Full Course Description

ADHD, Executive Functioning, and Health Outcomes: Implications for Life Expectancy and Clinical Management

Long-term consequences of untreated childhood ADHD is associated with increased risks for substance abuse, poor health/hygiene practices, accidental/self-inflicted injuries, antisocial activities, violent crimes, reactive aggression, intimate partner violence as well as suicide across the lifespan.

That is because ADHD is a disorder of executive functioning (EF) that undermines human self-regulation.

In this session, view internationally renowned ADHD expert Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., as you discover the evidence that justifies alarm at the substantial adverse impact ADHD poses for long-term quality of life and reduced life expectancy. You’ll learn:

Why ADHD is a disorder of EF and how it undermines self-regulation
How ADHD predisposes one to engage in countless adverse health and lifestyle activities daily
Modified approaches to clinical management of ADHD

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn from a legend in the ADHD field!

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate ADHD as a disorder of EF and how it undermines self-regulation to inform client assessment and treatment.
Determine how ADHD impairs major domains of life activities such as educational, family, peer, and occupational functioning.
Investigate the evidence that supports the adverse impact ADHD poses on various health and medical problems, long-term quality of life, and reduced life expectancy.
Utilize the implications of these findings to revise current approaches to clinical management of ADHD.

Outline

ADHD as a disorder of EF and how it undermines self-regulation
How ADHD impairs major domains of life activities such as educational, family, peer, and occupational functioning
Evidence that supports the adverse impact ADHD poses on various health and medical problems, long-term quality of life, and reduced life expectancy
Implications to current approaches to clinical management of ADHD

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/10/2022

ADHD, Neurodiversity, and Clinical Practice

Is ADHD a disorder, a difference, or a gift? And how does our response to that question inform our clinical work with clients presenting with different attentional and executive functioning?

Powerful collaboration with clients who are not neurotypical requires cultural competency and a willingness to learn on the part of clinicians. Best-fit intervention for brain differences like ADHD may include behavioral change on the part of the client - but when is the better course of action to identify meaningful environmental changes, schedule changes, or to expect change on the part of the people who work and live and learn with the neurodiverse client.

In this session we will begin to unpack our language around brain differences associated with the ADD/ADHD symptom constellation, and identify harm done by pathologizing terminology. We will consider “bottom-up” and “top-down” approaches to ADHD support and intervention, recognizing that success and well-being for our clients with these brain differences may include environmental/workplace/classroom accommodations as well as mindfully chosen efforts to “fit in” with a largely neurotypical population.

Program Information

Objectives

Distinguish pathologizing from neutral language for discussing and documenting ADHD features.
Develop both “top down” and “bottom up” supports for individuals with ADD/ADHD.
Integrate an appreciation and affirmation of neurodivergence in your work with the ADD/ADHD client.

Outline

How does clinical and diagnostic language support or harm our clients
ADHD - a gift, a difference, a disorder
Strategies for integrating an appreciation of neurodiversity in your clinical practice
- Collaborating rather than teaching
- Clarifying client-focused treatment goals around behavior change
- Speaking directly to “changing myself” versus “changing my environment”
- Exploring our clients’ lived experience of brain differences
Collaborating with clients and treatment team to develop both “bottom up” and “top down” supports and interventions for task avoidance, procrastination, and distractibility

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/10/2022

ADHD, Social Anxiety and Rejection Sensitivity: Moving Beyond Hello

Many children and adults with ADHD struggle with fears of embarrassment, rejection or criticism and hold back from participating in the relationships they truly desire. Following these past two years of isolation and restrictions, social anxiety and rejection sensitivity have increased for clients with ADHD of all ages.

In this session, Dr. Sharon Saline, award-winning author, international speaker and consultant will teach you how to help your clients participate in social situations with more confidence and less self-criticism. After describing how social anxiety works and its relationship to perfectionism and rejection sensitivity dysphoria, Dr. Saline will demonstrate interventions and tools to:

Improve communication skills and connection while reducing discomfort and insecurity
Initiate and maintain friendships, manage rejection sensitivity dysphoria
Promote resilience and growth mindsets in clients of all ages with ADHD

Program Information

Objectives

Demonstrate how social anxiety and rejection sensitivity dysphoria operate for children and adults with ADHD.
Develop effective strategies with clients for managing social situations and personal relationships with ease and confidence.
Determine which communication skills would best assist clients in engaging in clear, appropriate and meaningful conversations.

