We provide evidence-based attention, processing speed, and working memory test measures across the lifespan. We combine clinical interviews, standardized behavior rating scales, objective performance measures, and academic and cognitive measures to produce clear diagnostic impressions and practical treatment and accommodation plans. Our reports combine attention, focus, working memory, and processing speed test measures and are written to be helpful to families, schools, employers, and medical providers with prioritized, actionable recommendations for interventions that target each client’s unique cognitive profile. An attention deficit test for adults or teens can help you overcome barriers and discover new strengths.
Overview of Attention Deficit Testing
An attention deficit test combines multiple data sources to determine whether a person meets diagnostic criteria, assesses the severity and impairing nature of the difficulties, identifies any co-occurring conditions, and recommends targeted interventions or ADHD accommodations that are likely to be effective.
Typical components of an attention deficit test for teens and adults:
- Structured clinical interview / developmental history (onset, course, contexts).
- Behavior rating scales from multiple informants (self, parent, teacher, employer), especially those that include an attention deficit test for teens.
- Performance-based measures of sustained/selective attention and inhibition (such as continuous performance assessments).
- Working memory and processing speed test measures (including neuropsychological subtests).
- Cognitive (IQ) and academic achievement assessments are used when learning difficulties are suspected.
- Screening for comorbid conditions (mood, anxiety, sleep, substance use, ASD).
- Collateral records (report cards, prior evaluations, medical history), again, particularly with an attention deficit test for teens.
Decisions are made based on converging evidence, including rating scales, objective measures, and medical history.
Our Promises:
- We utilize multi-informant data whenever possible for a comprehensive attention deficit test for adults and teens. Teens are often asked to get teacher reports; adults’ self-reports should be supplemented by informant history when available.
- If relevant to the clinical question, we administer the attention deficit test while the patient is off medication or schedule it to capture the baseline.
- The report will be explicit about functional impairment and developmental onset (required for ADHD diagnosis).
- We provide clear, actionable recommendations in the report: 1) short-term practical interventions; 2) longer-term therapy/medication options; 3) accommodations with wording suitable for schools, exams, or workplaces.
Attention Span Test Measures
The following are some of the more common attention span test measures.
1. Conners Continuous Performance Test 3 (CPT-3)
- Attention Span Test Type: Computerized continuous performance (CPT).
- What it does: Measures sustained attention, response inhibition, reaction time, variability, and perseveration over ~14 minutes.
- Ages: children through adults (normed versions).
- Strengths: Sensitive to sustained-attention lapses and impulsive responding; provides detailed performance indices.
2. Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA)
- Attention Span Test Type: Computerized CPT.
- What it does: Measures sustained attention and impulsivity across a standardized visual or auditory task. Produces omission/commission errors, response time.
- Ages: children–adults.
- Strengths: Long history of use; provides robust attention profile.
3. IVA-2 (Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test)
- Attention Span Test Type: CPT with both visual and auditory tasks.
- What it does: Separately assesses attention and response control in auditory and visual modalities, useful when modality-specific weaknesses are suspected.
- Ages: children–adults.
4. Conners 3 / Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) – Attention Deficit Test for Adults
- Attention Deficit Test Type: Behavior rating scales (parent/teacher/self versions).
- What they do: Assess ADHD symptom clusters (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity) plus related behaviors (learning problems, executive functioning, emotional problems).
- Strengths: Widely used; multi-informant norms.
5. ADHD Rating Scale-5 / Vanderbilt / Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale (BAARS-IV)
- Attention Deficit Test Type: Symptom checklists tied to DSM criteria.
- What they do: Quantify symptom counts, severity, and impairment across settings.
Note: Performance tests like CPTs are not diagnostic on their own. They are one piece of evidence that must align with history and rating scales.
Attention Span Test Measures
Here are the more common attention span test measures we use:
1. WISC-V / WAIS-IV subtests: Digit Span, Letter-Number Sequencing
- What they do: Digit Span forwards/backwards tests auditory short-term memory and working memory; Letter-Number Sequencing taxes manipulation of verbally presented material.
- Ages: WISC for children, WAIS for adults.
- Strengths as an attention span test: Standardized, widely used.
2. Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV)
- What they do: More extensive memory assessment, including attention span test components.
3. Woodcock-Johnson IV: Auditory Working Memory / Numbers Reversed
- What they do: Provide attention span test indices that relate to academic skills.
