DSM-5 ADHD Diagnosis Criteria Form (South African Context)
Inattentive Type Diagnosis Criteria:
- [x] Displays poor listening skills
Quotations: "He just zones out when I'm talking to him, like he's not even hearing me."
- [x] Loses and/or misplaces items needed to complete tasks at school or home (e.g. stationery, books, clothing)
Quotations: "Always losing his school books and his lunchbox. We bought three pairs of glasses this year already."
- [x] Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli at school, home, or in the community
Quotations: "Even a fly buzzing can distract him from his homework. He's constantly looking out the window during lessons."
- [x] Frequently forgets daily responsibilities (e.g. taking lunch to school, doing chores, remembering homework)
Quotations: "I have to remind him every single day to brush his teeth, and he often forgets his homework at school."
- [x] Shows a limited attention span during classwork, homework, or activities requiring sustained focus
Quotations: "He can't sit still for more than 10 minutes when doing his maths. His teacher says he's always doodling."
- [x] Struggles to follow instructions from educators or caregivers, and often does not complete assignments
Quotations: "I tell him to do three things and he'll only do one, or he'll do them in the wrong order. His school projects are never fully completed."
- [x] Avoids or delays starting tasks that require prolonged mental effort (e.g. written work, reading, long tests)
Quotations: "He'll put off starting his essays until the very last minute, sometimes he just doesn't do them at all. He hates reading long books."
- [x] Makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or assignments due to lack of attention to detail
Quotations: "He knows the material, but he makes silly errors on tests, like missing entire sections or misreading questions. It's not a lack of knowledge, it's just carelessness."
Inattentive Type Diagnosis Criteria met: yes
Hyperactive/Impulsive Type Diagnosis Criteria:
Hyperactivity Symptoms:
- [x] Fidgets or squirms when seated (e.g. during class or religious gatherings)
Quotations: "He's always tapping his foot or jiggling his leg under the table, even during dinner. He just can't sit still."
- [x] Demonstrates restlessness that is difficult to control (e.g. frequent movement in settings that expect stillness)
Quotations: "He's always on the go, even when we're just relaxing at home. He'll get up and walk around the room for no reason."
- [x] Appears constantly active or described as being “driven by a motor” by teachers or caregivers
Quotations: "His teacher called him 'a little motor' and I agree, he never stops moving from morning till night."
- [x] Struggles to participate in leisure activities quietly (e.g. group games, structured after-school activities)
Quotations: "He makes so much noise even when he's supposed to be playing a quiet game. He can't seem to play without disrupting others."
- [x] Frequently leaves seat in classroom or other settings requiring sitting (e.g. clinic, church, taxi)
Quotations: "He's always up out of his seat in class, walking around. We can't take him to church because he won't stay in his seat."
- [x] Talks excessively or dominates conversations at school or home
Quotations: "He talks non-stop, sometimes he doesn't even let others get a word in. His teachers have mentioned it too."
Impulsive Symptoms:
- [x] Has difficulty waiting for turn (e.g. in classroom tasks, during games, queues at school tuckshop)
Quotations: "He can't wait for his turn in board games, and he always tries to push to the front of the queue at school."
- [x] Interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. talks over peers, disrupts conversations or group work)
Quotations: "He constantly interrupts me when I'm on the phone, and he'll blurt out answers in class before the teacher has finished the question."
- [x] Answers questions before they are completed, or blurts out responses inappropriately
Quotations: "Before I've even finished asking him what he wants for dinner, he's already shouted out 'pizza!' He does this in class too."
Hyperactive/Impulsive Type Diagnosis Criteria met: yes
Additional Requirements for Diagnosis (all must be met):
- [x] Symptoms began before the age of 12 (based on reports from caregivers, educators, or clinic records)
Quotations: "We started noticing these behaviours when he was about 5 or 6, definitely before he turned 12."
- [x] Symptoms are not better explained by another mental health condition (e.g. depression, anxiety, trauma-related responses, substance use)
Quotations: "We've ruled out anxiety, and there's no history of trauma. He doesn't seem depressed, just constantly restless and unfocused."
