Foundations in assessment and neurodiversity-affirming support strategies for adults with ADHD in occupational therapy practice

Online

January 5 to 15, 2026 (on your own)
Fridays, January 16 & 23, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

What time is this for me?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects around 3-5% of the population in adults (Barkley, 2018). There are many supports and resources for children and adolescents, but very little for adults with ADHD. Adults are often missed or misdiagnosed until being accurately diagnosed in adulthood (e.g., Poulton, 2021). Awareness of ADHD has also been increasing on social media, which may be prompting adults to seek diagnosis and help. Adults with ADHD may experience occupational participation barriers in post-secondary school, workplaces, social interactions, driving, financial management, and household management. Occupational participation barriers can be significant when adults with ADHD must fulfill their roles in neurotypical contexts. Thus, neurodiverse-affirming approaches that foster contextual changes to highlight their strengths and interests, while providing support for their differences, can improve occupational participation with self-acceptance and inclusivity. Occupational therapists are well-positioned to support adults with ADHD by advocating for social and occupational justice, evolving towards neurodiverse approaches, and providing support strategies to facilitate occupational participation. 

This beginner-level online workshop is ideal for occupational therapists who wish to gain foundational knowledge in adult ADHD, neurodiversity, assessment strategies, and support skills to facilitate the occupational participation of adults with ADHD. Participants will learn the limitations in the diagnostic process of ADHD in the DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022), occupational participation challenges, neurodiversity-affirming practice, assessment strategies and tools, basic support strategies, contextual strategies, and promoting self-advocacy. 

Workshop topics

This workshop will focus on building foundational knowledge on the nature of adult ADHD, neurodiversity-affirming practice, occupational and social justice and inclusion, assessment strategies, and beginner-level therapy support strategies (behavioural and contextual). The following topics will be reviewed:

1. The nature of ADHD in adults: Overview of diagnostic process to understand how clients can be misdiagnosed or how occupational therapists can aid in diagnosis for clients presenting with ADHD-like characteristics, limitations of the DSM-5-TR, co-occurring conditions, and theory and models explaining ADHD.
2. Neurodiversity-affirming practice: Definition of neurodiversity, principles of neurodiversity (intersectionality, autonomy, validating differences, reframing expectations), and exploring neuronormativity.
3. Occupational and social justice, inclusion, and self-advocacy: Discussion on ways to advocate for a neuroinclusive society, and clinical considerations when teaching self-advocacy skills for neurodivergent adults.
4. Assessment strategies: Interviews, questionnaires, and performance-based assessments (e.g., Weekly Calendar Planning Activity, observation).
5. Beginner therapy support strategies: Behavioural strategies include skills and tools to facilitate executive functioning, such as the dopamenu, organizational strategies, time management, routine/structure, sleep, and exercise. Contextual strategies include workplace and school accommodations, and changing the environment to align strengths and interests.

Preliminary workshop agenda

January 5 to 15, 2026

Friday, January 16, 2026

Friday, January 23, 2026

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. Understand the limitations of the DSM-5-TR (APA, 2022) in the diagnostic process of ADHD in adults and how they relate to occupational therapy practice. 
2. Describe the clinical presentation of adults with ADHD, including their common occupational challenges, strengths, and associated co-conditions. 
3. Understand neurodiversity-affirming principles and how they apply to occupational therapy practice, occupational justice, and inclusion. 
4. Select assessment strategies to identify occupational participation barriers for adults with ADHD. 
5. Provide behavioural and contextual beginner therapy support strategies for adults with ADHD. 

Target audience

Occupational therapist clinicians, occupational therapist educators, and occupational therapist researchers who wish to gain foundational knowledge in adult ADHD and neurodiversity, assessment strategies, and beginner therapy support skills to facilitate the occupational participation of adults with ADHD. Social workers, psychotherapists, psychologists, and case managers are also welcome to attend.

Please note: Each participant is responsible to ensure they apply the information within the context of their licensure, provincial/territorial legislations, institution regulations, scope of practice, etc.  