Note: Again, each attention span test is not diagnostic on its own; they are one piece of evidence that must align with history and rating scales.
Processing Speed Test Measures 
Processing speed refers to the rate at which someone can perform simple cognitive tasks; slow processing is common in individuals with ADHD and learning disorders.
1. WISC-V / WAIS-IV: Coding, Symbol Search
- What they do: Timed visual–motor tasks requiring quick symbol substitution and scanning; heavily weighted to Processing Speed Index (PSI).
- Ages: children/adults.
- Interpretation: Low scores may reflect motor speed issues, visual scanning inefficiencies, attention lapses, or processing speed deficits.
2. Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A)
- What it does: Timed sequencing/visual search; a processing speed test that is sensitive to processing speed and visual attention.
3. CPT reaction time & variability indices
- What they do: Reaction-time metrics (mean RT, variability) from CPTs provide complementary evidence about processing speed and consistency.
4. Other timed processing speed test measures: D-KEFS Symbol Search/Coding equivalents
- What they do: Executive/processing speed measures in a flexible battery.
Combining Attention Deficit Test Measures
- Rating scales (e.g., Conners, ADHD Rating Scale, BAARS) establish the presence of symptoms across various settings.
- CPTs and reaction-time measures give objective evidence of sustained attention and response control.
- Working memory and processing speed indices (Wechsler subtests, WJ) identify cognitive mechanisms underlying inattentive behavior and predict academic/occupational impact.
- IQ and achievement evaluations (see below) clarify whether inattentive symptoms coexist with learning disabilities.
- Mood/anxiety testing helps separate primary attention problems from concentration problems due to anxiety/depression.
Who Benefits and Why
1. Children (elementary through high school)
These assessments should:
- Clarify ADHD subtype (inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, combined).
- Identify comorbid learning disorders or language problems.
- Inform school accommodations (IEP/504), classroom interventions, and parent coaching.
2. Adolescents & college students
An attention deficit test for teens should:
- Distinguish ADHD from anxiety/depression or sleep problems that cause concentration issues.
- Provide high school or college accommodations (extended time, distraction-reduced testing rooms), academic coaching, and guidance on decisions regarding stimulant medication.
3. Adults
An attention deficit test for adults will:
- Understand the distinction between lifelong patterns and new-onset attention problems.
- Inform workplace accommodations (task structuring, time management strategies), therapy targets, and medication recommendations.
- Identify comorbidities (mood, substance use, sleep apnea) that require treatment.
- Differentiate ADHD-related difficulties from age-related cognitive decline or early neurodegenerative disorders.
4. Employers, vocational rehab, legal/forensic contexts
- Provide objective documentation for accommodations, vocational planning, or disability evaluations.
How results help
- Diagnosis & differential diagnosis: Combine symptom counts, impairments, and test performance to apply DSM-5 criteria and rule out mimics (anxiety, sleep deprivation, medication/substance effects).
- Treatment planning: Targeted interventions (medication, CBT for ADHD, skills coaching) tailored to specific deficits (e.g., working memory-focused strategies).
- Accommodations & advocacy: Provide documentation for school 504/IEP plans or workplace reasonable adjustments (extra time, quiet workspace, alternative format materials).
- Rehabilitation & coaching: Identify precise cognitive bottlenecks to prioritize coaching (e.g., chunking for working memory limits; external structure for planning).
- Monitoring: Baseline data to measure progress with medication or psychotherapy.
Other Measures Often Co-administered
1. Cognitive and Academic Achievement
- Examples: WISC-V, WAIS-IV (for IQ); WIAT-4, Woodcock-Johnson IV Achievement.
- Why they matter in conjunction with an attention deficit test for teens and adults:
- Many children or adults with ADHD have uneven profiles, e.g., high reasoning ability but weak processing speed or working memory. IQ subtests show whether inattention is due to a global learning difficulty or a specific attentional weakness.
- Achievement measures determine whether inattentive behaviors are secondary to an underlying learning disorder (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, math disability). Without these measures, it can be challenging to determine if “distractibility” is actually an avoidance of a task that is unusually difficult for the individual.
- Provides critical documentation for schools and universities when requesting academic accommodations.
2. Executive Function Rating Scales
- Examples: BRIEF-2 (child/adolescent), BRIEF-A (adult).
