ADHD in motherhood: Identification and treatment

Presented by SickKids CCMH Learning Institute

Date: May 6 and 7, 2026
Time: 1 to 4 p.m. ET 
Facilitator: Kristine Aanderson, R.Psyc, PMH-C, MA

Description: This professional training is designed for mental health clinicians, physicians, and allied health professionals seeking a deeper understanding of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in motherhood.

Participants will be guided through the recent consensus statement on the identification and treatment of ADHD in women. Special attention will be given to how ADHD may present differently in the pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood period and how the changes associated with motherhood can exacerbate or alter ADHD symptoms.

To address the issues of underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of ADHD in the perinatal period, this training will offer an in-depth examination of several critical domains. These include the inherent limitations of conventional diagnostic criteria; diagnostic tools developed specifically for the identification of ADHD in women; the identification of symptoms that may be internalized, masked, or compensated for; comprehensive approaches to differential diagnosis of anxiety, trauma, depression, perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder, or physiological conditions; and an overview of frequently co-occurring conditions.

Participants will examine the specific challenges faced by mothers with ADHD, including overstimulation, lack of external structure, household management, emotional regulation, sleep deprivation, emotional labour, and the challenges of raising children when you have ADHD.

Drawing on recent findings from research that center the voices of mothers with ADHD, treatment strategies will be identified that can help mothers with ADHD manage their symptoms and stressors. These include auditory accommodations, psychoeducation, the concepts of neurodiversity, positive reinforcement, technology, social media, exercise, stress management, structure, and psychological interventions. Best practices for medical management will also be addressed.

Through clinical examples, discussion, and resource-sharing, attendees will gain the skills to recognize ADHD in the perinatal population, and to develop strength-based, practical treatment plans that reflect the realities of navigating ADHD in motherhood.  .

Learning objectives:

• The ability to describe the ways in which ADHD symptomology may present differently in women during the perinatal period and identify tools that support accurate identification. 
• How to apply differential diagnostic strategies to distinguish ADHD from commonly overlapping conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, perinatal OCD, or physiological causes. 
• The ability to develop and implement evidence-based treatment plans that incorporate psychoeducation, environmental supports, behavioural strategies, and interdisciplinary collaboration to help mothers with ADHD. 

Registration fee: General - $300  |  Student and group rates are available

For full program overview and registration details please visit: https://cvent.me/qx79y9

Facilitator Bio:
Kristine Aanderson, R.Psyc, PMH-C, MA, Kristine Aanderson is a Registered Psychologist with a longstanding commitment to advancing the awareness and treatment of perinatal mental health. She was the first psychologist in Western Canada to be certified by Postpartum Support International in the treatment of perinatal mood disorders and went on to become a developer of test questions for the PMH-C exam.

Over the past 15 years, she has focused on supporting individuals through the complexities that can occur with pregnancy, loss, birth, and postpartum. She has specialized training and experience in the areas of perinatal OCD/scary thoughts, birth trauma, hyperemesis gravidarum, fertility, anxiety, depression, grief, pregnancy after loss, support through termination for medical reasons, disordered eating, and parenting with ADHD.

In addition to her clinical work, Kristine is a sought-after speaker who has presented across North America and Europe, sharing her experience and insights with colleagues committed to supporting the wellbeing of individuals through the transformative – and often challenging – perinatal journey. 

Continuing Education (CE) information: 6 CE hours