UNDERSTANDING ADHD

8.0 Hour Continuing Education Credits are provided as a recorded video session if you pass the post-test following the course video content. The certificate of completion will be emailed to you within 10 minutes after passing the post-test.

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Content Areas: Counseling Theory/Practice and the Counseling Relationship Assessment

Human Growth and Development The prevalence of Attention

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Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is 7.2% or 23.5 million people in the United States alone. Our methods of diagnosing and understanding ADHD has changed dramatically over the past 20 years with new research and technology including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain. Over the course of a day, you will be introduced to how the new research has changed our theories and treatment models for ADHD and glimpse into what the future research may inform our understanding of this previously perplexing and misunderstood diagnosis in children as well as adults.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an ever growing field of study. Important updates because of the latest research requires a change in the tools for the management of symptoms that professionals use. This comprehensive course will review the evidence and breakthroughs provided by research as well as undoing past misconceptions and errors in past research.

Areas of focus for the course will include the neurological impacts of ADHD, including development into adulthood. Practice on using behavior charts as well as reviewing the complications that can arise will be completed. Identifying common problems with misdiagnosis as well as issues related to co-morbidity will be completed through the use of case vignettes. Steps for treatment/symptom management will be broken down into obtainable steps with time to discuss complications and considerations of using accommodations in school settings.

This course will complete an overview of the most common questions caregivers and educators have about ADHD to provide the learners with prepared responses to the questions in digestible and simple terms. The seminar will be presented through zoom and will include time for questions, practicing skills, and interacting with others in the course.

Workshop attendees can expect to:

· Review research on the impacts of ADHD throughout childhood and into adulthood.

· Develop skills to be able to engage in psychoeducation with families and teachers.

· Explore common secondary impacts of ADHD and their impacts on functioning. A. Objectives

List learner's objectives in behavioral terms.

Objective 1) Learner will be able to identify and address at least one of the common misconceptions of ADHD

Objective 2) Learner will be able to identify the importance of standardization of ADHD criteria

Objective 3) Learner will be able to identify at least five diagnostic criteria and one common impact of symptoms

Objective 4) Learner will be able to identify steps to differentiate attentional or hyperactive problems due to other disorders or due to ADHD

Objective 5) Learner will be able to identify one reason for the use of a clinical scale and the steps for diagnosis of ADHD

Objective 6) Learner will be able to give psychoeducation to others about the impacts of ADHD within the brain

Objective 7) Learner will be able to use behavior charts in the management of ADHD symptoms effectively and list the six steps for treatment management

Objective 8) Learner will be able to identify some of the known contributors to the symptoms of ADHD as well as be able to identify how to manage complexities of ADHD symptom management

Workshop Outline and Areas of Focus
1)    (Objective 1 and 2) History and Misconceptions
    a)    Early 20th century
        a.    Nomenclature
        b.    Treatment 
        c.    Correlations
    b)    Mid 20th century
        a.    Developmental evidence
        b.    Social/environmental evidence 
        c.    Treatment
    c)    Late 20th century
        a.    Testing
        b.    Adult ADHD
        c.    Criteria Standardization

2)    (Objective 3) DSM diagnosis (don’t call it ADD)
    a)    DSM introduction
        a.    What is a ‘diagnosed’
        b.    Nomenclature
        c.    Clinical cutoffs
    b)    Symptoms vs. syndrome in DSM
    c)    Where in the DSM it is identified: (neurological)
    d)    Hyperactivity/Impulsivity symptoms
        a.    Sleep and regulation
        b.    Emotional regulation
        c.    “distance” between impulse and thinking of consequence
    e)    Inattention symptoms
        a.    Malfunction of attention systems
        b.    “But they can play video games for hours”
        c.    Mind Wandering
    f)    Combined symptoms
    g)    Gender and diagnosis
    h)    Prevalence rates 2.5-5% or up to 7.3%
    i)    Discussion #1

3)    (Objective 4) Co-morbidity and Differential Diagnosis 
    a)    Nomenclature
    b)    For children
        a.    Trauma 
        b.    Oppositional defiant disorder
        c.    Autism Spectrum Disorders
    c)    Brain injuries- severe and mild concussions
    d)    For adults
        a.    Major Depressive Disorder
        b.    Generalized anxiety disorder
        c.    Bipolar I and Bipolar II
        d.    Substance use disorders
    e)    Addiction
    f)    Intermittent explosive disorder
    g)    Reactive attachment disorder
    h)    Discussion #2

4)    (Objective 5) Assessment and Diagnosis
    a)    Steps to diagnose
    b)    Scales/screeners
        a.    Vanderbilt
        b.    Adult scales
    c)    Interviews 
    d)    Show items used for research
        a. N-back 
        b. go-no-go
        c. Stroop test and button pushing task)
    e)    Behavioral observations
    f)    Heritability
    g)    Mis-diagnosis and misinformation
    h)    Discussion #3

5)    (Objective 6) Neurobiology
    a)    Attention (suppression) and direction (work horses).
    b)    Age (every 3 year old has ADHD?) 
    c)    Sleep and resting state data
    d)    Memory issues (encoding vs retrieval) 
    e)    Emotional lability and development
    f)    Brain development and neuroplasticity
    g)    Discussion #4

6)    (Objective 7) Treatment and Symptom Management
    a)    Treatment considerations
    b)    Typical steps for treatment
        a.    Psychoeducation
        b.    Coping skills
        c.    Behavioral management 
        d.    Pharmacotherapy
        e.    Co-occurring symptoms treatment
    f.    Evaluation for (other) ac    commodations 
    c)    Measurements, clinical scales, and psychometrics.
    d)    Therapy
        a.    Techniques and interventions
        b.    Symptom management
        c.    Drop out
    e)    Medications
        a.    Stimulants 
        b.    Non-stimulants
    f)    Schooling or work accommodations
    g)    Electronic use
    h)    Management techniques and “alternatives”
    i)    Discussion #5

7)    (Objective 8) Latest research in genetics and developments 
    a)    Genetics overview
    b)    Sleep regulation and ADHD genetic research overlap
    c)    Addiction and gene phenotypes
    d)    Treatment “cures”
    e)    Future research directions
    f)    Discussion #6

Other Course Information:

Partial credit/partial attendance is not allowed for this course.

If you have any questions about this course or would like to request accommodations, you can contact us.

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