DAY 3: December 6, 2023
Workshop #12: Optimizing & Supporting the ADHD Brain
PRESENTED BY Caroline Buzanko, Ph.D., R. Psych
MORNING SESSION | 8:30am - 11:45am
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This session is available for live stream.
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex, heterogeneous disorder. When left unmanaged, ADHD is associated with long-term pervasive impairment across all areas of functioning. Recent models of ADHD have conceptualized ADHD as a disorder of behavioural inhibition, impairing executive functioning (EF), which lead to difficulties with self-regulation, organizing and planning behaviours, attention, and distractibility.
Given the substantial risk for students with ADHD, conducting valid and collaborative assessments, as well as developing effective interventions to promote student success, are critical to mitigate associated impairments and long-term risks. In this learning series, clinicians, educators, and families will develop a 360° understanding of ADHD to promote student success in all areas of functioning. Participants will learn more about the ADHD brain, how EF deficits manifest, self-regulation, effective teaching practices, and practical strategies to optimize the ADHD brain and the child’s overall social, emotional, and behavioural functioning. Practical case-base material is presented so participants can easily adapt strategies to meet the unique needs of their students.
Importantly, there are essential components to optimize assessments and interventions that are not widely known. This workshop is therefore vital for anyone working with children with ADHD. Participants will learn the critical steps to take to address the shortcomings of diagnostic assessments. Further, participants will learn imperative approaches to overcome the gaps that medications and behaviour modification cannot address.
When managed effectively, ADHD is an asset that supports individuals’ successes. There are so many positive qualities of ADHD that need to be celebrated, which are also addressed. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a renewed outlook on ADHD, and they will be better equipped to identify ADHD and design and implement effective intervention programs for children with ADHD.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Develop a 360° understanding of ADHD and executive functions
Identify key assets of ADHD and how to optimize them
Identify associated comorbidities and how they complicate the presentation and treatment of ADHD
Implement strategies to conduct effective assessments and obtain valid diagnostic results
Address shortcomings of assessment practices and to promote accurate results and parents’ acceptance of their child’s diagnosis
Integrate assessment data to highlight areas of strengths and challenges and inform effective intervention
Create a toolbox of practical strategies they can individualize and use immediately to help kids with ADHD in all areas of functioning, including at home, at school, and within relationships
Workshop #14: Addressing the Emotional Roots of Anxiety & Agitation: An Attachment-Based Developmental Approach
PRESENTED BY Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D.
MORNING SESSION | 8:30am - 11:45am
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This session is available for live stream.
There is currently an epidemic of anxiety and agitation affecting children and teens which can take many forms including attention problems, clinginess, eating problems, obsessions, compulsions, phobias, panic, sleep issues, physical illnesses, as well as a host of other perplexing behaviours. Today’s world can create many challenges for children and youth with school pressures, peer interactions, family dynamics, negative self-image, perfectionism, and many other stressors that can impede a child’s ability to learn and mature. Whether it’s the natural, episodic worries or more profound and crippling versions of anxiety, Dr. Neufeld will help make sense of the roots of anxiety and agitation and suggest ways in which we can help bring the anxious and agitated to rest.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Understanding the spectrum of syndromes that are all rooted in the primary emotion of alarm
Appreciating the attachment roots of anxiety and agitation
Exposing the emotional root of most attention problems
Equipping with solutions that are both natural and developmental
Workshop #15: Optimizing Self-Regulation & Managing Big Emotions
PRESENTED BY Caroline Buzanko, Ph.D., R. Psych
AFTERNOON SESSION | 12:45pm - 4:00pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This session is available for live stream.
In today’s world, our children and youth face an unprecedented level of stress and pressure, making it hard to effectively self-regulate and manage day-to-day stressors. As parents, educators, and mental health professionals, it’s essential that we equip ourselves with effective strategies to help children and teens develop the skills they need to navigate life’s challenges. When they don’t know how to manage those emotions, problem behaviours often result and can negatively affect their physical, psychological, academic, and social well-being. For many, they struggle to meet even the most basic expectations. It is essential they receive the right support.
Join us for a transformative workshop designed for mental health professionals, educators, parents, and caregivers to build self-regulation and emotional management skills in children and teens. During this workshop, you’ll learn evidence-based interventions and practical tools to promote healthy self-regulation and emotional management skills in children and youth. This workshop will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children and teens you work with. Join us in this engaging and practical workshop, where you will leave with the skills and knowledge to empower children and youth to manage their emotions, overcome challenges, and build resilience.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Explain self-regulation and emotional management in children and teens.
Identify the role of emotions and how they show up.
Differentiate misbehaviour from stress behaviour.
Address the sensory, language and executive functioning processing deficits that get in the way of self-regulation.
Discuss the importance of co-regulation and how to best support children and teens.
Teach children and teens what they need to know boost their emotional literacy.
Apply practical evidenced-based tools and techniques to promote healthy emotional regulation and coping skills in children and teens.
Implement techniques to help children and teens cope with challenging situations.
Develop an increased capacity to support children and teens in their emotional needs.
Workshop #17: Why Our Children's Mental Health Is Deteriorating & What Can Be Done About It
PRESENTED BY Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D.
AFTERNOON SESSION | 12:45pm - 4:00pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This session is available for live stream.
The alarming rise in anxiety, depression, despair, and attention problems, begs for an explanation. The prevailing premise blames the social isolation experienced during the pandemic. When the dots are joined however, another picture emerges that reveals the attachment roots of mental health. This current mental health crisis provides us with a unique opportunity to understand the underlying dynamics, giving us a guide to better take care of our children, our students and ourselves.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Gaining insight as to the attachment and emotional roots of mental health
Making sense of how the pandemic affected the mental health of students
Appreciating how peer orientation predisposes to mental health problems
Understanding why self-care for children can be counterproductive
Being equipped with developmental interventions for the prevention and reversal of mental health problems