Outline

Nervousness, worry and general anxiety in the brain and the body
Elements of social anxiety and rejection sensitivity dysphoria and their relationship to ADHD
Efficacy of clinical interventions and modalities for working with ADHD and social anxiety
Strategies and tools for improving connections, communication and confidence

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/10/2022

The Critical Intersection of ADHD & Addiction: Why Treating Both Matters

While the link between addiction and ADHD is well established, treatment options for those with dual diagnoses are unclear. Ongoing stigma and perceived risks around using stimulant medication for treatment can complicate the prognosis. Gender differences, traumatic experiences, age of ADHD diagnosis and family history all play a role in developing a successful continuing care plan.

In this session, view ADHD & Addiction expert, Jeremy Didier, as she shares her comprehensive approach to effectively manage both ADHD and Addiction in her practice. You’ll learn strategies you can immediately utilize with your clients including:

Executive Function Skills protocols designed to increase after care compliance
Relapse prevention & risk reduction techniques utilizing CBT, mindfulness and motivational interviewing
A well-informed clinical interview to identify symptoms related to ADHD and which are a result of co-morbid depression, anxiety and/or SUD
Critical psychoeducation on ADHD symptom manifestation for the dually diagnosed and impact of the bi-directional relationship between ADHD and Trauma on clients in recovery
Assessment tools aimed at stopping the inter-generational cycle of chaos - ensuring at risk families get the knowledge and support they need
Integrated community and healthcare management strategies to ensure continuum of care

Program Information

Objectives

Integrate treatment options for clients with co-morbid ADHD and Substance Use Disorder.
Support clients navigating recovery options and executive function challenges to improve treatment outcomes.
Distinguish between pre and post treatment symptoms of ADHD in the individual with co-morbid substance use disorder.
Defend the necessity of evaluating clients with substance disorder for co-morbid ADHD.

Outline

Is it ADHD, Addiction, or Both
- Assessment & Diagnosis
- Trauma Informed ADHD
- Childhood v Adult onset
Meds, Mindfulness and Management
- Treatment Options
- Relapse prevention/Risk reduction/Symptom Management
- CBT & EF Skill Development
Communicating, Connecting and Championing
- Psychoeducation – acceptance, prevention, identification
- Integrated Healthcare & Community management
- Recovery speed bumps & roadblocks
- Stigma or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/10/2022

ADHD Struggles with Self-Esteem and Labels: An Insider's Perspective with Ari Tuckman and Jessica McCabe

If ADHD is a disorder, can it also be a gift or even a superpower? Some people say that it is. People with ADHD are often acutely aware of their struggles which can ravage self-esteem, so it’s natural to seek ways to feel better about themselves. It’s certainly true that individuals with ADHD have many gifts, but there are risks to claiming that ADHD itself is what provides those gifts.

In this session, view Ari Tuckman and Jessica McCabe as they integrate the impact of ableism on how disorders are defined, address the risks of toxic positivity, and assist clients to navigate social expectations for performance.
You’ll discover:

Why it matters whether someone “has ADHD” or “is ADHD”
Benefits of conceptualizing ADHD through the lens of neurodiversity
Help clients recognize ADHD traits as potential strengths in some situations, but liabilities in others
The negative impact of medicalization, pathologizing, and pharmaceutical profiteering on ADHD

Don’t miss this dynamic duo - critically acclaimed author and presenter and podcaster, Ari Tuckman, and film actor, creator and star of award-winning YouTube channel How to ADHD and TEDx presenter, Jessica McCabe!

Program Information

Objectives

Respond effectively and compassionately to clients who say that ADHD is a gift.
Integrate numerous perspectives on how to define ADHD in a more clinically useful way.
Support clients with ADHD to balance others’ performance expectations with an accurate self-assessment of their abilities.

Outline

Why do some people say ADHD is a superpower?
- Benefits of conceptualizing ADHD through the lens of neurodiversity
- Using individual gifts to counterbalance the many struggles
- The problems with medicalization, pathologizing, and the pharmaceutical profit motive
The Dark Side of ADHD as a Gift
- Support clients’ self-identity while still advocating for treatment
- Identify toxic positivity and the fallout when a client can’t also be as successful as they “should be”
- Compassion to challenge the fragility of seeing ADHD as a gift when a client’s life offers contradictory evidence
A More Nuanced (and resilient) Self-Esteem
- Promote clients’ accurate self-awareness to help them choose appropriate strategies, settings, and expectations
- Help clients recognize ADHD traits as potential strengths in some situations, but liabilities in others
- Promote a strengths-based approach that acknowledges social impacts on self-assessment
Balancing Acceptance with Growth
- Help clients own their ADHD in an empowering way that fits all of who they are
- Why it matters whether someone “has ADHD” or “is ADHD”
- Promote a definition of ADHD that strengthens clients’ sense of agency

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/10/2022

Let’s Talk About Stigma: Normalizing ADHD in Black and other Marginalized Communities

Living with ADHD is hard. And like with most things, being Black, poor, or from any traditionally marginalized community makes it even harder—every challenge and issue are multiplied exponentially.