Areas of practice
Autism/Neurodiversity, Cognition, Mental Health

Client age group
Adults (20-64 years old)

Workshop level
Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Please note: Participants with more than this stated level of experience are welcome to attend the workshop. The workshop content will be geared towards those with 0-2 years of experience working with adults with ADHD.

Presenters

Adam Ly, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Adam Ly, OT Reg. (Ont.), is an occupational therapist practising in London, Ontario. He focuses on helping adults who experience mild-moderate cognitive impairments, mental health, and return to work due to various conditions including mild traumatic brain injury, mood disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and late diagnosis autism. He is a seasonal lecturer and clinical preceptor at Western University at the School of Occupational Therapy, an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto in the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department, a workshop presenter through CAOT, and a trainer/mentor at CBI Health. He has several ADHD-related publications and conference presentations. He is a member of Neurodivergent Insights, a neurodiversity-affirming clinician support group. He has completed supervision at The Beck Institute in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and is a Certified Multi-Context approach clinician by Dr. Joan Toglia.

Dr. Maryna Mammoliti, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Maryna Mammoliti (she/her) is a psychiatrist who splits her time Ontario and Alberta practicing comprehensive psychiatry (diagnosis, advocacy, therapy) with focus on psychotherapy, physician health, ADHD, developmental trauma and PTSD, as well as ER psychiatry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She has completed her medical school training at University of Ottawa, followed by her 5-year Psychiatry residency at Western University. She was a former Psychiatry Section Chair at Ontario Medical Association (OMA). She currently holds an Adjunct Professor position at Western University, supervising residents and medical students for their psychiatry rotations. She has provided presentations on physician health and has co-presented on adult ADHD at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). She also has two co-published articles in the Canadian Journal of Physician Leadership (CJPL), one of which addresses ADHD in physicians.

Registration fees

Early bird rates: Registration and payment completed by November 5, 2025

Regular rates: Registration and payment completed after November 5, 2025

Registration deadline: January 16 , 2026 at 9:59 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Please note that CAOT does not offer group registration fees.

*It may be more cost effective to become a CAOT Member or Associate rather than pay the non-member rate. See “Can a non-member register for a Workshop?” in our Professional Development FAQs to know which membership category you are eligible for. 

Registration fee includes:

1. Access to the online workshop platform
2. Access to the workshop recording for 14 days following the live session
3. An electronic copy of the presentation slide handouts
4. Opportunities to network with other occupational therapists with an interest in this topic
5. An electronic certificate of attendance

Cancellation/refund policy

All cancellation/refund requests must be sent in writing to  education@caot.ca. All cancellation requests received by December 17, 2025 will be given a full refund minus a $50.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be given after December 17, 2025 . Substitutions and transfers requests received by December 17, 2025 are permitted and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee.

If you are exceptionally unable to complete the workshop, please reach out to  education@caot.ca by 25 days following the end of the workshop for extended access to the recording (up to one month after the end of the workshop) or a one-time transfer to another offering of the same workshop if currently open for registration. 

CAOT reserves the right to modify the workshop title, description, registration dates and information on the workshop webpage. CAOT will notify participants on or before November 7, 2025 if there is insufficient registration by that date and reserves the right to cancel a Workshop due to insufficient registration up until November 28, 2025. CAOT reserves the right to modify the offering, interrupt Workshops, change the timing of a Workshop, cancel a Workshop or change the technology for the Workshop due to the presenter no longer being able to present the Workshop, severe weather, power failure, building closures or other special circumstances that are beyond the control of CAOT by notifying participants as soon as possible. If the Workshop is cancelled by CAOT, registrants will receive a full refund of the registration fee. CAOT will not be responsible for other costs or expenses incurred by registrants as a result of any such changes.

  Professional Development FAQs

 

Provide suggestions for Professional Development

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is committed to accessibility as expressed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We provide an electronic copy of the handouts approximately one week ahead of time in
multiple slide layouts, auto-generated closed captioning through Zoom (excluding breakout rooms), as well as access to the recording for two weeks following the workshop. If you require additional special arrangements for accessibility, please contact
education@caot.ca or 1-800-434-2268.