- Why they matter in an attention deficit test for teens and adults:
- ADHD is not only about sustaining attention; it’s also about executive functions, such as planning, organization, emotional control, and self-monitoring.
- These scales capture real-world executive difficulties that may not be visible on a brief structured test. For example, a student may perform well on a digit span task but struggle to remember to bring their homework home from school.
- This ecological perspective is invaluable when writing recommendations for day-to-day supports.
3. Broad Behavior and Emotional Rating Scales
- Examples: BASC-3, CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist).
- Why they matter in an attention deficit test for adults and teens:
- ADHD symptoms often overlap with behavioral or emotional issues (oppositionality, conduct difficulties, social withdrawal).
- These broad measures help determine whether impulsivity, acting-out, or emotional lability are part of ADHD or whether another disorder (e.g., oppositional defiant disorder, mood dysregulation) is co-occurring.
- They also screen for peer/social problems, which can be hidden but clinically important in ADHD presentations.
4. Mood and Anxiety Measures
- Examples: PHQ-9, BDI-II (assess depression); GAD-7, BAI (anxiety); for children, RCADS, SCARED, CDI.
- Why they matter in an attention deficit test for adults and teens:
- Concentration and attention are not specific to ADHD. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress all impair focus.
- These help ensure that clinicians don’t misattribute cognitive fog, rumination, or low energy to ADHD when mood or anxiety disorders are the real driver.
- Identifying comorbid anxiety/depression is also essential because treatment often needs to target both sets of symptoms simultaneously.
5. Autism Spectrum Screening
- Examples: Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2).
- Why they matter in an attention deficit test for teens and adults:
- ADHD and autism can co-occur, and both can involve distractibility and executive dysfunction.
- Misdiagnosis is possible if only ADHD assessments are done. For instance, a child who appears “inattentive” may actually be disengaged due to social-communication differences.
- Autism assessments clarify whether social deficits, restricted interests, or communication difficulties contribute to classroom struggles.
5. Sleep and Fatigue Screens
- Examples: Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire, sleep diaries.
- Why they matter in an attention deficit test for adults and teens:
- Sleep disorders (insomnia, sleep apnea, delayed sleep phase) can mimic ADHD almost perfectly, producing poor concentration, irritability, and hyperactivity.
- Children with disrupted sleep often present as “overactive” rather than tired, leading to mistaken ADHD diagnoses.
- These measures flag when referral to a sleep specialist and maybe a course of CBT-i is appropriate before confirming ADHD.
6. Substance Use Screens
- Examples: AUDIT (alcohol), DAST (drugs).
- Why they matter:
- In adolescents and adults, stimulant misuse, cannabis, or alcohol dependence can impair attention, memory, and motivation.
- Screening helps distinguish primary ADHD from secondary attention difficulties due to substance use.
- Also crucial for safe prescribing of stimulant medications.
7. Adaptive Behavior & Daily Functioning Measures
- Examples: Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, ABAS-3.
- Why they matter:
- Especially in youth, these show whether cognitive and attentional difficulties spill into everyday life skills (self-care, organization, social functioning).
- They provide a baseline for real-life supports and skills training, beyond academic or workplace accommodations.
8. Motor and Sensory Assessments (when indicated)
- Examples: Beery VMI (visual-motor integration), OT/vision referrals.
- Why they matter:
- Slow processing speed test scores or weak handwriting fluency can sometimes be traced to fine motor or visual-motor deficits rather than purely attentional issues.
- These assessments clarify when occupational therapy, not ADHD medication, should be the first line of support.
The key idea is that each of these “other” tests adds context, helping clinicians avoid overdiagnosis of ADHD and ensuring recommendations fit the actual needs of the person, whether stemming from attention regulation, mood, learning differences, sleep, or another factor.
Attention Deficit Test Limitations & Interpretation Cautions
- No single measure “proves” ADHD. The diagnosis is clinical and requires cross-setting impairment and developmental onset.
- Performance tests are influenced by factors such as motivation, fatigue, testing environment, and comorbid conditions.
- Cultural, linguistic, or educational factors can influence normative comparisons; we always interpret them in relation to the appropriate norms.
- We consider medication status: we may advise you to take or not take your usual stimulant medication.
Attention Deficit Test Case Examples
Here are three attention deficit test examples.
Case 1 – Attention Span Test
Presentation: The teacher reports that Maya frequently loses focus, makes careless errors, and completes little classwork. The parent reports a late bedtime, worries about math, and perfectionistic tendencies in schoolwork.
