Japanese Physicians, Psychologists Visit UB
Summer Program for Children with ADHD
August 4, 2006 BUFFALO, N.Y. --
Nineteen psychologists, physicians, teachers and parent advocates
from Japan are on campus this week to observe the University at
Buffalo's innovative Summer Treatment Program for children with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learn about
state-of-the-art treatments for the disorder.
William Pelham Jr., Ph.D., director
of the Summer Treatment Program and UB distinguished professor of
pediatrics and psychiatry, said the visitors are involved in an
effort to develop national treatment guidelines for ADHD in Japan.
Their visit to UB is a continuation of Pelham's work with Japanese
physicians, psychologists and educators concerned about the growing
incidence of ADHD among children in that country.
A new law analogous to the U.S.
Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has just been
established in Japan. Within the next year, all Japanese schools
must implement special educational programs for children with ADHD,
learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Several of the
visitors are leading educators from centers at Hokkaido University
and Osaka Medical University, which are developing programs for
children with these difficulties.
A leading authority on ADHD
treatment, Pelham has made two trips to Japan, most recently in
November with a group of UB ADHD researchers, to help the Japanese
establish treatment guidelines and set up a summer treatment program
in the city of Kurume.
"The reason for hosting their visit
to Buffalo is to introduce to these prominent psychologists,
physicians and educators to how we treat ADHD," he says, adding that
he hopes the Japanese will be less reliant than U.S. physicians and
psychologists on the use of ADHD drugs when treating the disorder.
The Japanese visitors will observe
children participating in the UB Summer Treatment Program's
academic, sports and field-trip activities. Thirty children are
enrolled through mid-August in the eight-week program, which
provides intensive behavioral therapy in a summer-camp setting for
children with ADHD. Another 80 children are enrolled at Buffalo's
School 27 in an ADHD program modeled after the UB summer program.
The visitors also will attend talks
by Pelham and Gregory Fabiano, Ph.D., UB assistant professor of
counseling, school and educational psychology, who will discuss how
to involve fathers in the treatment of ADHD.
Other presentations will be made by
Greta Massetti, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, who will
discuss early childhood literacy; Lisa Burrows, Ph.D., assistant
research professor of pediatrics, who will talk about parent
training; Daniel Waschbush, Ph.D., associate professor of
pediatrics, who will discuss ADHD medication; and Martin Hoffman,
Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics, who will talk about peer
relationships.
Pelham and other faculty in UB's
Center for Children and Families are beginning four new major
studies on treatment of ADHD: one involving early intervention with
behavior modification, one involving the sequencing of medication
and behavior modification, one involving ways of improving
individualized educational plans in school settings, and another
involving the combination of medication and behavior modification.
The studies involve nearly 300 children, ages 5-12, and are funded
by the National Institute of Mental Health, the U.S. Institute of
Education Sciences and a pharmaceutical company.
Although most of the current studies
focus on non-pharmacological interventions, the UB group led by
Pelham conducted the initial trials on ADHD drugs Concerta, Adderall
and Daytrana, and has conducted many clinical trials involving other
ADHD medication.
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