The Child and Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Program for ADHD, a division of East End Psychological Services, provides testing and state-of-the-art treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) across the lifespan. The Program, one of the most comprehensive in the New York area, is dedicated to diagnosing and treating attention and learning problems in child, adolescent and adult populations. Staff psychologists begin the evaluative process by obtaining detailed background information. Next, clients are tested for executive skills such as attention span, self-control, working memory and organizational abilities. Psychoeducational testing is provided when there is evidence for learning or other cognitive problems. Social-emotional and personality variables are assessed as well. Direct consultation with school staff is part of the assessment process for school-aged children. Interviews with significant others are utilized when evaluating adults. The Program uses a multidisciplinary approach to treating ADHD by coordinating services among the school system, work setting, family, physician, and psychologist. This team approach has been shown to be most effective, yet is often underutilized by many professionals. Treatments are highly individualized and include behavior therapy, collaboration with the school system, consultation with medical personnel for medication management, as well as individual, family, and relationship counseling. Moreover, the staff examines conditions that often co-occur with ADHD such as learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse and treats those conditions concurrently. An essential component to effective intervention for ADHD is strengthening the individual's executive skills. The executive skills directly impact academic, career and social success. Executive skills permit individuals to appreciate the longer-term consequences of their actions and guide their behavior across time. East End Psychological Services provides comprehensive executive skills training and coaching. See press release regarding executive skills curriculum here. Through our behavioral interventions, we help our clients improve impulse control, planning skills, organizational abilities, time management, emotional regulation, and working memory as well as other essential executive skills necessary for success in the home, school, and/or employment settings. When assisting children, our staff coordinate with teachers so that these executive skills can be generalized between the home and school environments. With adults, we teach the individual to more effectively utilize these skills at college, at work and within their relationships.
