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This course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education
Everyone in mental health practice comes face to face with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on a regular basis. It may be the primary reason one comes for help or it complicates and obfuscates the diagnostic and treatment process. In any case, the practitioner who has a clear understanding of the causes of ADHD and proven successful treatment approaches is well-positioned to provide maximum assistance to the patient/client.
ADHD presents an ever-changing landscape. As the mysteries of the brain unfold, thanks to brain imaging and mapping technology, so too is our knowledge of what causes and what influences ADHD symptoms. And pharmaceutical companies compete for the treatment market with psychosocial practitioners and snake-oil entrepreneurs. It often is difficult for the mental health practitioner to sort through the bulk of scientific and pseudo-scientific literature to settle on the most effective, evidence-based treatments approaches. Given that mental health practitioners are professionals rather than technicians, it is a responsibility to understand and be able to explain to others the “why” rather than just the “how”.
This course presents the “state of the art” regarding current knowledge of why ADHD happens. It begins with an overview of prevalence and of adverse outcomes of the disorder if not identified and treated early. The course then presents what is known about the functional and structural underpinnings of the disorder based on the contributions of various research approaches. The findings of studies in brain imaging, electrophysiology, genetics, and sleep are presented. The impact of various environmental factors also is discussed.
The second section focuses on treatment approaches beginning with a thorough discussion of efficacy and side-effects, and a description of specific prescription medications. Current research on psychosocial interventions for ADHD is presented. Finally, the course concludes with an overview of alternative treatments, some of which have a body of research and others that may have lots of press but little scientific evidence for their safety and efficacy.
Source: Sowell, E.R., et al (2003). Cortical
abnormalities in children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder. Lancet, 362, 1699-1707.
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Learning Objectives
After completion of the course, the mental health practitioner will be able to
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is approved by the:
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maintains responsibility for the program.
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Warren Umansky, Ph.D., is a Child Development Specialist in private practice and a school counselor. He has written extensively on child development and special needs topics. His most recent books are ADHD: Helping your child (Warner Books) and Young children with special needs (Merrill Prentice-Hall). He also has developed multimedia programs on ADHD, behavior management, and toilet training, and has published numerous journal articles in scientific and refereed journals.
Dr. Umansky has been a consultant for McNeil Pharmaceuticals and for child care programs, hospitals, and school systems throughout the United States. He is beginning work on another book on ADHD and on a series of children’s books focusing on character education. He lives in Augusta, Georgia with his wife and three children.
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All material included in this course is either in the public domain, or used with express permission.
www.psychceu.com adheres to the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists. Our courses are carefully screened by our Planning Committee to adhere to APA standards. We also require authors who compose Internet courses specifically for us to follow APA ethical standards.
Many of our courses contain case material, and may use the methods of qualitative research and analysis, in-depth interviews and ethnographic studies. The psychotherapeutic techniques depicted may include play therapy, sandplay therapy, dream analysis, drawing analysis, client and therapist self-report, clinical vignettes, etc. The materials presented may be considered non-traditional and may be controversial, and may not have widespread endorsement within the profession. www.psychceu.com maintains responsibility for the program.
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