Developing the Symptoms and Functional Impairment Rating Scale: A Multi-Dimensional ADHD Scale

The tools available for this purpose are typically timeconsuming and have not been standardized within a Chinese population. The Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS) is the only available multi-dimensional, ADHD-specific, functional impairment assessment scale. The WFIRS examines a wide range of functional impairment symptoms, with many of the items included assessing the severest forms of impairment. Therefore, this scale typically exhibits a significant floor effect, resulting in a limited ability for clinical application. he Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) is also commonly used to assess ADHD symptoms. However, the results of this scale can easily lead to the confusion of clinical symptoms with impairment. Furthermore, the one-dimensional structure of this measure cannot examine performance in different functional areas. hildren with ADHD tend to exhibit executive function deficits, causing impairment in function in daily life, 7 leading to negative effects on academic and occupational functions in adulthood. Chinese elementary schools tend to impose a strict classroom environment and considerable academic pressure on students, therefore requiring high-quality executive function. In this context, executive function deficits often drive parents to take their children to hospitals. However, executive function deficit evaluation within this context is often limited