- [x] Symptoms are not solely due to oppositional defiance or external environmental stressors
Quotations: "It's not that he's trying to be defiant; he genuinely struggles to control himself. His behaviour isn't just a reaction to stress at home."
Classification:
- [x] Combined Type: Meets both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive criteria for the past 6 months: yes
- [ ] Predominantly Inattentive Type: Meets inattentive criterion only for the past 6 months: no
- [ ] Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive Type: Meets hyperactive/impulsive criterion only for the past 6 months: no
DSM-5 ADHD Diagnosis Criteria Form (South African Context)
Inattentive Type Diagnosis Criteria:
- [ ] Displays poor listening skills (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to poor listening skills; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Loses and/or misplaces items needed to complete tasks at school or home (e.g. stationery, books, clothing) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to losing/misplacing items; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli at school, home, or in the community (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to being sidetracked; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Frequently forgets daily responsibilities (e.g. taking lunch to school, doing chores, remembering homework) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to forgetting daily activities; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Shows a limited attention span during classwork, homework, or activities requiring sustained focus (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to diminished attention span; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Struggles to follow instructions from educators or caregivers, and often does not complete assignments (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to incomplete schoolwork/following instructions; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Avoids or delays starting tasks that require prolonged mental effort (e.g. written work, reading, long tests) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to avoiding tasks; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or assignments due to lack of attention to detail (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to careless mistakes; otherwise omit completely.)
Inattentive Type Diagnosis Criteria met: [yes/no] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Hyperactive/Impulsive Type Diagnosis Criteria:
Hyperactivity Symptoms:
- [ ] Fidgets or squirms when seated (e.g. during class or religious gatherings) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to squirming/fidgeting; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Demonstrates restlessness that is difficult to control (e.g. frequent movement in settings that expect stillness) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to restlessness; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Appears constantly active or described as being “driven by a motor” by teachers or caregivers (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to being "on the go"; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Struggles to participate in leisure activities quietly (e.g. group games, structured after-school activities) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to playing quietly; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Frequently leaves seat in classroom or other settings requiring sitting (e.g. clinic, church, taxi) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to being unable to stay seated; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Talks excessively or dominates conversations at school or home (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to excessive talking; otherwise omit completely.)
Impulsive Symptoms:
- [ ] Has difficulty waiting for turn (e.g. in classroom tasks, during games, queues at school tuckshop) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to turn-taking; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. talks over peers, disrupts conversations or group work) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to interrupting/intruding; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Answers questions before they are completed, or blurts out responses inappropriately (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to impulsive answering; otherwise omit completely.)
Hyperactive/Impulsive Type Diagnosis Criteria met: [yes/no] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Additional Requirements for Diagnosis (all must be met):
- [ ] Symptoms began before the age of 12 (based on reports from caregivers, educators, or clinic records) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to symptom onset; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Symptoms are not better explained by another mental health condition (e.g. depression, anxiety, trauma-related responses, substance use) (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to differential diagnoses; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Symptoms are not solely due to oppositional defiance or external environmental stressors (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
Quotations: [list of quotations] (If present, include a list of quotations from the transcript related to oppositional behaviour; otherwise omit completely.)
Classification:
- [ ] Combined Type: Meets both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive criteria for the past 6 months: [yes/no] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Predominantly Inattentive Type: Meets inattentive criterion only for the past 6 months: [yes/no] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
- [ ] Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive Type: Meets hyperactive/impulsive criterion only for the past 6 months: [yes/no] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note; otherwise omit completely.)
(For each section, only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript or context, else omit section entirely. Never come up with your own patient details, assessment, plan, interventions, evaluation, or next steps—use only the transcript, contextual notes, or clinical note as reference for all information. If any information related to a placeholder has not been explicitly mentioned, do not state that in the output; simply leave the relevant placeholder or section out entirely. Use as many lines, paragraphs, or bullet points as needed to capture all relevant information from the transcript.)
