UC Davis MIND Institute's Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disorders 2015

At the end of the activity, participants should be able to:
• Discuss recent advances in understanding autism, fragile X syndrome, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Base diagnosis and treatment of patients on the most current information about:
° variability in the presentation of neurodevelopmental disorders, both behaviorally and biologically
° complexity in identifying causes of disorders
• Describe how exposures to chemical pollutants prenatally and in early childhood can disrupt healthy brain development and how certain toxic chemicals can interact with other environmental, socioeconomic and genetic factors.
• Discuss how to prevent exposures to neurodevelopmental toxins on individual, community and society levels as part of a whole systems approach to improving children’s health.
• Describe how children with neurodevelopmental disorders may be affected by clinical levels of anxiety, and recognize the key components of cognitive-behavioral therapy and considerations regarding whether this treatment modality is a good fit for a child’s current abilities and needs.