• Assessing an Individual
• Identifying Educational Classifications
• Screening a Group of Individuals
• Evaluating an Intervention
• Use in a Research Context

The Conners 4 has numerous applications, including the clinical assessment of individuals, as a tool for screening groups, for treatment/progress monitoring, and for use in scientific research.

Assessing an Individual

The Conners 4 can be used as a screening tool or as part of a comprehensive assessment of ADHD in youth. Although rating scale data alone are not sufficient for making an ADHD diagnosis, rating scales are regarded as an essential component of a multi-method, multi-informant ADHD evaluation. The Conners 4 can inform clinical diagnosis and treatment planning by providing information on the nature, frequency, and/or severity of core and associated ADHD symptoms, the degree to which such symptoms deviate from age- and gender-based norms, and functional impairments related to those symptoms. The DSM Symptom Scales can assist clinicians in determining when the symptom criteria (DSM ADHD Criterion A) for the Predominantly Inattentive, Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive, or Combined Presentations of ADHD are present. The DSM Total ADHD Symptoms scale provides a dimensional look at overall symptoms of ADHD without consideration given to a particular DSM presentation. Finally, the Conners 4–ADHD Index provides a probability score that presents the degree to which the obtained score was likely to come from a population of ADHD respondents rather than a population of general population respondents. The provision of the different rater forms facilitates multi-informant assessments that enhance the quality of evaluations by offsetting possible informant biases, generating more comprehensive information, and providing evidence for the pervasiveness of symptoms across settings.

Identifying Educational Classifications

The Conners 4 can help identify appropriate educational classifications and/or services for students within a school system. Practitioners would need to consult with their state’s or school district’s specific criteria for eligibility with regards to determining the need for services under Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) or Section 504. To facilitate determination, it would be best to obtain a detailed set of information from multiple raters, as well as multiple sources of information such as observations, social-developmental history, and prior academic performance.

Screening a Group of Individuals

In some instances, the assessor may wish to obtain information about a group instead of an individual. For example, in school-based intervention programs, the Conners 4 can be used to screen a group of individuals who require different levels of support—from high-quality instruction to training services in key areas such as social skills, impulse control, or executive functioning. The Conners 4–Short and Conners 4–ADHD Index forms were developed for screening purposes. High scores suggest that additional considerations are needed. For example, high scores on the Conners 4–Short form might indicate the need for a more thorough evaluation.

Evaluating an Intervention

Results from the Conners 4 can inform decisions about the effectiveness of a pharmacologic or psychosocial treatment for ADHD, whether evaluating a single person’s response to treatment or examining the efficacy of a treatment approach via group comparison studies. It is best to use the full-length Conners 4 to obtain a more comprehensive evaluation to build and inform an appropriate treatment plan. Conners 4 results can be collected at the beginning of an intervention to provide baseline data. Repeated administrations at several points throughout the intervention can help clinicians and program managers evaluate whether a particular intervention is associated with symptom or functional improvement. Results from these types of evaluations can be helpful in supporting the need for continuing or modifying a treatment program.

Use in a Research Context

The Conners 3 has been used in scientific studies of ADHD, including clinical trials (e.g., Blader et al., 2013; Christiansen et al., 2014; Haydicky et al., 2017). The Conners 4 is also expected to play an important role in the scientific study of ADHD in youth, including research on the course of ADHD through the lifespan, the neurobiology of the disorder, and the efficacy of treatments. The Conners 4 offers researchers several advantages. First, the scales were carefully developed to measure a wide spectrum of symptoms, behaviors, and outcomes associated with ADHD. Second, the scales’ excellent psychometric properties can increase researchers’ confidence in the reliability and accuracy of its use for participant screening, group assignment, and assessment of changes in ADHD symptoms over time. Third, the Conners 4 provides a rich source of data and statistical information, as well as data exporting features. Finally, the Conners 4 is an efficient standardized test with a short administration time, varying from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the form used.