Adolescent and Adult ADHD

More than a Childhood Condition: Making Sense of Adolescent and Adult ADHD

December 7, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00pm CST
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $10 full members; $25 partial members and nonmembers
Continuing Education Hours: 2.0

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Course Description

For over 30 years, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was considered primarily a problem of childhood. More recently, clinical and research attention has been paid to ADHD as a lifelong disorder emerging in early childhood and persisting through adulthood. The focus of this session is on ADHD during adolescence and adulthood. Specifically, the webinar will present unique features of adolescent and adult ADHD that make it a difficult disorder to assess and treat. First, definitional qualities and diagnostic characteristics will be presented with special emphasis placed on developmental considerations. Second, etiological considerations (i.e., genetic factors, neurological influences, environmental factors) will be discussed in the context of differentiating between causal variables and correlates. Third, research on prevalence and comorbidity will be introduced. Fourth, developmental course and outcomes will be highlighted to illustrate the uniqueness of ADHD during different developmental periods. Finally, evidence-based treatments will be summarized.

Learning Objectives: 

• Participants will be able to define ADHD using criteria specific to Adolescents and Adults.
• Participants will be able to list unique features of ADHD specific to Adolescents and Adults.
• Participants will be able to describe factors that allow for the differentiation between causal variables and correlates of ADHD.
• Participants will be able to design treatment plans that utilize evidence-based practices.

Michael I. Axelrod, Ph.D, LP, NCSP

In my 30-year career, I have been a school counselor, therapist, school psychologist, and clinical psychologist. I have a Master's Degree in counseling psychology from St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY) and a Ph.D. in School Psychology from Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). I completed a predoctoral internship in child/adolescent clinical psychology and two-year post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Father Flanagan's Girls and Boys Town (Omaha, NE) and Creighton University School of Medicine. I currently direct an on campus clinic and teach in our graduate school psychology program. I have extensive clinical and research experience working with children, adolescents, families, and schools where anxiety is the primary concern. I've presented on this topic at national conferences (e.g., National Association of School Psychologists, American Psychological Association) and teach a certificate program through UW-Eau Claire's Continuing Education office that includes a module on anxiety.