"I think I have ADHD. What now?" Tailoring Management Strategies for Young People with ADHD in Secondary Schools

For Clinicians in the Doctors in Secondary Schools Program

ADHD in young people often intersects with emotional, social and developmental challenges that can complicate care. Join adolescent health experts, Dr Nadia Coscini and Dr Bianca Forrester, for our latest professional development webinar that looks at how clinicians can best support young people with ADHD as they juggle school, friends, family and life.

Join Dr Nadia Coscini and Dr Bianca Forrester for an engaging and informative webinar exploring:

• Commonly used diagnostic assessment tools, such as the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) and how to interpret these results in practice.

• Co-occurring conditions that need to be taken into consideration when conducting an assessment, such as anxiety, autism, depression and sleep; stimulant v non-stimulant frameworks; and medication interactions.

• Monitoring and management strategies for healthy weight management as well as eating concerns.

Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and enhance your clinical approach to ADHD in young people.

Details:

Date:             Thursday 4 December, 2025

Time:             7:00pm - 8:00pm AEDT

Presenters:    Dr Michelle Dutton, Chair of the RACGP Specific Interests Transgender and Gender-Diverse Healthcare and GP working with Orygen Youth Health, Headspace and Northside Clinic

Facilitator:     Dr Bianca Forrester, GP and Adolescent Health Specialist, The University of Melbourne 

Coordinator: Sam Parkin, DiSS Program Coordinator

Learning Outcomes:

✔ Reflect upon commonly used ADHD diagnostic assessment tools and their interpretation in practice

✔ Describe considerations for co-occurring conditions during assessment and management, including potential medication interactions

✔ Describe principles of weight management in young people with ADHD and eating disorders, ARFID 

✔ Identify opportunities for further support for young people with ADHD (eg transition, NDIS, vulnerable populations)

✔ Participate in an interactive online community of practice with peer learning 

Guest Speaker:

Dr Nadia Coscini

Nadia is a developmental paediatrician completing a PhD in screening caregiver mental health of children with chronic conditions. She currently leads an ADHD shared care pilot with the Centre for Community Child Health and North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, assessing feasibility and acceptability for parents and GPs with collaborative communities of practice supporting participating GPs.

For two and a half years, she conducted telehealth co-consultations with GPs in the Wimmera, managing children with ADHD and complex neurodevelopmental conditions in rural Victoria. Both roles have developed her expertise in real-time shared decision-making and practical GP-specialist collaboration, supporting children and families in underserved communities.

Facilitator:

Dr Bianca Forrester

Bianca is a GP specialising in Youth Health and Implementation Science. She is a senior lecturer at the Department of General Practice and Primary Care, supporting the DiSS training program design and delivery. She holds several policy advisory roles in Youth Health, Women’s health, and Mental Health Reform. Bianca is currently undertaking an Industry PhD exploring the implementation of a learning health system model with WVPHN.