In these communities, ADHD is not only over diagnosed and undiagnosed, but also both overtreated and undertreated, and largely is ignored, dismissed—or even worse—ridiculed. This session will focus on strategies for addressing:

Where and when Stigma about ADHD occurs including within the nuclear and/or extended family
How diagnosis and treatment fears manifest Stigma and the impact on educational and social outcomes
Building an ADHD community of family, friends and the right professionals

View this must-see training to transform your treatment of ADHD marginalized clients.

Program Information

Objectives

Determine where and when Stigma about ADHD in marginalized clients occurs including within the nuclear and/or extended family.
Demonstrate how ADHD diagnosis and treatment fears in marginalized clients manifest Stigma and the impact on client outcomes.
Integrate strategies for helping clients build an ADHD community comprised of family, friends and the right professionals.

Outline

Where and when does Stigma about ADHD Occur
- External sources
- Marginalized communities
- Within the family
How Stigma Manifests: Diagnosis and Treatment Fears due to Stigma
- Historical medical maltreatment and trauma
- Symptoms and/or needs being ignored or unmet
- Labeling children or setting them on the school to prison pipeline
Addressing the Challenges of Stigma in Marginalized Communities
- Strategies for dealing with friends and family
- Finding the right professionals
- Creating community - building your ADHD
- Normalizing ADHD in our communities

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/11/2022

Mindfulness Based Strategies for Overcoming Complex ADHD in Youth and Families

ADHD is a wide-ranging and chronic medical disorder, affecting not only academics but communication and relationships, health and wellbeing, time management, emotionality, and stress. In this session, view Dr. Mark Bertin, internationally acclaimed developmental pediatrician, author, and mindfulness teacher, who will give you the tools to make a positive impact on families and children’s quality of life, self-esteem, and well-being by:

Managing stress and reactivity caused by ADHD – which undermines ADHD when unaddressed
Developing increased flexibility and objectivity in navigating difficult decisions related to ADHD
Building an ability to sustain new habits required in the management of ADHD
Supporting healthy communication, relationships, and compassion
Discussing mindful care as an evidence-based practice in mental health practice to emphasize resilience, unbiased awareness, communication, and compassion

Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how mindfulness is vital to overcoming this complex medical disorder of self-management!

Program Information

Objectives

Employ mindful care as an approach that builds self-awareness and emotional awareness, leading to relationship-centered, compassionate and successful care.
Determine ways mindful care incorporates into treatment of ADHD across lifespan.
Integrate research regarding potential benefits of direct training in mindfulness meditation to foster self-regulation and executive function with and without ADHD.
Demonstrate basic mindfulness exercises that can be immediately incorporated into a daily practice.
Determine accessible steps providers and families can take to be more mindful in approaching ADHD management.

Outline

Mindfulness Practice to Manage ADHD, Stress & EF Deficits
- Cognitive skills to manage, coordinate, organize and plan
- Chronic, excessive stress caused by ADHD
- Effects on quality of life
Mindfulness to Build Resilience
- Increase flexibility and objectivity in decision making
- Foster self-regulation
- Sustain new habits
Mindfulness Practice for Effects on Emotional Management Skills
- Ability to notice emotion without immediately reacting
- Difficulty with frustration tolerance, tantrums and anger
- Develop patience and awareness towards whatever is happening
- Develop emotional awareness directly
- Experience challenging emotions with less reactivity
 Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practice
- ADHD Effects on Self
- Increase self-esteem, mindset and self-confidence
- Benefits for self, and behavior towards others
Support Healthy Communication, Relationships & Compassion
- School, Family, Health
- Complex medication decisions
- Proactive habit change for parents and children
- Nonjudgmental awareness - ability to see clarity without bias
- Letting go of reactivity and habitual assumptions

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/11/2022

Rebuilding Trust in ADHD-Impacted Relationships

Trust can be one of the first casualties when any couple struggles--and unfortunately, their doubts can be easy to justify based on their partner's behavior. The presence of ADHD symptoms can significantly exacerbate this downward spiral and complicate the recovery of trust – partly because ADHD symptoms, executive function deficits, and emotional dysregulation diminish consistency and reliability in ADHD partners, but also because of how the non-ADHD partner responds to them.

