Childhood Developmental Disorders: Autism Spectrum, Bipolar, ADHD, Tourette?s, & Other Related Disorders

• • Compare important features and differences in childhood disorders
• • Articulate factors contributing to the dramatic increase in childhood disorders
• • Explain how developmental disorders are neurologically related to one another
• • Describe the age of onset in relation to the stages of brain development
• • Justify the appropriateness of behavioral and communicative strategies
• • Implement educational strategies for specific disorders
• • Formulate specific methods for differential diagnosis
• • Distinguish the developmental timing of specific interventions

Why is Developmental Timing Important for Intervention?
Developmental disorders are increasing dramatically to the extent that some researchers are describing the trend as an "epidemic." Counselors, social workers, mental health professionals, and educators see more children and adolescents with developmental disorders than ever before in history. Research on the stages of brain development has demonstrated that early changes in brain growth lead to developmental disorders. The need for early diagnosis and appropriate intervention is urgent. Accurate diagnosis is essential to treatment planning and requires a working knowledge of childhood developmental disorders and clear differential diagnosis.

Multiple interventions are currently available and a wide range of treatment plans can be developed. In this extensive seminar, participants will facilitate communication; improve social and pragmatic language; discuss other research-based programs; and discover compensatory strategies for attention deficits, working memory weakness, and academic deficits. Explanation of factors contributing to increases in diagnosis will be presented along with protocols for intervention. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of each disorder, the relationship to brain development, methods for differential diagnosis, and specific, practical interventions.