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Offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan • phone: (734) 383-3223 • fax: (734) 913-8111 • info@childmindmatters.com
Evaluation & Testing Treatments & Strategies Childhood Struggles Neuropsychological Perspectives For Professionals
Dr. John Milanovich, neuropsychologist and director of MindMatters, offers community
education opportunities with up-to-the-minute information for professionals, parents, and
combined audiences on the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of important childhood
conditions, including:
• Nonverbal Learning Disorder
• Autistic-Spectrum Disorders
• Attention-Deficit Disorders
• Bipolar Disorder in children
• Attachment Disorders
Each discussion can be tailored to fit a particular group’s needs, ranging from a 45-minute
inservice to a 6-hour workshop. Participants will receive PowerPoint presentation materials,
and supporting book and video materials are being developed as well.
Please call or e-mail our office to schedule a workshop, presentation, or inservice on any of the
topics listed below. Community education is an important initiative at MindMatters – feel free
to forward this information to any individuals or groups that may benefit from learning more
about neuropsychological and social-emotional disorders.
Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD): Evaluation and Life-Changing Interventions
Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) is 2 to 6 times more common than all of the Autistic-
Spectrum Disorders combined, yet identifying and understanding this “silent and invisible”
disability has remained a mystery for parents and many professionals alike. Dr. Milanovich has
devoted several years to studying NLD extensively and discovering how it affects a child’s
daily life, from simple life skills to making and maintaining friends. In this talk, you will learn:
• how to use the NLD Screener to help differentiate
between NLD and ADD or other conditions
• the most up-to-date research-based diagnostic practices
for this syndrome using psychometric testing
• how to help a child with NLD cope with organizational difficulties,
challenges in learning (math, writing, and reading) and making
friendships, insecurities and anxieties, frustration and low selfconfidence
levels, and motivational levels
• specific techniques to address social development, emotionalbehavioral
regulation, and life-skills building.
Parent guidance and training procedures, developed by Dr. Milanovich, can also be presented.
Is It Really Autism or Asperger’s?: Syndromes Affecting Social-Emotional Development
The diagnosis of Autistic-Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s) has increased at alarming rates over the
past few years. What are the most dependable ways to determine if a child actually has an
ASD? How can we reliably differentiate between high-functioning Autism, Asperger’s, and
PDD-NOS? This talk is designed to examine:
• cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment techniques
related to social-emotional development disorders
• other syndromes that can mimic features of ASD’s:
Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), Regulatory Disorders,
and attachment and bonding issues
• specific interventions that address educational needs, motivational
issues in and outside of the home, challenging behaviors, emotional
regulation and organization, and social development in children
experiencing syndromes that affect their interpersonal lives.
Is It Really ADD?: Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment of Real ADD or ADHD
Some research reports suggest that over 20% of the population has “ADD” by current
diagnostic methods! However, neuropsychological testing shows that true ADD occurs in only
3 to 5% of the population (or about one child in a classroom of 30). In this talk, we will discuss:
• attention as one of six major cognitive domains
used in learning, and its neurological basis
• how comprehensive cognitive testing can identify children with
true ADD versus those who have different underlying conditions
• other causes of a child’s attentional, learning, and behavioral
difficulties: emotional difficulties, family patterns, or cognitive
issues related to visual-spatial skills, language organization,
processing speed, or sensory processing
• how to create efficient and enduring treatment programs
• medication considerations
• how to manage specific subtypes of ADD in and out of the classroom.
Bipolar Disorder in Children & Teens: Accurate Diagnosis and Developmental Impacts
The diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (BPD), or “manic-depression,” in children and teens is clearly
on the rise. Many children with attentional, behavioral, and emotional instability are thought
to fall within the Bipolar category. But what really sets BPD apart from other struggles? Dr.
Milanovich uses data from research studies, clinical experiences, and sound theoretical
analysis to explain:
• the three cardinal features that distinguish
BPD in children from other difficulties
• other attentional disorders with mood components that resemble BPD
• important aspects of childhood development that can impact
a child’s capacity to process and regulate emotional states
• effective treatment paths based upon a child’s
form of emotional regulatory difficulty.
Attachment Disorders and Insecurities:
Impacts on Our Relationships and the Creation of a Personality Disorder
Like Freudian principles, family systems therapy, and behavioral analysis, our understanding of
attachment mechanisms has revolutionized viewpoints of both childhood and adult mental
health. In this talk, we will discuss:
• how attachment processes affect the development of self-image as well
as interpersonal dynamics in close (or lack of close) relationships
• the effects of trauma during early childhood
• the development of cluster B Personality Disorders
(such as Borderline Personality Disorder).
Greater accuracy in the diagnosis of Axis I versus Axis II phenomena can be made with this
enriched understanding of social-emotional development.
October TBA, 10am-Noon
Pragmatic Language and Social Communication in Nonverbal
Learning Disorder (NLD) and Asperger’s Syndrome