In this session, Orlov and Tuckman will share tools and techniques for the common breaches of trust in ADHD-impacted relationships including:

How ADHD changes typical parameters of trust
Individualized and interactive strategies for improving reliability in the relationship
Why and how couples should use a boundaries hierarchy to delineate where to focus their efforts in rebuilding their trust in each other
Techniques for improving responses to disagreements or areas of trust destruction
Repair both ‘misdemeanor’ and ‘felony’ breaches of trust in their relationship

Program Information

Objectives

Demonstrate strategies to help couples more accurately categorize “misdemeanor” and “felony” breaches of trust.
Determine strategies to help couples select target symptoms (in both partners) that, when addressed, will provide a solid basis for rebuilding trust.
Evaluate the merits of different action plans to help speed the recovery of trust (symptom-related; behavioral; emotional; interactive).

Outline

ADHD and Trust – It’s Complicated!
- ADHD is the obvious culprit—but what else is it hiding?
- When the problem is the other partner’s reaction to ADHD moments
- Sometimes the problem isn’t about ADHD at all—but it still needs to be addressed
The Elements of Trust – Accommodating ADHD without Diminishing Either Partner
- Help partners identify what really matters—and what they can flex on
- Greater consistency—but how much is necessary?
- Better responses to disagreement and disappointment
- Improve honesty before, during, and after disagreements
Paths to Rebuild Trust, Based on Situation and Symptoms
- Manage ADHD more effectively to reduce relationship stress
- Create better systems to manage responsibilities collaboratively
- Negotiate —balance good effort with reasonable expectations
- Direct confrontation of highly problematic behavior

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/11/2022

Effectively Keep ADHD Clients On-Time & On-Task: Step-by-Step Guide to Building Accountability Relationships

Despite wanting to do better, many adults with ADHD feel intense shame, anxiety, stress, and depression related to time-blindness, overwhelm, missed deadlines, strained relationships, poor job performance, financial penalties, and letting people down. Drawing on insights from over 1800 hours of facilitating accountability groups with over 950 adults in more than 55 group coaching sessions, ADHD expert, Eric Tivers, LCSW, MSSW, will teach you how to effectively keep your clients on track with their goals and intentions. Attend and learn:

How to structure accountability relationships (individual, group, dyads) to support short and long term goals
What healthy and productive accountability looks like vs co-dependency
The three pillars of success for neurodivergent individuals
Importance of building trust and why conflict is critical in building trust
Ways to develop community to foster connection and understanding

View this session to learn how to help your clients build supportive bridges to close the gap between good intentions and actions! With accountability relationships there are no power imbalances. It’s not punitive. And, it’s NOT shaming! Register today!

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate between accountability and co-dependence in the context of ADHD coaching.
Develop an accountability framework to use with clients and peer support accountability groups.
Propose five structured ways to use accountability to help achieve short-term and long-term goals.

Outline

What Makes Teams Thrive and What Makes Them Dysfunctional
Accountability Strategies to Support Executive Functioning Challenges including stopping, starting, transitioning, inhibition, focus, self-care, and more
Powerful Questions to Create Shame-free Accountability
Accountability in Action

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/11/2022

Comorbidities, Communities, & Next Steps for ADHD Treatment: A Panel Discussion

ADHD rarely travels alone—comorbidities are common. ADHD also travels far—it occurs among every subpopulation. And yet, ADHD is often under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated when a client doesn’t fit the stereotypical mold or when cultural factors make diagnosis and treatment more complicated.

In this session, view this panel of experts for a lively discussion of the future of ADHD diagnosis and treatment. We’ll discuss how:

To treat ADHD in the presence of significant anxiety or substance abuse—or even identify it
You go beyond the child with ADHD to help the entire family manage it more effectively
You go beyond the adult with ADHD to help the couple function better
Mindfulness is often touted as a recommendation - what can we really expect from it

Program Information

Objectives

Determine how ADHD contributes to comorbid conditions.
Address the influence of cultural and other subpopulation factors on resistance to diagnosing and treating ADHD.
Intervene with clients at the level of families and couples.

