ADHD Functional Impact Scale (ADHD-FIS)
A ClientForms original screening checklist for the everyday functional impact of ADHD.
Last reviewed: July 2026
- Full name
- ADHD Functional Impact Scale (ADHD-FIS)
- Measures
- The ADHD-FIS is an original screening checklist developed by ClientForms to gauge how much ADHD symptoms are affecting a person's everyday functioning.
- Format
- 18 items · ~4 min · Self-report
- Score range
- 0 to 4.0
- Reliability
- The ADHD-FIS is an original screening checklist, not a validated psychometric instrument: it has not been normed against population data, and no sensitivity, specificity, or reliability figures have been established for it.
- Population
- Adults aged 18+, self-report.
- Interpretation
- 0–0.79Minimal
- 0.8–1.79Mild
- 1.8–2.79Moderate
- 2.8–4.0Significant
Scoring & Interpretation
Each item is rated on a 0–4 scale, from no impact to extreme impact. The primary summary is the mean of the completed items (0–4), which adjusts for any items marked "Not applicable". Four subscales — Daily Functioning, Work & Self-Care, Relationships & Intimacy, and Wider Life & Wellbeing — can be read on their own. Higher scores indicate greater self-reported functional impact. The bands below are descriptive guides for an original screening checklist, not validated clinical cut-offs.
| Score Range | Severity | Clinical Action |
|---|---|---|
| 0–0.79 | Minimal | Minimal functional impact across most domains |
| 0.8–1.79 | Mild | Some areas show measurable impact; targeted support may help |
| 1.8–2.79 | Moderate | Multiple life areas disrupted; structured support likely needed |
| 2.8–4.0 | Significant | Widespread, substantial impact; commonly accompanies clinically relevant ADHD |
- The ADHD-FIS is an original screening checklist, not a validated psychometric instrument: it has not been normed against population data, and no sensitivity, specificity, or reliability figures have been established for it.
- It is intended to structure a clinical conversation about functional impact, always read alongside validated symptom measures and clinical judgement.
- Clinicians who need a validated, published impairment measure should use the WFIRS-S.
When to Use This vs Alternatives
Use WFIRS-S when…
You need a comprehensive, validated 7-domain impairment profile (69 items, 15 min). Use the WFIRS-S at initial assessment for the full picture; use the ADHD-FIS (an original 18-item checklist) for a quick read between sessions.
View WFIRS-S →Use ASRS when…
You need to screen for ADHD symptoms (frequency). The ASRS and ADHD-FIS are complementary: ASRS = "are symptoms present?", ADHD-FIS = "are symptoms causing functional problems?"
View ASRS →Use ACOS when…
You want a brief overall ADHD symptom-severity tracker rather than an impairment-specific measure. The ACOS totals ADHD symptoms and related difficulty; the ADHD-FIS focuses on functional impact.
View ACOS →See It in Action
- 1Mean score with severity band
- 2Subscale dividers (Daily Functioning, Work, Relationships, Wellbeing)
- 3Individual question responses with scoring badges
- 4One-click PDF export and email delivery
What It Measures
Its 18 items span the life areas most commonly disrupted by ADHD — daily functioning, work and self-care, relationships, and wider wellbeing — and ask about impact directly rather than about symptom frequency. It is a self-report aid to structure a conversation about functional impact, not a validated diagnostic instrument, and it has not been normed against population data. It was written to fill a practical gap: a short, ADHD-specific functional-impact checklist to sit alongside the longer, validated WFIRS-S.
- Daily Functioning
- Everyday tasks and routines — organising, keeping track of time, and finishing what the day requires.
- Work & Self-Care
- Coping with work or study demands and looking after health, money and personal upkeep.
- Relationships & Intimacy
- How ADHD affects close relationships, family and intimate life (items here can be marked not applicable).
- Wider Life & Wellbeing
- Self-esteem, mood, leisure and the broader sense of managing day-to-day life.
When to Use the ADHD-FIS
Use the ADHD-FIS when you want a brief, structured read on how much ADHD is interfering with day-to-day life — at intake to map the areas of greatest disruption, or revisited over a course of care to see whether the picture is shifting. Because it is a screening aid rather than a validated outcome measure, read it alongside symptom measures (ASRS, WURS-25, DIVA-5) and your own clinical judgement; the pattern of which life areas are most affected is usually more telling than the overall number. For a comprehensive, validated impairment profile, use the WFIRS-S.
Who It's For
Adults aged 18+, self-report. Suitable for clinical and community settings, and brief enough to repeat without much burden. Two items (intimate relationships, caring for children) can be marked "Not applicable", which the mean score accounts for. As an original screening checklist it is not a substitute for a validated diagnostic instrument.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ADHD-FIS?
The ADHD-FIS (ADHD Functional Impact Scale) is an original 18-item screening checklist developed by ClientForms to gauge how much ADHD symptoms interfere with everyday functioning across four life domains. It is a self-report aid scored 0–4 (the mean of the completed items), not a validated diagnostic instrument.
How is the ADHD-FIS different from the WFIRS-S?
The WFIRS-S is a longer, published and validated impairment scale (69 items, seven domains). The ADHD-FIS is a brief original screening checklist (18 items, four domains) for a quick read of functional impact. Use the WFIRS-S when you need a comprehensive, validated profile; the ADHD-FIS for a lighter check between sessions.
Can the ADHD-FIS be used to track treatment progress?
Its brevity makes it easy to repeat, so some clinicians revisit it over a course of care to see whether functional impact is shifting. As an original screening checklist it has no established responsiveness statistics, so read any change descriptively and alongside validated measures.
Stop scoring the ADHD-FIS by hand.
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