2025 Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Academy
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Every year NEI Fall Congress kicks off with multiple pre-conference programs, including the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Academy. In 2025, the NEI Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Academy included a series of insightful presentations and a lively panel discussion with expert faculty Adelaide Robb, MD, Jeffrey Strawn, MD, Manpreet Singh, MD, MS, Timothy Wilens, MD, and Katherine Dahlsgaard, PhD, ABPP.
When Stimulation Is Scary: Optimizing Outcomes for Pediatric Patients With ADHD Utilizing Non–Stimulant Treatment Strategies
Timothy E. Wilens, MD explored treatment options for ADHD beyond stimulants, emphasizing strategies to help families navigate concerns about medication use. He reviewed the mechanisms, efficacy, and safety of available non-stimulant medications and discussed how to individualize treatment based on comorbidities, clinical presentation, and family preferences to optimize outcomes when stimulants are not used.
Tic, Tac, To–urettes: Addressing Tics and Tourette’s in Pediatric Patients
Adelaide S. Robb, MD provided an in-depth overview of tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome, highlighting diagnostic nuances and the frequent presence of comorbid conditions such as ADHD, OCD, and anxiety. She examined both behavioral and pharmacologic interventions, from CBIT to alpha-2 agonists, serotonin-dopamine modulators, and VMAT2 inhibitors, and offered guidance on managing ADHD symptoms in patients with co-occurring tic disorders.
Yes, No, or Maybe So? Antidepressant Use in Pediatric Bipolar Spectrum Disorders
Adelaide S. Robb, MD and Manpreet K. Singh, MD, MS addressed the complexities of treating depression within pediatric bipolar spectrum disorders. They discussed how to differentiate bipolar from unipolar depression, assess the risks and benefits of antidepressant use, and implement careful monitoring to minimize the likelihood of mood destabilization. Case-based examples illustrated how to integrate antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and serotonin-dopamine agents into individualized, collaborative treatment plans.
Sleep Show: Behavioral Strategies for Addressing Sleep-Wake Conditions in Children and Adolescents
Katherine K. Dahlsgaard, PhD, ABPP examined behavioral interventions for sleep problems in children and adolescents, including delayed sleep phase and insomnia. She demonstrated how cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and caregiver-supported routines can be adapted for younger populations to improve sleep quality and overall functioning.
Sleep Show: Pharmacologic Strategies for Addressing Sleep-Wake Conditions in Children and Adolescents
Complementing Dr. Dahlsgaard’s presentation, Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD focused on pharmacologic strategies for pediatric sleep-wake disorders, reviewing the evidence behind medications such as melatonin, antihistamines, antiadrenergics, benzodiazepines, and z-drugs. He provided practical guidance on balancing efficacy and safety to address complex sleep disturbances in youth when behavioral approaches are insufficient.
Together, these presentations offered a comprehensive view of evidence-based, multidisciplinary approaches to some of the most common and challenging conditions affecting children and adolescents today.
The recording of each of these presentations, as well as all of the presentations from 2025 NEI Fall Congress, will be made available on the NEI website as Encore Presentations for NEI Members.
Source:
Timothy E. Wilens, MD. When Stimulation Is Scary: Optimizing Outcomes for Pediatric Patients With ADHD Utilizing Non–Stimulant Treatment Strategies. Presented November 5 at Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Academy, 2025 NEI Congress, Colorado Springs, CO.
Adelaide S. Robb, MD. Tic, Tac, To–urettes: Addressing Tics and Tourette’s in Pediatric Patients. Presented November 5 at Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Academy, 2025 NEI Congress, Colorado Springs, CO.
Adelaide S. Robb, MD and Manpreet K. Singh, MD, MS. Yes, No, or Maybe So? Antidepressant Use in Pediatric Bipolar Spectrum Disorders. Presented November 5 at Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Academy, 2025 NEI Congress, Colorado Springs, CO.
Katherine K. Dahlsgaard, PhD, ABPP. Sleep Show: Behavioral Strategies for Addressing Sleep-Wake Conditions in Children and Adolescents. Presented November 5 at Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Academy, 2025 NEI Congress, Colorado Springs, CO.
Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD. Sleep Show: Pharmacologic Strategies for Addressing Sleep-Wake Conditions in Children and Adolescents. Presented November 5 at Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Academy, 2025 NEI Congress, Colorado Springs, CO.