Outline

ADHD as a driver of comorbidities
- Pervasive impact of poorly managed ADHD on functioning and happiness
- Intersection of ADHD and other mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and substance abuse
- Which do you treat first?
Beyond just hyperactive boys: ADHD is often there, even if you don’t look for it
- Hiding in plain sight (if you know what to look for it)
- When ADHD symptoms are attributed to other conditions
- Why are some clinicians so resistant to addressing ADHD?
- ADHD in diverse populations and the impact of biases and hesitancies
The Future of ADHD treatment
- Standard interventions work well—why don’t more clinicians use them?
- The many benefits of mindfulness
- Going beyond the individual—treating couples and families

Target Audience

Counselors
Educators/Teachers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Physicians
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers

Copyright : 11/11/2022

Russell Barkley, Ph.D. on ADHD in Children and Adolescents: Advances in Diagnosis, Treatment and Management

Watch world-renowned ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley in a 3-hour seminar highlighting new insights in the diagnosis, treatment and management of ADHD. Packed with recent research and practical application, this webcast is a must-see for anyone who works with kids and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD

Follow along with Dr. Barkley as he walks you through:

His latest research findings and what that means for treatment and management of ADHD today
How to differentiate between ADHD and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) – and why it matters
The startling correlation between untreated ADHD and premature, severe health problems
Why an ADHD diagnosis lends itself to significant health problems and shorter life expectancy
The evolution of ADHD as more than just an educational or mental health problem
14 best principles for managing ADHD in children and teens
An update on the most recent evidence-based treatment recommendations

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn from a legend in the mental health field!

Program Information

Objectives

Determine the health problems that are negatively affected by ADHD and how to use this knowledge to appropriately revise intervention approaches.
Evaluate the diagnostic criteria of ADHD to the clinical features of SCT as suggested in the most recent literature.
Analyze 14 principles that will promote better executive functioning and self-regulation for children and teens with ADHD.

Outline

The Costs of Undertreated ADHD

Why ADHD may be the disorder “behind the curtain” of significant health problems
Risk factors: suicide, self-injury, obesity, substance abuse, diabetes and shorter life expectancy
Your role in educating kids, caregivers and medical professionals on the health risks of ADHD
How to broaden your assessment beyond the DSM-5® to include diet, nutrition, sleep and quality of life

The Future of Diagnosis and Treatment

Dr. Barkley’s most recent research – and what it means for you as a helping professional
Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) – ADHD’s lesser known, but just as prominent and debilitating cousin
Comparing SCT and ADHD – Demographics, Comorbidity, Risks and Impairments
Why SCT is often diagnosed as “ADHD – Inattentive Type” or “ADD”
Crucial differences in treatment recommendations for SCT v. ADHD

14 Best Principles for Managing ADHD in Children and Teens

Understanding ADHD as a disorder of executive functioning and self-regulation
The latest evidence-based treatment recommendations for improving:
- Self-awareness
- Time management
- Emotional self-control
- Self-motivation
- Planning and problem solving
- And more!
Recommendations on what to avoid – and why – with kids who have ADHD

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Marriage and Family Therapists
Speech Language Pathologists
Teachers
School Administrators
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Nurses
Addiction Counselors
Other Helping Professionals Who Work with Children

Copyright : 06/10/2021

Managing ADHD in School: The Best Evidence-Based Methods

Education is the most prevalent domain of impaired major life activities associated with ADHD in children and teens with more than 90% of them having significant problems functioning effectively in this setting. School is also the most seriously impaired domain relative to all other domains such as family, peer, and community functioning. Mental Health professionals therefore are routinely called upon to advise families and educators on the most appropriate methods for managing ADHD related symptoms, behavioral problems, and academic performance difficulties in school settings. This recording contains more than 80 recommendations for school management strategies to deal with ADHD children and adolescents.

Program Information

Objectives

Communicate the nature of ADHD and its deficits in executive functioning that directly impact school adjustment
Employ a variety of behavioral methods that can be used in the management of ADHD symptoms and associated behavioral and learning problems in children and teens.
Execute a variety of school accommodations that can be made to the curriculum and physical environment to reduce the degree of impairment in school functioning that may be associated with ADHD in children and teens.

