DSM 5 ADHD Checklist

DSM-5 Checklist for ADHD

The DSM-5 or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, is a list of guidelines by the American Psychiatric Association filled with patterns of behaviors indicative of ADHD. On the DSM-5 document or checklist, practitioners can identify whether or not the patient has ADHD symptoms. And if they do, the DSM-5 checklist for ADHD can aid them in determining which of the symptoms they have, how long they may have been experiencing the symptoms, and how much they’ve been interfering with the patient’s life. The DSM-5 is an effective tool that greatly assists healthcare practitioners in diagnosing individuals with ADHD.

Clinical Information and Criteria 

Clinical Information

• ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is a chronic condition that affects an individual’s emotions, behaviors, and ability to learn new things. Most of the time, ADHD affects children, but adolescents and adults may be diagnosed with ADHD late into life as well. Symptoms and their impact may also vary from person to person. 
• There are three types of ADHD: Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combination. The inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive types have their own set of symptoms that are exclusive to the specific type. Meanwhile, a combination is a mix of the symptoms from the first two types. 
• Symptoms of the inattentive type are: making careless mistakes because of failure to pay attention, having difficulty sustaining attention, having poor listening skills, having organization difficulties, disliking active/tasks that require concentration, being easily distracted, and often forgetting daily activities. 
• On the other hand, symptoms of the hyperactive-impulsive type are squirming when seated, running/climbing/leaving during inappropriate situations, talking excessively, interrupting others, blurting out answers before completion of question, and having difficulty quietly engaging in leisurely activities. 
• Both doctors and researchers have yet to discover the exact cause of ADHD. However, they believe genetics, reduced dopamine levels, or a unique brain structure may play a role. 
• To diagnose ADHD, a practitioner may interview people who interact with the patient often, conduct psychological tests, and check the patient’s ADHD symptoms with scales and questionnaires. 

DSM-5 ADHD Criteria

• A scale or guideline that a practitioner may use is the ADHD DSM-5 criteria. 
• The guideline contains a list of ADHD symptoms classified according to type. 
• To be diagnosed with a specific type, children must exhibit 6 or more symptoms under each type or both, and adults must exhibit 5 or more symptoms under each type or both. 

Aside from those, they must also meet more than 4 of the additional criteria presented at the end of the document.

DSM 5 Checklist Example

Aside from providing you with a template you can use, we also created a DSM-5 ADHD checklist PDF sample wherein the fictional client is a child with a combined ADHD type. We’ve provided this example as a reference or for educational purposes. 

View our example or download the PDF version for free by clicking the “Download Example PDF” button. 

Download this DSM 5 ADHD Criteria Checklist Example:

What ICD Codes do you use for ADHD?

Below is a list of ICD Codes you, as a practitioner, use for an ADHD diagnosis:

F90.0: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, predominantly inattentive type

• This code can be used when the patient exhibits more symptoms of the inattentive type than the hyperactive-impulsive type, and it has been confirmed with several tests that the patient has inattentive type ADHD. 

F90.1: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, predominantly hyperactive type

• This code can be used when the patient exhibits more symptoms of the hyperactive-impulsive type than the inattentive type, and it has been confirmed with several tests that the patient has hyperactive type ADHD. 

F90.2: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type 

• This code can be used when the patient exhibits symptoms of both the inattentive and hyperactive types, and it has been confirmed with several tests that the patient has the combined type of ADHD.

F90.8: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, other type

• This code can be used when the patient is exhibiting symptoms of ADHD, but it cannot be categorized under any of the first three types. 

F90.9: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, unspecified type

• This code is used when the clinical information is unknown or unavailable. 

What resources can you use for patients diagnosed with ADHD?

Aside from using the Carepatron app in your practice, we also have ADHD resources that you can benefit from, such as the following:

Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale

• The healthcare professional can use this resource to check if the patient that comes to a therapy session and shares concerns or experiences presents indications of ADHD.
• The template provided is similar to the DSM-5 ADHD checklist, wherein the practitioner checks if the patient is experiencing ADHD symptoms. 

ADHD Worksheets

• Healthcare professionals can use this resource. However, it is specifically designed for psychologists. 
• The template provided is divided into three sections. One is for identifying ADHD symptoms. Another is for identifying triggers that may aggravate the symptoms. And the last one is for developing coping strategies. 

ADHD Treatment Plans

• Healthcare professionals can use this resource to formulate a treatment plan. 
• The template provided includes sections for developing goals, interventions, and a management plan. Also included are boxes to add patient information, additional clinician notes, and a sign-off signature. 

Since we are constantly creating resources for ADHD to help you and fellow medical practitioners, keep an eye out for more available in our template library.