What is this test for?
ADHD in children shows up through two families of signs: inattention (careless mistakes, instructions lost along the way, misplaced belongings, endless homework) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (constant movement, getting up in class, interrupting, being unable to wait). This questionnaire sweeps the 18 signs described by the official classifications, rephrased in a parent’s language.
Above all, it asks the three questions that make the clinical difference: for how long? in how many settings? with what real impact? A child who is lively at home but settled at school is not the same picture as a child struggling everywhere for two years.
Who is it for?
For parents (or legal guardians) of a child aged 6 to 12 who want to prepare for an appointment rather than arrive with a vague worry. You are the one answering, based on what you observe — the child takes no test, and that is deliberate.
Before age 6, restlessness is often part of normal development and is assessed differently; in middle school, the picture evolves (hyperactivity becomes internalised). In both cases, talk directly to the doctor who follows your child.
How does it work?
You indicate the frequency of 18 behaviours observed over the past 6 months (never → very often), then answer 3 context questions: duration, presence in at least two settings, real interference. The count is transparent — number of frequent signs per dimension, completeness of context — and everything is computed in your browser: no data about your child is transmitted.
The science behind this test
ADHD affects about 5% of school-age children according to French guidance. Its diagnosis is strictly clinical: it rests on a thorough interview, the cross-checking of observations (family AND school), the ruling-out of other explanations — sleep, anxiety, learning disorders — and can only be made by a doctor. In 2024, France’s health authority published recommendations dedicated to screening and managing ADHD in children and adolescents.
Clinicians rely on standardised questionnaires filled in by parents and teachers — SNAP-IV, Conners, Vanderbilt. We do not reproduce them: their rights are reserved, and the French version of the SNAP-IV circulated in Canada itself carries the note “not validated”. Our 21 points follow the structure of the official criteria and own themselves as a preparation tool, not a screen.
Full transparency
An orientation questionnaire designed by MoodTrakr for parents, from ICD-11/DSM-5-TR criteria and HAS markers — not clinically validated. The answers concern your child: they never leave your browser, and if you create an account, they are end-to-end encrypted, readable only by you.
- MoodTrakr orientation questionnaire, not validated: it prepares a consultation, it does not screen.
- It is for the parent of a 6-to-12-year-old; before age 6, restlessness is often developmental and assessed differently.
- The answers are about your child: they stay encrypted on your device and feed neither your profile nor your personal recommendations.
- The same picture can come from sleep, anxiety, a learning difficulty or a hard family period — only a clinical assessment tells them apart.
The reference tests used by professionals
This questionnaire replaces none of the tools used in consultation. Here are the ones professionals actually use:
- Talk with the doctor, then a specialist assessment — paediatrician/GP → child psychiatrist, specialised centre — the diagnosis is clinical
- SNAP-IV, Conners, Vanderbilt — the questionnaires clinicians have parents and teachers fill in — under copyright, we do not reproduce them
Frequently asked questions
From what age does this questionnaire make sense?
From 6 to 12. Before age 6, significant restlessness is often developmental and is assessed in consultation, not by questionnaire. In adolescence, the picture changes (restlessness becomes more inward): the best is to talk to the doctor, and the ASRS will take over in adulthood.
My child moves a lot: is that necessarily ADHD?
No, and that is the whole point of the context questions: ADHD shows up lastingly (more than 6 months), across several settings, with real interference. A simply energetic child, or one going through a hard time (a move, a separation, bullying), may show transient signs.
Who should I see first, and how does it work?
Start with the doctor who knows your child: GP or paediatrician. They will do an initial review, look for other explanations (sleep, vision, hearing, learning, anxiety) and refer if needed to a specialist evaluation — child psychiatrist, specialised centre. Bring your answers to this questionnaire and, if possible, the school’s impressions.
The school mentions ADHD: are they allowed to “diagnose”?
No — neither the school, nor this questionnaire, nor any questionnaire: only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Teachers’ observations are nonetheless precious, since the diagnosis precisely requires signs present in several settings. Note what the school reports and bring it to the appointment.
What happens to the answers about my child?
Nothing leaves your browser: the computation is local, no sign-up. If you then choose to create an account to keep the result, it is end-to-end encrypted — unreadable to our servers — and never feeds your own profile in the app: it stays clearly labelled as a parent questionnaire.
Sources & methodology
This page draws on the references below — official guidelines, published studies and institutional documents. Every link is checked automatically at each release. Instrument attribution: MoodTrakr orientation questionnaire (2026), built from ICD-11 (WHO) and DSM-5-TR (APA). Not clinically validated. French recommendations: HAS 2024 (ADHD in children and adolescents).
- HAS, 2024 — ADHD in children and adolescents: diagnosis and therapeutic interventions
- HAS, 2014 — ADHD: spotting the distress, supporting the child and family
- French Health Insurance (Ameli) — understanding ADHD
- Inserm — “What is ADHD?”
- SNAP-IV in French (CADDRA) — an example of the questionnaire used by clinicians
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