When ADHD stays with a person into adulthood, it usually contributes to larger personal and professional difficulties. The CAARS scales measure the presence and severity of ADHD symptoms so that you can determine whether or not ADHD is a contributing factor to a client's difficulties.
Suitable for clinical, research, rehabilitation and correctional settings, the CAARS scales quantitatively measure ADHD symptoms across clinically significant domains, while examining the manifestations of those symptoms.
The CAARS scales provide a multiple-informant assessment with self-report (CAARS-S) and observer ratings (CAARS-O). They address the same behaviours and contain identical scales, subscales, and indexes. Long, short, and screening versions are available for each (see below).
Normative data for the self-report forms were based on a sample of 1,026 nonclinical adults, while the normative data for the observer forms were based on ratings from spouses, family members, or friends of 943 nonclinical adults.
Separate norms are available by gender and age-group intervals (18-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50 years and older). Raw scores and T-scores are produced for each scale, subscale and index, and are plotted on profile forms. These forms are ideal for result presentation and to compare results over time.
Long Versions
The long self-report (CAARS-S:L) and observer (CAARS-O:L) assessments contain nine empirically derived scales that assess a broad range of problem behaviours. They include three DSM-IVTM DSymptom measures, a 12-item ADHD index, and an inconsistency index for identifying random or careless responding.
Short Versions
Designed to display key dimensions when time with respondents is limited, the short self-report (CAARS-S:S) and observer (CAARS-O:S) assessments comprise abbreviated versions of the factor-derived subscales that appear in the long versions. The ADHD Index and the Inconsistency Index are included as well.
Screening Versions
The CAARS screening versions (CAARS-S:SV and CAARS-O:SV) focus on DSM-IVTM criteria for quick ADHD identification. These versions include the same ADHD index of the long and short versions, as well as the DSM-IVTM ADHD Symptom Subscales.