Vanderbilt parent and teacher assessment scales
The NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scales are used for children aged 6 to 12 being assessed for ADHD. The initial parent scale has 55 items and the teacher scale has 43, with separate symptom and performance sections.
NICHQ provides the 2002 first edition as a free download, while the American Academy of Pediatrics sells the 2019 third edition. Check the applicable publisher's terms before your practice builds either edition online.
Last updated
- Age range 6 to 12 years
- Parent scale 55 items
- Teacher scale 43 items
- Symptoms 0-3; positive 2 or 3
- Performance 1-5; problem 4 or 5
- Licence Check NICHQ and AAP terms
What are the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales and who publishes them?
The NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scales are used for children aged 6 to 12 being assessed for ADHD. NICHQ provides the 2002 first edition, and the American Academy of Pediatrics sells the 2019 third edition.
The parent scale has 55 items and the teacher scale has 43. Each has symptom and performance sections with respondent-specific rating and screening rules.
Shorter follow-up versions cover the first 18 symptoms, performance items and a medication side-effect scale. Obtain the applicable edition and scoring instructions before configuration.
What do the Vanderbilt Assessment Scale items cover?
Vanderbilt items cover symptom groups and performance reported by a parent or teacher. Item ranges and rating scales differ between the two sections.
- Items 1 to 9 on both scales cover inattentive symptoms.
- Items 10 to 18 on both scales cover hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.
- Parent items 19 to 26 cover oppositional-defiant screening, 27 to 40 cover conduct and 41 to 47 cover anxiety or depression.
- Teacher items 19 to 28 cover oppositional-defiant or conduct screening, and 29 to 35 cover anxiety or depression.
- Parent performance items are 48 to 55, while teacher performance items are 36 to 43.
How are the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales scored?
Vanderbilt symptom items use ratings from 0 to 3, and 2 or 3 counts as positive. Performance items use 1 to 5, with 4 or 5 marking a problem. Every first-edition rule below also requires 4 or 5 on any performance item: 48 to 55 for parents and 36 to 43 for teachers.
| Scale | Screen | Required positive symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Parent | Predominantly inattentive | 6 of 9 on items 1 to 9 |
| Parent | Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive | 6 of 9 on items 10 to 18 |
| Parent | Combined | Both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive rules |
| Parent | Oppositional-defiant | 4 of 8 on items 19 to 26 |
| Parent | Conduct | 3 of 14 on items 27 to 40 |
| Parent | Anxiety or depression | 3 of 7 on items 41 to 47 |
| Teacher | Inattentive | 6 of 9 on items 1 to 9 |
| Teacher | Hyperactive-impulsive | 6 of 9 on items 10 to 18 |
| Teacher | Combined | Both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive rules |
| Teacher | Oppositional-defiant or conduct | 3 of 10 on items 19 to 28 |
| Teacher | Anxiety or depression | 3 of 7 on items 29 to 35 |
A score is a screening result and not a diagnosis. The practice's clinical lead decides which cut point the practice uses and what staff do with a result. The scoring instructions say the scales should not be used alone to make any diagnosis, and information from multiple sources must be considered.
Who owns the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales and what are their terms?
The first and third Vanderbilt editions have different distribution channels and terms. Check NICHQ's terms for the first edition and the American Academy of Pediatrics' terms for the third before putting either online.
The NICHQ Vanderbilt page offers the 2002 first edition free. The practice must still review NICHQ's current terms for online use.
The American Academy of Pediatrics sells the 2019 third edition. Obtain its authorized wording and confirm the AAP's terms for electronic use rather than mixing editions.
How do you build the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales in Intake Pro?
Build separate parent and teacher forms from the authorized edition. Configure symptom groups and performance scoring, then obtain clinical review before delivery.
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Choose an edition and confirm terms
Get authorized wording from NICHQ or the AAP and confirm its terms for online use.
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Build parent and teacher forms
Use matrices in the form builder for shared choices, preserving each respondent's item order and sections.
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Configure weights and subscales
Use scored assessments for weights and subscales. Count symptom ratings 2 and 3 as positive and performance ratings 4 and 5 as problems.
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Enter rules and labels
Configure respondent-specific groups and labelled bands, including both parts of every combined rule.
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Review and test
Obtain clinical approval. Test known answers at every threshold and check the required performance problem.
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Publish both reviewed forms
Publish after scoring tests pass. Later edits leave earlier signed submissions unchanged.
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Send to each respondent
Use an intake packet for parent documents, private links for respondents or the kiosk for parent completion.
When does a practice send the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales and who reviews them?
The clinical lead decides when parent and teacher Vanderbilt forms belong in an assessment workflow and who reviews them. Front-desk staff coordinate delivery to the assigned respondents.
A parent can complete the form before a visit or at check-in, while the practice sends the teacher form to its respondent. Staff route both submissions to the assigned reviewer.
The scoring instructions require multiple information sources and say the scales should not alone make any diagnosis. Intake Pro keeps scoring with signed responses; it does not alert staff, interpret results or provide clinical decision support. Staff retrieve signed records for the chart process.
See pediatric intake forms for surrounding documents or the M-CHAT-R guide for toddler screening. Patient form templates compares permissions, and intake forms covers packets.
Questions
How many items are on the Vanderbilt parent and teacher scales?
The parent scale has 55 items, and the teacher scale has 43. Each has symptom and performance sections, with respondent-specific screening rules and performance item numbers.
Which Vanderbilt ratings count as positive or as a problem?
A symptom rating of 2 or 3 counts as positive on the 0 to 3 scale. A performance rating of 4 or 5 marks a problem on the 1 to 5 scale. Each rule combines these results.
What do the shorter Vanderbilt follow-up versions cover?
The shorter parent and teacher versions cover the first 18 symptoms, performance items and a medication side-effect scale. Initial versions contain 55 parent items and 43 teacher items.
Can Vanderbilt scales alone be used to make a diagnosis?
No. The scoring instructions say the scales should not alone make any diagnosis and information from multiple sources must be considered. The clinical lead determines review and staff actions.