Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD)

Convincing teens or young adults about the importance of sticking with a treatment plan for their ADHD proves challenging for many parents. What is the best way for a parent to support transition-age youth through a period when they reject their diagnosis or treatment completely? What if something in the treatment plan is not working? What can a parent do if they notice symptoms are becoming a problem, but the teen or young adult either is not seeing it—or does not want to discuss the matter? ADHD coach Kate Barrett shares treatment compliance strategies and tips to help parents support teens or young adults through a successful transition toward adulthood. Kate Barrett, ACG, ACC, is a writer and ADHD and EF coach and founder of Coaching Cville, providing services internationally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Her background includes extensive volunteer and advocacy roles in the public school system and ADHD expert roles in parent, couple, and student education seminars. She provides individual and group programs locally and internationally and speaks regularly to professionals, community, and industry on executive function and ADHD. Barrett’s focus is to overlay executive function theory with ADHD coaching in order to facilitate systemic scaffolding and support for those diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, she finds teaching and coaching non-ADHD caregivers and partners on the intricacies of ADHD further supports all members of the relationship through the development and practice of empathy and appreciation for neurodiversity within the family structure.

ADHD professionals recommend combining treatment approaches to address children’s ADHD symptoms. These can include social skills training, behavioral treatment, parent education and support, medication management, and coaching for older teens. But, as a parent, how do you choose the best treatment options for your child? What questions should you ask? And where do you begin to look for the answers you need? In this episode, clinical psychologist Roberto Olivardia and a parent will model the conversations you would like to have with your child’s ADHD professional or treatment provider. This discussion offers an example of the questions to ask your child’s provider. In addition, it provides a road map that may make your family’s ADHD journey a little easier. Roberto Olivardia, PhD Dr. Olivardia is a lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and students with learning differences. He also focuses on the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in boys and men. He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA, and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders.

Discover how to support a child with ADHD at school by establishing communication with teachers, seeking accommodations, and creating a support network. Gain insights from a role-playing discussion between a teacher and a parent, and learn about the challenges of remote learning for children with ADHD. Find tips for advocating for high school students and effective communication strategies for parents.

Trying to find a suitable doctor for your child with ADHD can be challenging. The key to a successful search is knowing as much as possible about ADHD, your child’s struggles, and the right questions to ask the potential provider. In fact, knowing the right questions to ask can make a big difference in the way you manage your child’s ADHD. In this role-playing episode featuring Dr. Maggie Sibley and Jami Demuth, you’ll hear how one parent interviewed a psychologist before she made her selection and scheduled her child’s first appointment. Margaret H. Sibley, PhD: Dr. Margaret Sibley is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children's Research Institute. Dr. Sibley’s work focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adolescents and young adults. She has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific papers on ADHD and published a book with Guilford Press on treating executive functioning and motivation deficits in teens. She is a member of the CHADD professional advisory board.

Some students with ADHD and learning differences need additional academic support to reach their full potential. Some parents choose to send their children to boarding school. Why? How do you know if boarding school is the right choice for your child and family? Meghan McNeill, director of the learning skills program at Christchurch School, shares insights into why some parents make the boarding school choice, discusses how the program is designed to enrich students with learning challenges and dispels myths about boarding schools. Bio: Meghan McNeill Meghan McNeill is a heart-centered and trauma-informed educator with over a decade of experience in various settings ranging from high school, higher education, to experiential learning and international education. She brings a strong sense of curiosity and unique perspective cultivated from a mental health perspective, a deep understanding of the needs of students with ADHD, anxiety, depression, and learning differences, and the benefits of her own mindfulness practice to her work with young people. She currently serves as the director of the learning skills program at Christchurch School, where she supports and advocates for the social-emotional and academic needs of neurologically diverse students.

