CHADD Northern Virginia Resource Fair
October 7, 2023 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT
(info taken from https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chadd-of-northern-vadcs-2023-in-person-resource-fair-tickets-711692540547?aff=erelpanelorg)
The Northern Virginia/DC Chapter of CHADD would like to cordially invite you to the 2023 CHADD ADHD Resource Fair.
CONNECTIONS ARE KEY! That’s why ADHD Awareness Month is celebrated every October, with events and activities across the Nation.
Just as untreated ADHD can present challenges in everyday life, other disorders can also cause unnecessary suffering in individuals with ADHD and their families if left untreated. Individuals living with ADHD, mental health conditions and co-occurring conditions can move toward wellness with effective treatment, understanding, and support.
This year’s theme is “CONNECT, LEARN, AND THRIVE”.
Agenda as follows:
9:30 – 11:30 Resource Fair open to community members
11:30 – 12:30 Keynote Speaker: William Stixrud, PhD
KEYNOTE SPEAKER, William Stixrud, PhD, SPEAKING IN PERSON AT THE RESOURCE FAIR:
Lecture Title: Nurturing a Sense of Control in Kids With ADHD
Date of Lecture: Saturday, October 7, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, during the 2023 CHADD ADHD Resource Fair at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry Street SE, Vienna, VA 22180
Description:
Many children with attention disorders routinely avoid their school assignments, resist adults’ attempts to get them to work, and seem to spend little energy trying to solve their own problems. Teenagers with ADHD often commit great effort to resisting others’ attempts get them to do what likely is in their own best interest, reflecting the fact that they experience a very low sense of autonomy or control. When they start college, many of these kids are home by November 1st because they simply have not had enough experience taking responsibility for – and running – their own lives.
In this talk, Dr. Stixrud will discuss how nurturing a strong sense of control in kids with ADHD can help to develop their self-motivation and their ability to manage stressful situations successfully. He will explain the specific challenges involved in supporting a sense of autonomy or control in young people who have trouble focusing on things that don’t grab their interest, resist doing what they’re asked to, can’t sit still, and/or act impulsively. The primary focus of the presentation, however, will be on how to nurture a healthy sense of control in kids with ADHD.
Dr. Stixrud will suggest ways in which adults can help kids develop an accurate model of who’s responsible for what, e.g., by offering help rather than trying to force it, by encouraging kids to make their own decisions, by using incentives in ways that don’t undermine autonomy, and by not working harder to solve kids’ problems than the kids do. He will also discuss ideas for maintaining a close relationship with kids, which is a key to maximizing their cooperation, and for facilitating their development without trying to change them.