Parent information workshops

CAHDS offers a series of a parent information workshops.

These workshops are for parents or carers who have children or young people who are experiencing significant attention difficulties, including a diagnosis of ADHD. Information workshops are collaborative and invite discussion from participants.

All workshops are stand alone and people can attend any or all the sessions. 

Workshop times

CAHDS parent/carer workshops are held online, throughout each school term. Each workshop is run from 10am – 12.30pm. 

All bookings are managed though TryBooking only.

Register

If you are interested in attending any of these workshops, you will need to register via TryBooking.

Following registration, you will be sent the link via TryBooking for the workshops you have registered to attend.

CAHDS Parent Workshop topics

Family self-care and stress management

This workshop looks at the impact stress and the challenging behaviours of ADHD can have on the family, including:

  • The importance of family self-care
  • The positives and challenges of caring for children with ADHD
  • The body’s response to stress
  • Stress management strategies

Participants will come away with a better understanding of the importance of self-care and how you can realistically achieve this in your family.

Understanding your child’s behaviour

This workshop helps parents/carers look at behaviour management from a different perspective, including the reasons for behaviour and impact of other factors on children’s behaviour. It encourages discussions guided by topics such as:
  • What is meant by behaviour?
  • What is the behaviour communicating?
  • What are the goals of misbehaviour?
  • The use of punishment versus the consequences

At the end of the workshop, we hope you will gain a better understanding of the reasons for your child’s behaviour so you can help them achieve their goals and meet their needs now and into the future.

Siblings

This workshop provides siblings of children or young people with ADHD a better understanding of what ADHD is and the impacts that it has on the family.

It also helps them identify strategies to help when they are feeling overwhelmed.

Sensory processing for children with ADHD

This workshop helps parents and carers of children with ADHD who:

  • Fidget or struggle to sit still
  • Are very easily distractible
  • Are easily upset by noise, activity or touch

Parents and carers will gain a better understanding of their child’s unique sensory processing patterns as well as an awareness of sensory strategies that will help support their child’s self-regulation.

Communication

Presented by Speech Pathologists, this workshop provides information on ADHD-related communication difficulties (verbal, written and social) and their impact, both diagnosed and undiagnosed.

Developmental language difficulties or disorders, and specific learning difficulties or disorders, are common in individuals diagnosed with ADHD but are often undiagnosed. Difficulties can lead to, or be a part of, attentional, behavioural, emotional and academic problems.

Medication and ADHD 

Presented by a Psychiatrist, this workshop provides information on commonly prescribed medications for ADHD.

Executive functioning

Executive functioning is a group of mental processes that helps us perform our daily activities such as planning and organising your day, and overcome difficulties through tasks and problem solving.

This workshop aims to:

  • help parents understand what executive functioning is
  • outline types of executive function
  • look at what can impact on being able to use these skills effectively
  • help you identify if your child is struggling with their executive functioning
  • identify some general strategies to help your child with their executive functioning

ADHD and sleep

Sleep difficulties are common for children and adolescents with ADHD. They often have difficulty in getting to sleep, and staying asleep, amongst other sleep difficulties.

The ADHD and Sleep workshop aims to help parents with: 

  • Providing an understanding of sleep and what might interfere with a good night’s sleep
  • Behavioural strategies to help with sleep 
  • Identifying resources and services that can help with complex sleep difficulties

Emotional dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation is a term used to describe an emotional response that is poorly regulated and does not fall within the traditionally accepted range of emotional reaction. It may also be referred to as marked fluctuation of mood, mood swings, or labile mood. In short it is when our level of emotions outstrips our ability to manage them or utilise the strategies previously employed to manage them – we are emotionally overwhelmed.

Introducing emotional dysregulation models, this session we will look at:

  • What is Emotional Dysregulation
  • Co-regulation and self-regulation
  • Developing self-regulation
  • Managing Emotional Dysregulation
Last Updated: 05/02/2025