The Wender Utah Rating Scale
Short answer
The Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) is a questionnaire adults fill out about their own childhood behavior. Ward, Wender and Reimherr published it in 1993 to help clinicians judge whether ADHD symptoms were present in childhood when school records are missing. It is a retrospective self-report aid for an evaluation, not a diagnosis.
Most adult ADHD questionnaires ask about your life now. The Wender Utah Rating Scale points the other way. It asks you to remember what you were like as a child, which is a part of the adult evaluation that many people find surprisingly hard.
The problem it was built to solve
Who developed it
The 1993 paper lists Ward, Wender and Reimherr as authors. We could not find a current official publisher or licensing page for the WURS, so this page relies on the original paper and keeps its claims to what that paper reports.
Where it fits in an evaluation
- A clinician hears your current concerns and asks how they affect work, home and relationships.
- They ask about childhood. Some use a retrospective questionnaire such as the WURS to give that conversation structure.
- Where possible, they look for outside information: a parent or sibling who remembers you as a child, old report cards, or other records.
- They consider other explanations, from sleep and stress to anxiety, depression and learning differences.
- Only then do they decide whether a diagnosis fits.
What it cannot do
Memory is imperfect. Some adults remember their childhood clearly; others recall it through the lens of later struggles or family stories. A retrospective questionnaire records what you remember and how you see it now. It cannot confirm what actually happened, which is why clinicians try to add another person's view.
It also says nothing on its own about your current symptoms, other conditions, or how much your daily life is affected. A WURS result is a piece of history, not a conclusion.
How it differs from the free ASRS v1.1 screener
The six-question ASRS v1.1 screener on this site asks about the past six months of adult life. The WURS asks about childhood. They look at different time periods for different reasons, so one does not stand in for the other. Neither is a diagnosis, and a clinician is the right person to interpret either one.
If a clinician gives you the WURS, they will provide it and score it. We do not reproduce its questions here, and we suggest you do not try to self-score a copy found online, since a number without clinical context can mislead more than it helps.
Gathering your own childhood notes
You can prepare for the childhood part of an evaluation without any questionnaire at all. Write down what you remember about school, homework, friendships and home life before your teens. Ask a parent, older sibling or longtime family friend what they recall. Look for old report cards with teacher comments. Bring the notes as they are, gaps included.
- What did teachers tend to say about me, in report cards or at conferences?
- Which childhood memories about school or chores stand out, and why?
- Who in my life knew me well before age 12 and might be willing to share what they remember?
A starting point for your next step.
Start with the present: the free ASRS v1.1 screener covers the past six months and shows the official outcome at no cost.Frequently asked questions
Can I take the Wender Utah Rating Scale online?
Copies circulate online, but the scale was designed as an aid for clinicians, and a self-scored result without context is easy to misread. If it is part of your evaluation, your clinician will give and interpret it. We do not reproduce it here.
Why does an adult evaluation ask about childhood?
Because ADHD symptoms must have started in childhood. NIMH notes that adult diagnosis depends heavily on past reports of behavior, and providers may talk with family or look at school records.
Is the WURS better than the ASRS?
They are not competitors. The WURS looks back at childhood; the ASRS v1.1 screener asks about the past six months. A clinician may use different tools for different parts of an evaluation.
Sources
Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.
- Ward MF, Wender PH, Reimherr FW. The Wender Utah Rating Scale: an aid in the retrospective diagnosis of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1993;150(6):885-890.
- National Institute of Mental Health, "ADHD in Adults: 4 Things to Know"
- NHS, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults
Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.