Connections and Psychology & Counseling Host the 20th Annual ADHD and Related Concerns Conference
Hattiesburg Clinic Connections and Psychology & Counseling recently hosted the 20th Annual ADHD and Related Concerns Conference at William Carey University in Hattiesburg. The mission of the conference is to educate and inspire the community to better diagnose, treat and care for those with ADHD and coexisting disorders.
This year’s theme, “It takes a village,” was created with a specific purpose. “All children and teens depend on the adults in their daily lives to support, encourage and teach them,” Jonathan W. Shook, MD, a pediatrician at Hattiesburg Clinic Connections, said. “Individuals with behavioral health concerns have unique needs that need to be met by their ‘village’,” Shook added. He also emphasized that the support for these children and teens can be many different individuals working together, including parents or other caregivers, teachers, coaches, counselors and even health care providers.
Each year the conference hosts sessions concerning ADHD, autism, dyslexia, speech-language pathology as well as behavioral and stress management. “We believe this conference is important to provide family members, teachers, counselors, other school personnel and administrators, as well as various health care therapists and providers with information and tools they need to help those with behavioral health concerns,” Dr. Shook said. “Education about these surprisingly common conditions is often minimal in training for teachers and other professions, so we want to help empower and inspire the community that surrounds and supports so many amazing individuals with neurological differences.”
When asked about the importance of hosting the event, Cena Holifield, PhD, CALT-QI, coordinator of the Dyslexia Therapy Program at William Carey University, said, “Hosting the ADHD and Related Concerns Conference at our campus provides the opportunity for our university to share their facilities and assist in providing experts to present research-based information to address the medical, emotional and academic needs of children with special needs.” William Carey University offers degrees in medical, psychological and educational fields.
Follow the link to watch the WDAM segment: https://bit.ly/465ndWx
