Conference Advices Adults With ADHD To Maximize Potential

(The following blog was originally posted under the headline "Tacoma ADHD Resource Conference A Hit For Fifth Straight Year" on a internet website at The News Tribune, a daily newspaper in Tacoma, WA on 10/14/07 in a reader-generated section entitled "In Your Neighborhood." )

I had the pleasure of being among lucky attendees at ADD Resources of Tacoma's 5th Annual Fall Conference on ADHD held yesterday, October 13, 2007 at Foster High School in Tukwila, Washington. This was the first time I was able to attend the conference and I came away with more than double doses of information and inspiration!

Many thanks to founder Cynthia Hammer and her entire staff for their hard work and effort. Consider this year's conference yet another success! About 180 persons were counted in the morning's session to hear keynote speaker, Yale University researcher Dr. Thomas E. Brown discuss "Strategies and Solutions: Helping Adults Maximize Their Potential."

Conference attendees also chose from a full slate of afternoon of breakout sessions, especially designed for parents of children with ADHD, adults with ADHD, their families, providers and most impressive local educators giving up a day in their weekend to better serve their districts and special populations.

Organizers ADD Resources of Tacoma and keynote co-sponsors the Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. of Washington; Oregon and Learning Disabilities Association of Washington can take full credit for all well-thought and executed aspects of the interesting and balanced program of events. The conference also included vendor tables, presentation of a special award named after Hammer, a silent auction and book sale.

This conference was certainly for myself a truly truly worthwhile expediture of time and money. It would be a valuable resources for anyone desiring to learn more about what to expect after a family member is diagnosed with ADHD. From personal experience local resources of this caliber are few and far between. The eleven years of experience that ADD Resources has in the Tacoma area is clearly evident.

Particularly valuable was a unique opportunity this year to hear from a prominent researcher of national reputation about some of the latest developments and directions the field is headed towards in this area of knowledge which blessedly is both increasing and expanding at the same time as each year passes.

While the time when children suffering from this physiologically based deficit involving executive functions executed in the brain was commonly attributed to bad genes, bad parenting and general laziness has generally faded, adults who are dealing with this challenge face their own menu of uphill challenges in regards to diagnosis, availability of medications and counseling to correct often years of battling an unknown and unseen foe.

Adults dealing with the condition in years past were also bereft when asking insurance companies to cover medical tests, or requesting any special accomodations from employers and educational institutions to address a handicap that was not only unseen but not fully understood. For both populations, ADD Resources offers hope and connection.

To contact the conference sponsor go to: http://www.addresources.org, http://www.tourette.net/wa, and http://www.idaw.org.