Outline

Understanding the Symptoms of ADHD as Deficits in Executive Functioning
Touchstone Principles for Management
Classroom Management: Basic Considerations
Ideas for Deskwork
About That Homework
Instructional Tips
Peer Tutoring
Behavioral Contracts
Increasing Incentives
Using School-Home Reports & Home-Based Consequences
- Daily School Report Cards
Problems with Transitions? Make a Transition Plan
Externalizing Rules and Time
Disciplinary Tactics
Keys to Effective Time Out
The Challenging Horizons Program for Teens
Other Tips for Teens
Conclusions

Target Audience

Psychologists
Social Workers
Counselors
Teachers/Educators
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses, Addiction Counselors
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Other Mental Health Professionals

Copyright : 09/28/2018

Alternative Learners and "Outside the Box" Thinkers: Innovative Interventions for Kids & Teens with ADHD, Autism, and Learning Differences

With remote and hybrid learning on the rise, students who are considered “alternative learners” – those with ADHD, Autism, and learning disabilities – are facing unprecedented challenges as they pivot to meet the demands of this new educational era.

Watch Dr. Sharon Saline in this recording that dives into practical, collaborative tools for addressing the educational and mental health concerns of kids who learn differently. Packed with insight and concrete strategies, this program will prepare you, your clients/students, and their families for a successful school year, including how to:

Navigate remote, in-person, and hybrid learning models that aren’t designed with them in mind
Increase motivation, goal-directed persistence, time management, and organizational skills
Identify potential mental health issues related to learning challenges for non-neurotypical children and adolescents
Support families — create effective daily routines, manage stress, and build connection

If you work with kids and teens, this training is a must!

Program Information

Objectives

Assess for potential mental health issues related to learning challenges for non-neurotypical children and adolescents.
Utilize interventions to help alternative learners improve motivation, goal-directed persistence, time management, and organizational skills.
Determine appropriate levels of scaffolding to best aid student learning and improve engagement.

Outline

Who are Alternative Learners?

“Outside the box” thinkers: So many strengths!
Issues related to unequal access for services and learning.
Co-existing conditions and how to intervene (especially anxiety)
What the research tells us about alternative learners and related diagnoses

Executive Functioning (EF) Skills

How to identify EF skill deficits
Strategies to improve EF skills at home and school
Motivation, procrastination, and disorganization

Hybrid Learning: Interventions for Virtual and In-Classroom Education

Challenges specific to alternative learners and their families
Parent v. student roles with homework, responsibility, and monitoring
Reduce conflict and improve connection within families
Tools for collaboration, consistency and communication

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Marriage and Family Therapists
Educators
School Psychologists
School Counselors
School Social Workers
Educational Paraprofessionals
School Administrators
Speech-Language Pathologists
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Nurses
Case Managers
Other Helping Professionals Who Work with Children

Copyright : 08/21/2020

A Student-Driven Approach to Support Executive Skills: Empower Youth to Take Control of Their Own Learning

The large-scale shift from in-person learning to remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic revealed the critical role executive skills play in supporting learning in students of all ages.

As students return to classrooms this fall, teachers and other school-based professionals have an opportunity to empower students to take control of their own learning through a focus on executive skills. 

Join Dr. Dawson as she teaches you a student-driven approach that engages students in a discussion about their learning, what they learned from remote and hybrid learning, and how to incorporate their input in a curriculum that teaches them how to:  

Assess their own executive skill strengths and challenges  
Identify barriers to effective learning and overcome those barriers  
Troubleshoot when strategies don’t work  
Set goals that are personal, meaningful, and attainable

Students will be in greater control of their learning and teachers will be satisfied in seeing movement toward self-management and self-determination in the students they work with! 

Program Information

Objectives

Engage students in a discussion about what they learned from remote and hybrid learning and how to make in-person learning more effective.
Use tools to assess student executive skill strengths and challenges.
Design a curriculum to teach students about executive skills that includes 1) identifying their own executive strengths and challenges; 2) recognizing barriers that impede effective deployment of executive skills; 3) generating effective strategies for overcoming those barriers; and 4) setting learning and performance goals that are student-driven.

Outline

Student Voices
How schooling and learning works best for them
What they learned from remote and hybrid learning

Use Student Input to Meet their Needs
Ways to engage students in a discussion about their learning
How to make in-person learning more effective
Best ways to structure classrooms and schooling

Curriculum to Teach Students About Executive Function Skills
Tools to assess student executive skill strengths and challenges
Barriers that impede effective deployment
Promote student self-management and self-determination

Target Audience

Psychologists
Social Workers
Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
School Administrators
Teachers/School-Based Personnel

Neurological Approaches to Treat Children with Complex Trauma, Autism, ADHD, & SPD

Sought after occupational therapist, Dr. Varleisha Gibbs PhD, OTR/L guides you on a journey. Dr. Gibbs walks you through the foundations for selecting appropriate interventions for children displaying challenging behaviors such as hyperactivity, aggressiveness, self-stimulatory, and inattentiveness amongst other concerns. Working with diagnoses such as Complex Trauma, Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorders can be extremely challenging.