Does your child with ADHD have difficulties with emotion regulation? How can you help a child when emotion dysregulation affects their social relationships? Psychologist Carey Heller provides insight into emotion regulation and offers practical strategies parents can use to help their children with ADHD. Carey A. Heller, Psy.D. Dr. Carey Heller is a licensed psychologist. His assessment specialties include evaluations for ADHD/executive functioning, learning disabilities, and mood/behavioral disorders in children and adolescents. Dr. Heller's therapy specialties include work with children, adolescents, and young adults for ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, and life transition issues. Learn more at CHADD.org

Are you concerned about how your child with ADHD will manage adulthood independently? Launching successfully is difficult for many young adults with ADHD. Unfortunately, our late bloomers often don’t have the necessary brain maturity and skills required to juggle the demands of transitioning to college or a full-time job at age 18. In this podcast, Dendy and Hughes share their personal experiences and strategies. They also provide information on career opportunities and ways to help your child with ADHD succeed. Chris Dendy and Ruth Hughes Bio: Chris A. Zeigler Dendy, MS, is a popular author, educator, school psychologist, and mental health professional with over 40 years of experience. She’s also the mother of three children with ADHD. Bio: Ruth Hughes, PhD, has been a national leader in ADHD for many years. During her tenure as the CEO of CHADD, she helped to launch the widely recognized Parent to Parent training program, which has helped thousands of parents learn to manage ADHD in the family.

Is ADHD affecting your sex life? In this episode, Psychologist and author Ari Tuckman talks about why it’s essential to address the relationship impact of ADHD. He also shares what his research tells us about the happiest couples and recommends specific interventions for improving sex and romance in your relationship. Ari Tuckman, PsyD, CST Ari Tuckman, PsyD, CST, has given more than 350 presentations and routinely earns excellent reviews for his ability to make complicated information understandable and useful. He is the author of four books: ADHD After Dark: Better Sex Life, Better Relationship; Understand Your Brain, Get More Done; More Attention, Less Deficit; and Integrative Treatment for Adult ADHD. His More Attention, Less Deficit podcast has more than 100 episodes and more than two million downloads. A psychologist in private practice in West Chester, Pennsylvania, he is a former member of CHADD’s board of directors and serves as the CHADD conference committee's co-chair.

Summary:   African Americans face many barriers in getting a proper ADHD evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. Practitioners need to be mindful of the historical mistreatment of African Americans by the medical community in order to better serve these patients. Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a clinical psychologist and a lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, describes specific barriers that African Americans face and how they are often misdiagnosed with behavioral problems or overdiagnosed without proper assessment. Dr. Olivardia talks about empowering African-American parents and families so they can advocate for their children, especially when facing a culturally insensitive school system or medical clinician. Additionally, he exhorts practitioners to understand the cultural context of where people of color are coming from and to help increase awareness of ADHD in the African-American community. Roberto Olivardia, PhD Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and students with learning differences. He also specializes in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in boys and men. He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA, and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders.   Learning Objectives:   Learn the barriers to evaluation and treatment that exist in healthcare and the school system for African-American children. Understand the challenges for individuals who are not accurately diagnosed or treated. Learn the factors that can increase disparities in diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. Understand how African-American parents can advocate for their children with ADHD when dealing with a culturally insensitive school or medical clinician.

Summary Children of color with ADHD often experience challenges and barriers to receiving mental health care. It is important for educators and healthcare professionals to be transcultural when providing care, and for parents to know how to advocate for their child. Stigma continues to exist in the conversation regarding mental health and ADHD. Dr. Roberto Olivardia discusses the barriers to mental health care in the Black community and offers ways in which mental health professionals and educators can provide services for different cultures. He also provides information for parents on how to help their children face these challenges. Roberto Olivardia, PhD Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a clinical psychologist and lecturer in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of ADHD, executive functioning issues, and students with learning differences. He also specializes in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in boys and men. He currently serves on the professional advisory boards for CHADD, ADDA, and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders. Objectives: Learn about the barriers to treatment for children of color with ADHD. Learn how professionals can develop cultural awareness. Gain skills on how to change the conversation about mental health and people of color. Learn how parents of color can advocate for their child. Identify how treatment can be provided equitably throughout different communities.