A ‘whole child’ approach for families waiting on an ADHD assessment

General practitioners play a vital role in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing. The upcoming reforms enabling GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD present a unique opportunity for GPs to connect with and support families when there are concerns about a child’s development and behaviour, in a way that goes beyond a checklist of symptoms.

This panel discussion explores how developmental and behavioural challenges reflect the ‘whole child’ – their emotions, relationships, environment, culture and experiences. It focuses on practical ways GPs can frame behaviour within a broader context and use this approach to connect families with supports and resources from the first consultation. Panellists discuss how this approach can lead to more responsive, strengths-based care for all children and families.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify key elements of a whole child approach when assessing developmental and behavioural challenges.
• Outline benefits and methods of integrating a whole child perspective into their practice.

This is the first in a four part series with The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

For more on supporting families and children experiencing attention and behaviour challenges, explore the other webinars in the series: