On Thursday, February 20th at Doha College West Bay campus, SENIA Doha hosted a ADHD workshop with special guest Dr. Nelson.  This event was open to all educators throughout Qatar who wanted to learn more about ADHD, how to support students, and executive function skills connected to ADHD.  Dr. Kelly Nelson brings 25 years of experience in education and mental health, in the US, Caribbean, and Qatar, to her role as Head of Parent Education for Nurture Me Global her in Doha. Through education, coaching, and support services, Dr. Kelly helps parents adopt research-informed practices to create positive, collaborative relationships within their families. She also works with educators who are interested in learning about educational leadership, intercultural competence, and non-punitive models of discipline. Dr. Kelly has also offered workshops and classes on emotional intelligence in kids and adults, stereotype threat in the GCC region, and the development of teen girls.

As a psychology major at the University of Miami, she was introduced to ADHD and research when she worked with Dr. Benjamin Lahey who was leading the committee for the DSM IV revisions of the ADHD diagnostic criteria. After graduation, she worked on the child and adolescent ward of a local crisis stabilization center and then at a long-term inpatient facility for kids with more chronic mental health or behavioral issues. Not surprisingly, many of those kids had ADHD. When she transitioned into higher education, Dr. Nelson often worked collaboratively with academic support and mental health teams. Here in Qatar, she oversaw these functional areas at UCL and Cornell. At both campuses, learning accommodations fell under her umbrella. So, she understands many of the unique challenges faced by educators in Qatar and is here today to give us an overview of the current research on ADHD and Executive Functions.  She  provided us with some practical information that we could use in our academic roles to support students and parents.