Attention Span Test Battery: Clinical interview; parent and teacher Conners 3; WISC-V; WIAT-4 (reading/math); CPT-3; BRIEF-2; SCARED (anxiety screen).
Processing Speed Test Findings: Conners: elevated inattention across home/school. WISC-V: Full-Scale IQ average; Working Memory Index low (WMI borderline); Processing Speed Index low. WIAT-4: math calculation below expected for ability (suggests emerging math learning difficulty). CPT-3: increased omission errors and high RT variability. SCARED: elevated separation/generalized anxiety symptoms.
Interpretation: Primary inattentive ADHD presentation with working memory and processing speed weaknesses; co-occurring anxiety likely contributes to school avoidance and perfectionism; possible math learning disorder.
Recommendations: Multimodal plan: psychoeducation for parents/teacher; classroom supports (small-group math instruction, seat near teacher, stepwise instructions); working memory supports (visual organizers, repetition, chunking); school accommodations (extended time for tests, reduced homework load initially); referral to child psychologist for CBT techniques for anxiety; consider stimulant trial in consultation with pediatrician after coordinating supports; periodic academic monitoring.
Case 2 — Attention Deficit Test for Teens
Presentation: Struggling with deadlines, missing lectures, and worrying about concentration. Reports lifelong attentional difficulties, but never assessed. He is concerned about taking stimulant meds while in a competitive program.
Assessment battery: Clinical interview (adult history), CAARS (self), collateral from parent, WAIS-IV (short form), WIAT-4 reading/math optional, Digit Span & Letter-Number Sequencing, CPT (IVA-2), BRIEF-A, screenings for anxiety/depression (PHQ-9, GAD-7), sleep screen.
Findings: CAARS: clinically significant inattentive symptoms causing impairment. WAIS: overall IQ in high-average range; Working Memory Index low-average; Processing Speed Index low. IVA-2: decreased sustained attention on the auditory channel, elevated commission errors when fatigued. PHQ-9 minimal; GAD-7 mild. Sleep screen: irregular sleep schedule.
Interpretation: ADHD, predominantly inattentive, with functional impact on higher education; inconsistent sleep contributes to symptom expression.
Recommendations: Academic accommodations (extended time, note-taking services, priority registration), time-management coaching and structured planning tools, sleep hygiene intervention, trial of stimulant medication discussed with provider (risks/benefits), cognitive strategies to reduce working memory load (external reminders, breaking tasks into steps). Provide a documentation letter for disability services.
Case 3 — Attention Deficit Test for Adults
Presentation: Longstanding restlessness, poor time management, procrastination, frequent missed deadlines, and relationship strain. Runs own business; worries about hiring help and delegation.
Assessment battery: Clinical interview including developmental history; BAARS-IV; WAIS-IV; WMS subtests; CPT-3; BRIEF-A; PHQ-9/GAD-7; substance use screen; medical review.
Findings: BAARS-IV: mixed inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms across lifespan with adult exacerbation under stress. WAIS: average overall intelligence; Processing Speed Index borderline; Working Memory Index low-average. CPT-3: elevated commission errors and inconsistent attention with slow reaction-time variability. PHQ-9 mild depressive symptoms related to work stress; no substance misuse.
Interpretation: Longstanding ADHD with mixed features, now affecting occupational functioning and mood.
Recommendations: Integrated approach — ADHD coaching focused on business systems and delegation, time-blocking, external structure (task management apps), possible stimulant medication trial with medical follow-up, couple/family psychoeducation for communication strategies, workplace accommodations (clear deadlines, prioritized task lists), and periodic re-evaluation.
Conclusion
These assessments offer a nuanced and multidimensional approach. No single score determines a diagnosis; rather, the careful integration of history, multi-informant ratings, and objective measures identifies the nature and impact of inattention, working memory limitations, and processing-speed problems. This integrated picture guides effective treatment planning, encompassing behavioral interventions, academic accommodations, targeted therapy, and medication. If you suspect attention problems for yourself or someone you care for, an evidence-based assessment can clarify the causes and open the door to interventions that improve daily functioning and quality of life.
If you have questions about an attention deficit test for teens and adults, want more information about a specific test (e.g., an attention span test), or would like more information about our services, please feel free to contact us or schedule a free consultation.