View this 2-hour session and gain the essential knowledge of the underlying neuroanatomical connections to help you better select and develop appropriate interventions for children who display challenging behaviors, such as hyperactivity, aggressiveness, self-stimulatory, and inattentiveness. Through virtual brain dissection with video wet labs and video case examples, you will learn the neurological connection to the various sensory strategies, current treatment techniques, including, mindfulness, activation of the Vagus nerve, music and movement, and respiratory-based techniques. We devote analysis of specific treatment techniques from The Self-Regulation and Mindfulness Program developed by Dr. Gibbs and recently developed Trauma Treatment in Action Approach.

Program Information

Objectives

Measure the neurological connection to the various sensory strategies for treating children and adolescence diagnosed with complex trauma, Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorders.
Implement current treatment techniques such as mindfulness, activation of the Vagus nerve, music and movement, and respiratory-based techniques to improve client level of functioning.
Design neurologically tailored sensory interventions in the treatment of challenging behaviors in children, such as hyper-activity, hypo-activity, aggressiveness, self-stimulatory and inattentiveness from the Self-Regulation and Mindfulness, and Trauma Treatment in ACTION approaches.

Outline

Sensory-Motor Pathways
- Virtual Brain Dissection
- Emotional Brain - connection to functioning and behavior
- Strategies for complex trauma, autism, ADHD, SPD
Self-Regulation in Mindfulness Program and Trauma Treatment in ACTION Approach
- Improve Client’s Level of Functioning
  - Vestibular, interoception, proprioceptive, auditory, smell and vision work
  - Mindfulness, activation of Vagus nerve, music/movement and more
- Neurologically Interventions
  - Hyper-activity, hypo-activity, aggressiveness, self-stimming and more
  - Assess arousal levels – organize daily schedules and interventions
Perform an Evaluation
Develop a Treatment Plan

Target Audience

Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Chiropractors

Psychopharmacology: Essential Updates for Mental Health Professionals

If you are like a lot of therapists, many of your clients are taking psychotropic medicines prescribed by a number of different health care professionals. Despite who wrote the script, it is your responsibility to know your clients' symptoms and reactions to medications, and to coordinate their care.

This intensive focuses on providing practical and useful information about antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and medication for insomnia, as well as the tools to handle the ethical decisions that surround psychopharmacology. Get to the "bottom line" on the most prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and medication for insomnia on the market today, and learn how to discuss scope of practice with your patients in order to optimize their care. The goal is for you to leave better prepared to communicate with your clients as well as the prescribers.

Program Information

Objectives

Investigate the proper role of mental health professionals who treat clients receiving both psychotherapeutic medications and psychotherapy.
Determine the traditional medications used for the treatment of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and medications for insomnia.
Assess recent advances in the medications for depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and insomnia.

Outline

Why (and what) you should know about psychopharmacology
Questions you can expect from clients and prescribers and how to answer them
Latest information and newest medications for depression, anxiety, and insomnia

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Psychotherapists
Therapists
Marriage & Family Therapists
Addiction Counselors
Case Managers
Physicians
Nurses
Other Mental Health Professionals

Young Adults with ADHD: Navigating Academia and Adulting

When children with ADHD grow into young adulthood, needs change — and risks can increase. Stephanie Sarkis, PhD, will help you navigate a time of transition — when difficulty with transition is a symptom of ADHD. Discover evidence-based strategies for easing the frustration of young adulthood. Learn the “sweet spot” of parental involvement — not too much, not too little — and what options are available to help young adults with ADHD become active members of society living lives with meaning.

Program Information

Objectives

Prepare to speak knowledgeably with clients or their parents about medications for anxiety.
Formulate open communication with prescribers for best client outcomes.
Differentiate benefits versus side effects of ADHD medication.

Outline

Why ADHD Symptoms May Not “Show Up” Until College
How Symptoms Change into Adulthood
A Note About Taking Time Off – Gap year
Community Colleges
Learning a Trade
What an ADHD Student Looks Like
What an ADHD College Student Sounds Like
- Quotes from Students
ADHD Students and their Parents
- Dilemma of backing off/getting involved
ADHD Students Over the Traditional Age
ADHD College Students are at Increased Risk For
ADHD and Learning Disabilities
Academic Issues
Social Issues
Daily Living Skills Issues
ADHD and Learning Disabilities
Medication Issues
ADHD Medications and College Athletes
NonMedication Treatments
Recommendations for Scholarly Success
Seeking Accommodations
Recommended Accommodations
Money Tips for Young Adults with ADHD
Living with Roommates
Summary

Target Audience

Counselors
Addiction Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Occupational Therapists
Directors of Student Disability Services
College Counselors

ADHD 2.0: Shifting the Narrative from Deficits to Strengths

For all the gains we've made in understanding and treating ADHD, we still get one core component wrong: focusing on deficits rather than strengths.

