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Health & Fitness

ADHD Conference Sept-27. Time to Register!

The 13th annual Michael Golds Memorial AD/HD Conference will be held on Friday, September 27, 2013, at Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge Campus in Farmington Hills, Michigan.  This conference is co-sponsored by Oakland Community College and CHADD of Eastern Oakland County.  The conference begins with a keynote address, followed by a selection of three breakout sessions from an offering of 16 sessions. This is the largest regional  conference on this topic, attracting between 250 and 350 attendees each year.

The overall goal of the 13th Annual Michael Golds Memorial AD/HD Conference is to empower individuals with AD/HD, their families, friends, employers, educators and medical and mental health professionals with the most current research based information and recommendations related to AD/HD and its treatment. 

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Efforts are underway to ensure eligible attendees will have the opportunity to earn continuing education credits from the State of Michigan Department of Education if they are certified teachers or licensed school psychologists.  Social Workers have the opportunity to earn CEU credits from the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative.   

At this conference, attendees have the opportunity to learn about AD/HD symptomology, diagnostic procedures, implications across the lifespan and common comorbidities. Sessions address the impact of this disorder on executive functioning, learning, relationships and careers, treatment options, and the relationship of AD/HD to comorbidity and autistic spectrum disorders.  In addition to the keynote address, attendees will have the opportunity to attend three different breakout sessions providing information on a variety of topics, allowing attendees to delve into topics of personal interest in greater detail. The sessions offered range from basic information for those just learning about AD/HD to more advanced sessions for seasoned AD/HD professionals. 

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The presenters will include international, national and local experts on Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder.  Most of the speakers have published videos, books and articles related to the diagnosis, treatment, educational and therapeutic implications of AD/HD. 

General Conference Goals

As a result of this conference, participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Gain an understanding of the nature and course of AD/HD across the lifespan;
  • Develop an awareness of the critical components necessary for an accurate diagnosis of AD/HD in children, adolescents and adults;
  • Understand the changes in the definition of AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Disorganization and Hoarding disorders in the DSM 5.
  • Increase their understanding of the impact of AD/HD on learning, health, relationships, careers, and families;
  • Enhance their awareness and understanding of symptoms, diagnostic procedures, interventions and treatment approaches of Autism Spectrum Disorder, substance abuse, cyber addictions, anxiety, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and other common co-morbidities to AD/HD;
  • Learn the specific impact of AD/HD on relationships and learn strategies for improving communication in relationships at home, school, recreation, and work;
  • Understand the current medications and pharmacological treatment options to help manage the symptoms of AD/HD in children, adolescents and adults;
  • Understand the role of executive functioning deficits related to AD/HD in children, adolescents and adults;
  • Learn effective parenting techniques to help children transition into independent adults;
  • Understand the role of positive thinking and mind set as strategies for assisting individuals with AD/HD; and
  • Develop an optimistic understanding that with proper treatment and interventions, children and adults with AD/HD can succeed in academics, careers and relationships.

Based on the breakout sessions attended, increased understanding and knowledge of a selection of the following goals will be achieved.

Medical/Clinical Sessions

  • Gain and understanding of the current process of fine tuning the medications used to treat AD/HD in adults in order to maximize the desired responses of this particular patient over the times of the day;
  • Develop awareness of different issues/conditions that commonly co-occur and/or can closely resemble AD/HD and which can have very different implications for treatment/intervention;
  •  Understand some basic factors which distinguish AD/HD from commonly co-occurring or “mimicking” conditions;
  •   Acquire and awareness of the importance of a thorough and systematic evaluation in differentiating AD/HD from similar and related conditions;
  • Develop an awareness of the current treatment options for common AD/HD comorbidities;
  • Become aware of the direction of future research related to AD/HD and comorbidities;
  • Recognize the impact of AD/HD on brain development and resultant effects on school performance and behaviors;
  • Learn two changes in behavior that should be observed in individuals when medication is working effectively;
  • Differentiate disorganization inherent to AD/HD from disorganization brought on by anxiety, trauma or both;
  • Acquire the information to be able to recognize the early signs and symptoms of AD/HD in young children;
  • Develop an understanding of the neurological perspective of cyber addiction and the biological realities that predispose AD/HD to this growing problem;
  • Recognize the warning signs of cyber addiction and develop an action plan for dealing with excessive use.

Family and Relationships

  • Gain an understanding of the negative effects of AD/HD on relationships;
  • Develop an awareness of strategies to improve communication and change the negative mindsets of couples with AD/HD;
  • Learn practical, research-based strategies for addressing the child’s emotional and behavioral problems;
  • Develop an understanding of the importance of a solid parenting relationship with adolescents;
  •  Acquire the ability to develop house rules to help adolescent stay on track.
  • Recognize the need for resilience in parenting and the ability to change gears when approach to parenting is not working;
  • Gain some perspective of the available techniques for correcting negativity;
  • Develop an awareness of the potentially adverse impact of the DSM-V on students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or mood disorders.

 Education, Employment and Careers

  • Recognize the impact of AD/HD on brain development and resultant effects on school performance and behaviors;
  • Recognize the warning signs of cyber addiction and develop an action plan for dealing with excessive use;
  • Increase awareness of the wide array of technological applications which can be used to enhance a student’s academic success; 
  • Hear from students the applications they use to help develop executive functioning skills such as time management, self-monitoring, prioritizing, note-taking, etc.;
  • Learn two ways that executive function deficits such as working memory impact school performance and behavior;
  • Acquire the ability to start a plan for addressing disorganization based on whether it is chronic disorganization of situational/reactive disorganization;
  • Have the opportunity to see a demonstration of AD/HD coaching models and strategies which have empowered individuals with AD/HD to embrace their unique brain wiring and create the opportunities for consistent progress and fulfillment;
  • Develop awareness of the effects of destructive patterns related to self-criticism, procrastination and perfectionism;
  • Learn ways of using intention to help provide a clear path towards increased energy and positive action;
  • Be able to list three AD/HD factors that impact school performance;
  • Identify the data that needs to be collected to facilitate problem solving for a struggling student;
  • Gain an understanding of the state of special education in Michigan, at the Federal level and the political climate of state and federal legislators;
  • Become aware of the reasons parents are struggling to ensure that their children are properly identified for an Individualized Education Program or 504 plan; along with receiving a free and appropriate public education;
  • Learn strategies for overcoming procrastination and using planners to increase efficiency and ability to plan ahead.
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