full day workshop

PARENT TRAINING FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH COMORBID ADHD AND ODD
Jeffrey Danforth, Eastern Connecticut State University, USA

CCIB Room: 215/216

Who should attend. Professionals who conduct therapy with parents or teachers of children with disruptive behavior disorders, graduate students.   Background. Approximately 55% of children with Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Children with comorbid ADHD/ODD have a distinctive pattern of dysfunction dissimilar to ADHD alone and ODD alone children. This workshop presents details of parent training therapy for families of children with comorbid ADHD/ODD. Part one describes ADHD and family interactions, and analyzes why many children with ADHD also develop ODD. Part two is a parent skills training program. The specific skills taught were gleaned from a review of child behavior management research. Then, a task analysis of the research was conducted. The Behavior Management Flow Chart is a flow chart, based on the task analysis, of the child behavior management steps taught to parents. The flow chart sub-divides behavior management skills into discrete and orderly units that allow a clear visual portrayal of child management steps. The goal of the treatment is to develop specific parenting skills that promote pro-social compliance and decrease disruptive child behavior.

Jeffrey S. Danforth, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), United States. He conducts research on child behavior therapy, with a focus on parent training for families of children with co-morbid ADHD/ODD. Dr. Danforth created the curriculum for the Child Psychology program at ECSU and teaches courses such as Psychopathology of Childhood and Current Research in Child Psychology. He is a Clinical Psychologist with a private practice.

Key References:
Danforth, J.S. (1998). The Behavior Management Flow Chart: A component analysis of behavior management strategies. Clinical Psychology Review, 18, 229-257. 
Danforth, J.S. (1998). The outcome of parent training using the Behavior Management Flow Chart with mothers and their children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Behavior Modification, 22, 443-473. 
Danforth, J. S., Harvey, E., Ulaszek, W. R. & McKee, T. E. (in press). The outcome of group parent training for families of children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and defiant/aggressive behavior. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry.