Episode Transcript
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Linton (00:00):
We were just involved in
a webinar presented by Barton
Bott on acute stress disorderand in the Zoom chat section,
one of the participants wantedmore specific information on
ADHD, which has similarcharacteristics.
So here goes.
As mental health professionals,understanding this complex
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neurodevelopmental disorder iscrucial for providing effective
treatment for clients.
Today we'll explore themultifaceted nature of ADHD, its
impact on clients across thelifespan and evidence-based
approaches to treatment.
First, let's examine thepossible etiology of the
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disorder.
Research indicates that ADHDhas a strong genetic component,
with heritability estimated ataround 74%.
Environmental factors, such asmaternal substance use during
pregnancy, exposure toenvironmental toxins and early
childhood adversity may alsocontribute to its development.
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Brain imaging studies haverevealed differences in neural
circuits involved in attention,executive function and reward
processing.
Main premise and process ADHDis fundamentally a disorder of
executive functioning andself-regulation.
These challenges manifest inthree primary domains attention
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regulation, behavioralinhibition and activity level.
The disorder impacts multiplelife areas, including academic
performance, socialrelationships, occupational
functioning and daily livingactivities.
The process of ADHD begins inearly childhood, though it may
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not be diagnosed until later.
The brain's executive functionnetwork, centered in the
prefrontal cortex, develops moreslowly in clients with ADHD.
This delayed developmentaffects working memory,
emotional regulation,organization and time management
.
What makes ADHD particularlycomplex is its presentation
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across different contexts.
A child might show excellentfocus during highly stimulating
activities, but strugglesignificantly with routine tasks
.
The disorder isn't simply aboutinability to pay attention.
It's about difficultyregulating attention
appropriately, based onsituational demands.
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Recent research has highlightedthe role of the default mode
network in ADHD.
This neural network activeduring rest and mind-wandering
ADHD.
This neural network, activeduring rest and mind wandering,
shows altered connectivitypatterns in clients with ADHD.
Understanding this neurologicalbasis helps explain why
traditional behavioralinterventions alone may not be
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sufficient for comprehensivetreatment.
Additionally, adhd oftenpresents differently across
genders.
Girls typically show moreinattentive symptoms and less
hyperactivity, which can lead tounderdiagnosis.
The disorder also frequentlyco-occurs with other conditions
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such as anxiety, depression andlearning disabilities,
necessitating carefuldifferential diagnosis and
integrated treatment approaches.
Dsm-5-tr criteria.
The DSM-5-TR maintains the corediagnostic structure for ADHD
while providing additionalclarification and context.
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The disorder is characterized bya persistent pattern of
inattention and or hyperactivityimpulsivity that interferes
with functioning or development.
Symptoms are present inmultiple settings.
The criteria are organized intotwo main symptom domains
inattention and hyperactivityimpulsivity.
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For the inattention domain, sixor more symptoms five for
clients age 17 and older mustpersist for at least six months.
These symptoms include failingto give close attention to
details or making carelessmistakes.
Difficulty sustaining attentionin tasks or play activities,
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not seeming to listen whendirectly spoken to, not
following through oninstructions and failing to
finish tasks.
Difficulty organizing tasks andactivities, avoiding tasks
requiring sustained mentaleffort, losing necessary items,
being easily distracted byextraneous stimuli and being
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forgetful in daily activities.
For thehyperactivity-impulsivity domain
, six or more symptoms five forclients age 17 and older must
persist for at least six months.
These symptoms includefidgeting or tapping hands and
or feet, leaving their seat whenremaining seated is expected,
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running or climbing ininappropriate situations.
Difficulty engaging in leisureactivities.
Quietly, being on the go oracting as if driven by a motor,
talking excessively, blurtingout answers, difficulty waiting
turn and interrupting orintruding on others.
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The DSM-5-TR specifies thatseveral symptoms must have been
present before age 12, must bepresent in two or more settings,
such as home, school, work orwith friends and or relatives,
and must clearly interfere withsocial, academic or occupational
functioning.
The symptoms must not occurexclusively during the course of
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schizophrenia or anotherpsychotic disorder and should
not be better explained byanother mental disorder.
The DSM-5-TR identifies threepresentation specifiers Combined
presentation if bothinattention and hyperactivity
impulsivity criteria are met.
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Predominantly inattentivepresentation if inattention
criteria are met buthyperactivity impulsivity
criteria are not.
And predominantly hyperactiveimpulsive presentation If
hyperactivity impulsivitycriteria are met but inattention
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criteria are not.
Severity is specified as mild,moderate or severe, based on the
number of symptoms and degreeof functional impairment.
The DSM-5-TR also emphasizesthe importance of noting partial
remission where appropriate,and includes remission
specifiers where appropriate andincludes remission specifiers.
It acknowledges that symptomsmay change over time and that
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adult presentation often differsfrom childhood manifestation.
The criteria includeconsideration of cultural
factors and gender differencesin presentation, noting that
ADHD may present differentlyacross various populations.
Adhd may present differentlyacross various populations.
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Additionally, the DSMemphasizes the importance of
considering comorbid conditions,as ADHD frequently co-occurs
with other neurodevelopmental,mental and behavioral disorders.
Assessment of ADHD Acomprehensive ADHD assessment
begins with a thorough clinicalinterview that includes detailed
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developmental history, familyhistory and current functioning
across different life domains.
The adult ADHD self-reportscale for adults or the Connors
rating scales for children andadolescents, as these provide
valuable screening informationand align with DSM criteria.
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For a more detailed evaluation,therapists typically employ the
Brown Attention DeficitDisorder scales, which
specifically assess executivefunction impairments across
various domains, includingactivation, focus, effort,
emotion, memory and action.
