ADHD and the Brain: Unlocking Potential

Two Tracks:
ADHD Across the Lifespan
and
College Success for Students with ADHD
Track 1 - ADHD Across the lifespan
Overview of Lifespan ADHD
Ari Tuckman, Psy.D., MBA
Research has proven that ADHD does not end with childhood. Over the course of a lifetime, the scenarios change, but the struggles might not. What does ADHD look like at each stage of life and what is the impact? This fast-paced-but-thorough presentation will help attendees learn more about this complex disorder and provides a summary… Show more of current treatment and management options, including suggestions for self-help. Don't miss this valuable session to gain a better understanding of childhood, teen, and adult ADHD. Those with good basic knowledge of ADHD will gain new insights. You'll be glad that you arrived on time!
Second Speaker:
Understanding Executive Functions and Making Them Work for You!
George McCloskey, Ph.D.
Your brain's executive functions are involved to some degree in every task you perform and interaction you have throughout each day. Executive functions are responsible for self-control, self-monitoring, self-regulation and self-determination, all of which can be difficult for children, teens, and adults with ADHD. Consider how often we are called upon to focus and sustain attention, initiate, shift, modulate, anticipate, analyze, and make decisions during our daily routines. Sometimes, just when we get things running smoothly in one area of life (school, workplace, relationships), events may create the need for us to change and adapt in another area. When individuals with ADHD struggle in their efforts to maintain an effective balance in their lives, they are often criticized for their "poor production" or "lack of adequate effort" often leading others to question their dedication to learning, work, or family. Understanding how executive functions work and how the capacity to access and use them can be improved are critical mental tools that should be in the possession of every person.
Third Speaker:
Transforming ADHD Stress into Social Connections with Success
David Giwerc, MCC, Certified Coach, Founder and President, ADD Coach Academy
At times, when it is crucial to fit in with one's peers, those with ADHD feel isolated and disconnected from others and, due to their sensitive internal radar, may misinterpret social cues. Both children and adults with ADHD often find that Executive Function challenges can interfere in their interactions with others as well as their frustration with starting and completing important tasks. The invisible challenges of impulsivity, forgetfulness, and an inability to regulate emotions can have a negative effect on getting tasks done as well as on forming new friendships. Everyday tasks and conversations can be challenging. It is difficult to simultaneously listen to the speaker, process the information, decipher body language and tone, formulate a response, wait for the right time to speak - and then act. Fortunately, there are ways to learn how to overcome these obstacles! This presentation is designed for parents and educators as well as for adults with ADHD. It will significantly improve the audience's understanding of how Executive Functions can affect the development of a confident self-image, enhanced emotional intelligence and clear communication, all necessary for the creation of successful, new connections that can lead to long-term friendships.
Track :College Success for Students with ADHD
First Speakers:
Transition from High School into College -What the Student Needs to Transition to College Successfully
Joan M. Polka, Ph.D., 2011 CHADD Educator of the Year.
What difference does it make if a student isn't sure of his/her best strategies? It's all in the documents, the documents go to the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities, and they handle it from there, right? It's not that simple. The student who is an expert about him/herself has a solid basis for selecting courses and developing successful coping strategies across varied teaching styles, tasks and time demands.
and
What the College Needs to Help the Student Transition to College Successfully
Martin Patwell, Ed.D.
The following will be discussed: What documents are required by the college; how recent those documents should be; the role of the sending school (more about RTI, IEP's, and 504) and private providers; the role of parents as their student enters or is already attending college; what the student needs to do once on a college campus; how to best use college resources and increase the likelihood of a smooth transition.
Transition to College from Current Students' Perspectives
Sharon Watson, M.A., and student panelists
Current students at West Chester University who have "been there, done that" tell it like it is. Their transitions, challenges, and routes to where they are today provide a look at what real students face in college.

Show less