ADHD in motherhood: Identification and treatment

Description:  This professional training is designed for mental health clinicians, physicians, and allied health professionals seeking a deeper understanding of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in motherhood. 

Participants will be guided through the recent consensus statement on the identification and treatment of ADHD in women. Special attention will be given to how ADHD may present differently in the pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood period and how the changes associated with motherhood can exacerbate or alter ADHD symptoms.

To address the issues of underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of ADHD in the perinatal period, this training will offer an in-depth examination of several critical domains. These include the inherent limitations of conventional diagnostic criteria; diagnostic tools developed specifically for the identification of ADHD in women; the identification of symptoms that may be internalized, masked, or compensated for; comprehensive approaches to differential diagnosis of anxiety, trauma, depression, perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder, or physiological conditions; and an overview of frequently co-occurring conditions.

Participants will examine the specific challenges faced by mothers with ADHD, including overstimulation, lack of external structure, household management, emotional regulation, sleep deprivation, emotional labour, and the challenges of raising children when you have ADHD. 

Drawing on recent findings from research that center the voices of mothers with ADHD, treatment strategies will be identified that can help mothers with ADHD manage their symptoms and stressors. These include auditory accommodations, psychoeducation, the concepts of neurodiversity, positive reinforcement, technology, social media, exercise, stress management, structure, and psychological interventions. Best practices for medical management will also be addressed. 

Through clinical examples, discussion, and resource-sharing, attendees will gain the skills to recognize ADHD in the perinatal population, and to develop strength-based, practical treatment plans that reflect the realities of navigating ADHD in motherhood.  

Learning objectives: 

• The ability to describe the ways in which ADHD symptomology may present differently in women during the perinatal period and identify tools that support accurate identification. 
• How to apply differential diagnostic strategies to distinguish ADHD from commonly overlapping conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, perinatal OCD, or physiological causes. 
• The ability to develop and implement evidence-based treatment plans that incorporate psychoeducation, environmental supports, behavioural strategies, and interdisciplinary collaboration to help mothers with ADHD. 

Agenda

Day 1 – Identification of ADHD in motherhood 

• Information about ADHD in motherhood 
• Identification of ADHD in motherhood 
• Group work implementing this information 

Day 2 – Treatment strategies for ADHD in motherhood 

• Best practice in treatment of ADHD in motherhood 
• Developing treatment plans for ADHD in motherhood 
• Group work implementing this information 

Take-home handouts and client-friendly resources will be provided at the end of the session.

Audio/visual recording disclaimer: Please note that this training will be recorded. We kindly ask that you please review the audio/visual consent form.

Ontario Psychological Association employees, members, associates and affiliates can use discount code OPA15 to receive 15% off all upcoming programs (cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions/discounts).