I have trouble getting to sleep because my mind is going

 

 

 

UNCATEGORIZED

 

I get so deeply into one thing that I forget other things I have to do

 

I believe that there is usually a quick solutions to problems

 

 Copyright Marc Schwartz, MD, 2000-2007, New Haven, CT.  All rights reserved.
Version 2.34