ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be diagnosed by various healthcare professionals, including psychiatrists, physicians, and psychologists. Some can also treat ADHD by prescribing medication, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, under a physician’s supervision.
Since ADHD can sometimes be challenging to treat and diagnose because it mimics other mental health conditions, ADHD training for professionals can assist mental healthcare professionals in increasing their skills to help those affected by ADHD.
Let’s explore ADHD certification and training and how it can benefit healthcare professionals.
Increasing one’s education about ADHD through a course or training program offers many benefits. These include:
- Helping one to become a certified ADHD professional.
- Increasing one’s skills to make correct ADHD diagnoses and provide effective treatments.
- Advancing one’s career. Gaining more training can increase one’s practice and get them more clients.
- Staying updated on the latest ADHD brain research and treatments.
- Helping ADHD patients with support and providing resources that are tailored to them.
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Why professionals need training to treat ADHD
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that displays symptoms such as:
- Hyperactivity
- Inattention
- Difficulty concentrating
- Excessive talking
- Fidgeting
ADHD can also present with other mental health conditions, such as:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety
- Personality disorders
- Depression
In adults, ADHD symptoms can be more subtle, so an ADHD assessment and diagnosis can be challenging to make. Healthcare professionals who want to treat or manage ADHD need to be qualified and can benefit from continuing education to increase their knowledge and skills when it comes to:
- Knowing and understanding the common symptoms of ADHD versus other mental health conditions.
- Understanding the causes of ADHD and its impact.
- Learning about assessing, diagnosing, and monitoring ADHD with specific tools or depending on specific diagnostic criteria.
- Providing support to people with ADHD and their loved ones.
- Knowing the most effective way to compile treatment plans for people based on medication, therapy, and/or lifestyle changes.
- Collaborating with other healthcare professionals to achieve the above.
ADHD training for psychologists and psychiatrists
A psychologist or clinical director interested in treating ADHD has to complete a professional ADHD coach training program by a recognized organization and be accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or a similar institution.
Further education in training courses can be helpful, such as those that tackle topics such as ADHD treatment plans and strategies.
An example of training is three-day courses that can be of value, which include the use of therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is especially useful if psychologists want to incorporate ADHD training skills into their current therapy offerings. CBT is useful in treating ADHD because it helps people work through negative habits affecting their emotional state and productivity.
The CBT Plus with ADHD course, offered by The Association for Psychological Therapies (APT), is a three-day course that provides additional resources from APT. The course can be done online or in person, and you can take it as part of an Extended Training in CBT course that’s also offered by the same organization.
Although psychiatrists can diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication for it, they can also benefit from additional training. This comprehensive training can help them to increase their skills and have a greater understanding of their patient’s individual experiences.
Psychiatrists who complete an ADHD coach training program and become accredited by the ICF earn professional recognition that enables them to provide services to ADHD patients and help them achieve their goals.
Licensed mental health professionals can become ADHD coaches or include ADHD coaching in their private practice. However, no regulating body certifies ADHD coaches. Some institutions have set criteria and guidelines for who can be identified as an ADHD coach.
An example is the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO), which monitors ADHD coaches to ensure they’ve had the correct training before being listed in the organization’s database.
Many renowned training institutions offer ADHD-specific training for coaches, such as the following:
ADD Coach Academy
This academy offers intensive training programs for life coaches who want to learn more ADHD skills. These include:
| Professional Advanced ADHD Coach Training Certification Program | This program is tailored to coaches trained in PAAC (Professional Association for ADHD Coaches) or ICF core coaching who want to learn new skills. It offers accreditation from both the ICF and PAAC, and provides practical knowledge of ADHD as well as research that can be beneficial. |
| Fundamentals of ADHD Coaching for Families | This course teaches coaches a foundation for working with parents and their children who are dealing with ADHD. It’s designed for coaches who are trained in basic core coaching through the ADDCA (ADHD Coach Academy) or other coach training programs accredited by the ICF. |
| Ethics of ADHD Coaching | This course looks at applying codes of ethics to ADHD-coaching situations. It features the importance of ethics and those involved in ADHD coaching, and provides guidance on ethical challenges that coaches might encounter. |
International ADHD Coach Training Center
This center offers workshops to help professionals increase their skills, such as Helping ADHD Families Thrive, which will give you the tools as an ADHD coach to help families thrive after an ADHD diagnosis. You’ll learn the most effective ways to deal with young children, adults, and parents who are struggling with various ADHD challenges.
Online ADHD coaching techniques and practical strategies
Many online training courses and programs are available to healthcare professionals to make training more accessible. Some of the best ADHD courses online for professionals include:
Continuing Education on ADHD. These are training podcasts offered by CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) that help healthcare professionals learn how to diagnose, treat, and manage ADHD in adults and children. The CHADD website also has courses that people can access to advance their training.
Advanced ADHD & Life Coach Training Certification Program from ADD Coach Academy. This program offers training for basic and advanced coaching skills. It provides professionals with advanced coaching skills so they can become a certified life and ADHD coach. The program is accredited by the ICF and PAAC.
Certified ADHD Professional (ADHD-CCSP) Intensive Training Course by PESI. This course provides all the training requirements to help you become a certified ADHD coach. It offers insights, real-life case studies, and step-by-step, evidence-based strategies.
Parents Plus ADHD Children’s Programme Training for Professionals. This is great for therapists and psychologists who work with children with ADHD, as it teaches topics such as understanding the challenges and strengths of ADHD and building children’s self-esteem. It’s also beneficial for addressing challenging kids who are struggling with ADHD.
Practical and effective tips: workshops and additional resources
Besides training in the form of courses, there are additional ADHD resources that therapists and other healthcare professionals can make use of online. These include the following.
Books
“Taking Charge of ADHD” by Russell A. Barkley. This book focuses on ADHD symptoms such as impulsivity and hyperactivity, providing advice on how to treat them. The author is a renowned ADHD expert.
“Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Dysfunction” by Mary V. Solanto. This is a CBT-focused book on ADHD treatment. The author provides psychotherapy lessons as well as guides on how therapists can effectively treat their patients with ADHD.
“Finally Focused” by James Greenblatt, M.D. and Bill Gottlieb. This book focuses on natural ADHD treatment plans and features tips on how to follow a healthy lifestyle to manage symptoms of ADHD better. It’s great for providing insight into non-medication management of the condition.
Websites
Some organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provide some of the most effective practices therapists and other healthcare professionals can use to treat ADHD in children. Other sites also provide useful information, such as CHADD.
Worksheets
There are worksheets online that can help ADHD coaches and professionals. An example is the “Managing ADHD” worksheet. It features five important skills that help people with ADHD: setting time for relationships, being organized, creating structure, creating the right environment, and following a healthy lifestyle.
Skills required for healthcare professionals treating ADHD in patients
A training course can be useful for healthcare professionals working in the ADHD field because they need certain skills when helping people with ADHD. These include assisting ADHD patient to:
Create structure. A therapist or psychologist can help patients with ADHD create more structure in their lives, as they find it challenging to plan and organize their activities.
Offer interpersonal skills. Healthcare professionals should help patients with ADHD improve their social skills and interpersonal skills. These include being assertive, listening, and showing empathy in their everyday lives.
Build strategies for better organization. Since people with ADHD struggle to remain organized, healthcare professionals can help them declutter their environment while teaching them strategies to avoid a cluttered mind.
Support a healthy lifestyle. Helping patients to make positive changes in their lives, such as following a healthy sleep, diet, or exercise regimen, offers a holistic approach to treating ADHD.
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