Title
Assessment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Necessary Components, Psychometric Considerations, and Telehealth Potential
October 27, 2021 (Wednesday), 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. CDT
Abstract
ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental condition of childhood; thus, evaluating for ADHD is likely to be an important component of many clinicians’ practices. The assessment of ADHD is complicated by the developmental nature of the disorder, nonspecific symptoms, and frequent comorbidities. This webinar will present considerations for thoroughly evaluating ADHD, including psychometric pros and cons of rating scales and performance-based tests of attention and executive functions, as well as the use of testing results to guide recommendations for interventions and accommodations. In addition, ethical and practical issues surrounding the assessment of ADHD during the COVID-19 era will be discussed, with a focus on remote/telehealth assessment.
Bio
Dr. Alison Pritchard is a licensed and board-certified child and adolescent clinical psychologist who serves as the Co-Director of the Department of Neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She also holds an appointment as assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Pritchard sees patients for psychological assessment within the Neuropsychology Department’s outpatient program.
Dr. Pritchard's research interests center around the development of an evidence base for the etiology, treatment, educational services, and accommodations for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities. She has served as principal investigator for a project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly administered academic accommodations in improving the standardized testing performance of middle school students with ADHD and learning disabilities and for a neuroimaging study of the role of brain-based iron concentrations in attention and cognitive control. Dr. Pritchard also focuses her research efforts on the effective implementation of a Learning Healthcare Systems framework.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Articulate the necessary components of a thorough ADHD evaluation.
- Understand the roles that key demographic factors (age, race, and gender) play in the selection of measures and in the interpretation of findings for an ADHD evaluation.
- Describe ethical and practical issues relevant to the remote/telehealth assessment of ADHD.