Diagnostic Conundrums (2 CDs)

Presented by John Sobraske, adoption psychotherapist, New York at the 37th NACAC Conference 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Rather than describing specific diagnoses, this session looks at the issue of diagnosis in general. The speaker will cover the use and misuse of labels, such as bipolar and reactive attachment disorder, and the need to understand how various influences interact (like developmental delays, identity issues, and chemical exposure in utero) and to determine, in individual cases, which factors are salient and which are not. Finally, the session will help parents become expert advocates who maintain a whole picture of their child and resist diagnostic fragmentation by specialists.