Improving Services for Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The Raising the Bar meeting on March 4th, 2003, was a huge success! Improving the Standard of Care for Individuals with ADHD is an annual event hosted by the Alvin V. Baird Attention and Learning Disabilities Center at James Madison University, the Region 5 Training and Technical Assistance Center, and McNeil Pharmaceuticals. Each year researchers, physicians, educators, clinicians, and students come together with the common goal of sharing information and knowledge to further the understanding of the various aspects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Last year's meeting held on March 19, 2002 featured Dr. William Pelham as the guest speaker.

The guest speaker at this year's meeting, Dr. George DuPaul, is a professor and the coordinator of School Psychology, at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. He presented during the morning session on school-based assessment and intervention for students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder . The presentation focused on empirically supported school based assessment and intervention strategies that are designed to improve the academic and behavioral outcomes of students with ADHD.

View Dr. DuPaul's presentation

Dr. Steven W. Evans, Associate Professor of Psychology and director of the Alvin V. Baird Attention and Learning Disabilities Center at James Madison University, also presented during the afternoon session on the collaborative development of a fully integrated school-based treatment program for adolescents with ADHD. The presentation focused on the process of developing a model of care that maximizes collaborative treatment efforts of educators, counselors, and physicians and the specific interventions designed for middle schools. Dr. Zewe Serpell, the project-coordinator for the collaborative treatment model, explained the medication protocol for the model of care. Amy L. Williams, a graduate research assistant for the collaborative model, also spoke at the meeting. Amy discussed the web-based communication system for the collaborative model of care. To view Dr. Evans' presentation, click here. To view the homework management plan, click here.

A poster session also occurred during this year's meeting. The session provided the opportunity for participants to discuss research findings. Posters reflected clinical research and interventions for adolescents with ADHD.

Presenters at this year's meeting included:

• Sheryle Moore, Dr. Steve Evans, & Jessica Allen: Effects of self-appraisal bias on treatment outcomes among adolescents with ADHD.
• Melissa Depman: Interpersonal skills development of adolescents with ADHD through the use of videotape feedback.
• Erin Close & Sara Philbrick: An inside look at a school based treatment program for adolescents with ADHD.
• Jennifer Capito & Lindsay Barnett: Academic performance and achievement gains of an adolescent with ADHD participating in a school-based treatment program.
• Carey Caughlin: An educational intervention for middle school students with ADHD.
• Sherrita Pender & Leigh Buckley: A mentoring and tutoring program for children with learning and attentional disabilities.

Congratulations to Carey Caughlin for winning the 1st place prize and to Erin Close and Sara Philbrick for winning 2nd place prize for their poster presentations.