OCD Conference July 16-18, Washington DC

[Guest guest]

I highly recommend the annual OCD Conference that this year is being held in

Washington,DC. I haven't been but always hear wonderful things about it.

Children and family members are encouraged to attend. Many members here have

been (and often get to meet!). It's held in a different city this year.

All conference sessions and social functions will be held at:

Hyatt Regency Crystal City

2799 Jefferson Highway

Arlington, VA 22202

http://www.crystalcity.hyatt.com

A few highlights I'm copying from the OCD Foundation website:

This year's conference features more than 100 presentations, workshops, and

seminars as well as more than a dozen support groups. Our presenters include

some of the most experienced and knowledgeable clinicians and researchers in the

field, as well as people with OCD and family members who are willing to share

their story.

I'M SO OCD ABOUT THAT! Lori J. Kasmen, PsyD A. Aloia

Intended for: Kids/Teens

An open (but private) discussion of real life issues of teens/young adults with

OCD - friends, relationships, being popular, confidence, tests, grades getting

involved, parents, siblings, college, and meds. How are normal issues affected

by the fear, the anxiety and the discomfort with uncertainty brought about by

OCD. The format will invite discussion from all participants.

OCD 101 FOR CONSUMERS AND FAMILIES Bruce Mansbridge, PhD

Intended for: Individuals w/OCD and Family

This basic but thorough " course " covers information that people with OCD and

their families need to know. Attendees will experience optical illusions and a

visual hallucination as part of learning how the brain processes information,

which can help us understand how a neurological glitch can lead to the

perceptual and cognitive distortions that underlie obsessions. We'll also cover

how medications and CBT work, and have time for Q & A.

UNDERSTANDING HOW OCD MANIFESTS IN CHILDREN TO IMPROVE FAMILY INTERACTION

PATTERNS C. Yip, PsyD

Intended for: Parents/Families

Symptoms of OCD in children often manifest in different ways, which can lead to

harmful misdiagnoses. Clinicians, family members, and/or school personnel are

quick to label inattentiveness as ADHD without taking the root cause into

consideration. Targeting the correct cause can prevent long-term difficulties at

school and home for the child, and minimize frustration for parents and other

caretakers. Understanding the underlying triggers of OCD in children is the

first step to gaining specific strategies for working with the child

successfully.

I CAN BEAT THE OCD MONSTER! C. Yip, PsyD; A. Paxson, PsyD

Intended for: Kids/Teens

This workshop will help children suffering from OCD learn to apply the necessary

tools to beat the OCD monster successfully. Developing games and metaphors not

only make ERP " fun " , they also increase the child's motivation to win! Attendees

will learn the necessary tools to beat symptoms of OCD in an easy to understand

format, and apply these newly acquired skills to ensure a full understanding of

the concepts, gain a sense of support and camaraderie from exposure to other

children who struggle with OCD, and build confidence and self-esteem from

working to develop strategies to help their peers beat OCD.

TALK TO THE EXPERTS: Q & A ON PEDIATRIC OCD S. , MD; Jeanne Fama,

PhD; E. lin, PhD; Fred Penzel, PhD; Storch, PhD; Barbara Van

Noppen, PhD; Aureen P. Wagner, PhD

Intended for: Parents/Families

These experts want to hear about the pressing issues OCD-affected kids and their

families face. This panel session will give children, families and clinicians an

opportunity to raise questions or issues for discussion pertinent to childhood

OCD. The panel will include experts from the newly formed Pediatric OCD

committee of the IOCDF Scientific Advisory Board, including OCD clinicians and

researchers who focus on this age group.

WHEN CHILDREN SUDDENLY WAKE UP WITH OCD - COULD IT BE PANDAS? Miroslav

Kovacevic, MD, FAAP; Matheos, MBA; , PhD

Intended for: Parents/Families

This talk will include an overview of what is thought to cause PANDAS, the wide

variety of ways it can manifest in children and how it is often misdiagnosed.

The presenter will review the diagnostic criteria he uses to distinguish between

PANDAS and other disorders and share his personal experiences with treatments

and the associated risks and benefits. Dr. Kovacevic's presentation will be

followed by a brief presentation by 2 parents with experience raising children

with PANDAS.

BALANCING ACT: AN EDUCATIONAL AND INTERACTIVE OCD ACTIVITY Marla W. Deibler,

PsyD

Intended for: Kids/Teens

This is an interactive workshop for children to help them learn about their OCD

symptoms and strategies to fight their OCD while having fun. Children will share

their obsessions and compulsions with one another and participate in a game

which will demonstrate the difficulty of listening to their OCD and engaging in

their compulsions. The presenters will offer strategies for managing OCD

symptoms and the children participating will have a chance to share their

successful strategies with each other.

------AND THE LIST GOES ON & ON!! If you think you can talk your therapist or

doctor into going, there's workshops/info for them too!

http://www.ocfoundation.org/conference.aspx