In ADHD 2.0, world-renowned author Edward M. Hallowell, MD, draws on the latest science to provide an arsenal of new strategies and lifestyle hacks to help your clients thrive with ADHD, including how to:

Look at ADHD as a spectrum of traits
Enhance the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit inherent in the ADHD mind
Embrace the innate neurological tendencies as an antidote to negative thinking

As inspiring as it is practical, you will leave with the confidence to help your ADHD clients tap into the power of this mercurial condition and find the key that unlocks their potential!

Program Information

Objectives

Apply a non-medication technique based on an understanding of connectomes and neural networks on how to limit the excessive brooding and ruminating that so plagues people with ADHD.
Propose strength-based strategies to counter deficit-focused approaches associated with ADHD.

Outline

ADHD: A Spectrum of Traits
The Healing Power of Connection
Understanding the Demon of the Mind

Target Audience

Addiction Professionals
Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Psychologists
School Administrators
Social Workers
Speech-Language Pathologists
Teachers/School-Based Personnel

How Attention Works, Why It Fails, & How To Train It

Our attention system has an amazing ability to sort through countless simultaneous inputs and decide what to focus on in that moment—and then the next, and the next.

Most of the time it works well and focuses on the most important input, but we all have times when we get distracted or when our attention gets stuck. ADHD, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, and normal aging can all affect how well attention works and how clients function in their lives.

Attention is the foundation for all other cognitive processes, so how can we improve it? New high-tech options promise to improve cognitive abilities, but do they actually work, or is it just marketing hype? Clients see the advertising, so clinicians need to know how to answer their questions. We will discuss the current state of the field of brain training, where it is going, and how to evaluate claims so you can make well-informed recommendations.

Program Information

Objectives

Apply a nuanced understanding of attentional processes to clinical interventions.
Integrate an understanding of how psychiatric conditions impact attention into one’s clinical interventions.
Demonstrate a current understanding of the field of brain training into recommendations to clients/patients.

Outline

How attention works
- Attention as a filter—help clients resist the noise
- Attention as a gateway—help clients focus on the most important information in that moment
- The benefits (and limits) of sleep, diet, and exercise—be all you can be
How attention fails
- Everyday glitches that happen to all of us
- Psychiatric conditions dysregulate attention
- Evidence-based strategies to prevent the failures
Can we really train attention?
- Who are the current big players in cognitive training?
- How to cut through the claims to see what the science says
- How to answer clients’ questions about cognitive training programs
Risks and limitations

Target Audience

Psychologists
Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Social Workers
Marriage & Family Therapists

Excessive Daydreaming, Mental Confusion, and Slowed Behavior/Cognition: Current Research & Assessments for Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome

Some people have a specific type of attentional difficulties that are different from ADHD. These symptoms, like excessive daydreaming, mental confusion, and underactivity are referred to as Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS)—previously sluggish cognitive tempo. Individuals with CDS experience difficulties in their academic/occupational work and in their social relationships.

View Stephen P. Becker, PhD, psychologist, researcher, author, and speaker specializing in ADHD, sleep, and CDS in children and adolescents as he:

Breaks down CDS and its separation from ADHD
Summarizes recent research on the impact of CDS symptoms on youth and adult function
Provides current assessment approaches, including freely available rating scales to assess CDS across the life span

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to assess for ADHD’s lesser known—but just as prominent and debilitating cousin—Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome!

Program Information

Objectives

Distinguish cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) from ADHD and other mental health conditions.
Apply recent scientific findings of the impact of CDS symptoms for better academic, occupational, mental health, and social function in children and adults.
Assess CDS using reliable and valid rating scales for use with children and adults.

Outline

Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS)
- Construct
- Differentiation from ADHD and other mental health domains
Impact of CDS on Academic, Occupational, Mental Health, and Social Functioning
- What recent research says
- Apply research for overall better functioning
Measures to Assess CDS in Children and Adults
- Reliable and valid rating scales
- Risk and limitations

Target Audience

Psychologists
Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Teachers/School-Based Personnel
Marriage & Family Therapists
Social Workers
School Administrators
SLPs