The Behavior Rating Inventoryof Executive Function, or BRIEF,
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provides additional insightsinto executive functioning in
real-world settings, examiningareas such as working memory,
inhibitory control and emotionalregulation.
To assess functional impactacross different environments,
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therapists often utilize theWeiss Functional Impairment
Rating Scale, which examines howADHD affects family
relationships, work performance,academic achievement, life
skills, self-concept and socialactivities.
For students, the inclusion ofboth home and school situation
questionnaires helps identifyspecific challenging contexts
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and guides intervention planning.
Continuous performance tests,like the Test of Variables of
Attention or Connors ContinuousPerformance Test, offer
objective measures of attentionand impulse control.
These computerized assessmentsare particularly valuable as
they provide quantitative dataabout attention patterns and
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response consistency over time.
For a comprehensiveunderstanding of behavior and
personality, especially inchildren and adolescents, the
Behavior Assessment System forChildren proves invaluable.
This tool incorporates inputfrom multiple sources, including
parents, teachers andself-reports, providing a
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well-rounded view of functioningacross different settings.
Rounded view of functioningacross different settings when
academic concerns are present,the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of
Achievement can help evaluatethe educational impact of ADHD
symptoms and inform educationalaccommodations.
Additionally, to addresspotential comorbid conditions,
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therapists might includedepression and anxiety
screenings.
Throughout the assessmentprocess, therapists must
maintain careful documentationof behavioral observations,
symptom patterns and functionalimpairments across different
settings.
They should also considercultural factors that might
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influence symptom presentationand interpretation.
Regular reassessment usingthese tools helps monitor
treatment progress and adjustinterventions as needed.
This comprehensive approachensures that treatment plans are
tailored to each individual'sspecific needs and challenges.
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Techniques for Working with ADHDClient.
When working with ADHD clients,a multimodal treatment approach
typically yields the bestresults.
Begin with a thoroughassessment, including
standardized measures andclinical observation across
different settings.
Collaborate with otherprofessionals such as schools,
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primary care physicians andoccupational therapists to
gather comprehensive information.
Cognitive behavioral therapyadapted for ADHD has shown
significant effectiveness.
Focus on developing specificstrategies for organization,
time management and taskcompletion.
Help clients break down largetasks into manageable steps and
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create external structures tosupport executive functioning.
Implementation of behavioralstrategies should be gradual and
consistent.
Teach clients to use tools liketimers, calendars and reminder
systems.
However, remember that the goalisn't to eliminate ADHD
symptoms, but to buildcompensatory strategies and
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enhance functioning.
Environmental modifications playa crucial role in treatment.
Work with clients to identifyand minimize distractions in
their work and study spaces.
Instruct them to recognizetheir optimal times of day for
different types of tasks and tostructure their schedules
accordingly.
Emotional regulation trainingis often overlooked but
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essential.
Many clients with ADHD strugglewith emotional impulsivity and
rejection sensitivity.
Incorporate mindfulnesstechniques and emotion
identification exercises intoyour treatment plan.
For children, parent trainingis crucial.
Teach parents to provide clear,consistent expectations and
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immediate feedback.
Help them establish routinesand structure while maintaining
flexibility for their child'sneeds.
Emphasize the importance ofpositive reinforcement and
celebration of small successes.
Medication management, whileoutside our scope of practice,
often plays a vital role intreatment.
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Terms and Definitions.
Executive Functions is definedas higher-order cognitive
processes that enablegoal-directed behavior,
including working memory,cognitive flexibility and
inhibitory control.
Hyperactivity, excessivephysical movement and
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restlessness of a client thatexceeds what's typical for
developmental level.
And restlessness of a clientthat exceeds what's typical for
developmental level.
Impulsivity, acting withoutforethought or consideration of
consequences, often manifestingas interrupting, having
difficulty waiting for a turn ormaking hasty decisions.
Inattention, difficultysustaining focus, following
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through on tasks and organizingactivities.
Working memory, the ability tohold and manipulate information
in mind over short periods.
Time blindness, difficultyperceiving and managing time
effectively a common feature ofa DHD Executive function
disorder.
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Broader term encompassingdifficulties with planning,
organization and self-regulation.
Hyper-focus, intenseconcentration on activities of
interest, sometimes to theexclusion of other important
tasks.
Mental status exam areas thatmight indicate ADHD.
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During the mental status exam,several areas may suggest the
presence of ADHD.
Observe the client's attentionand concentration throughout the
session.
Note any difficulty maintainingfocus during conversation or
tendency to shift topicsfrequently.
Assessment of behavior andpsychomotor activity is crucial.
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Look for restlessness,fidgeting or difficulty
remaining seated whenappropriate for age and context.
Observe speech patterns forrapid pace, tendency to
interrupt or difficultymaintaining coherent narrative
flow.
Evaluate thought processes fortangentiality or
circumstantiality.
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Clients may have difficultyorganizing thoughts or
maintaining a linearconversation.
Memory function Working memorymay impair holding and
manipulating information.
Note the client's insight intotheir difficulties and judgment
regarding daily decisions.
Many clients with ADHD areaware of their challenges but
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struggle to consistentlyimplement effective solutions.
Observe affect regulation andany signs of frustration or
emotional lability.
Pay attention to how the clienthandles transitions during the
session and their ability toshift between topics or tasks.
Remember that mastering ADHDtreatment concepts builds a
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foundation for helping countlessclients achieve their potential
.
Your dedication tounderstanding this complex
disorder will make a realdifference in people's lives.
Hope this has been helpful andremember success on your
licensure exam comes fromconsistent study and
understanding core concepts.
It's in there.