Alabama State University News February 25, 2015 Inaugural Valda Montgomery Child Health Symposium Held at ASU by Deonshay Danson The contributions and lifework of Montgomery native and ASU alumna and former professor Dr. Valda Montgomery were honored as the College of Health Sciences (COHS) hosted the first Valda Montgomery Child Health Symposium. Students, faculty, health professionals and the community filled the John L. Buskey Health Sciences Building's Denise Chapman Auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 23 for the event, which was themed "Toward a Better Understanding of Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." Dr. Regina James, director of the Office of Health Equity, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, served as the keynote speaker. James gave a detailed overview of ADHD, how it is diagnosed, cultural/socioeconomic disparities in diagnosis, treatment options and how parents can be better informed in determining that treatment. James also participated in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Amy Hinton, senior policy adviser with ASU's Center for Leadership and Public Policy, and featuring Dr. Maranda Brown, a parent and licensed professional counselor with the Office of Prevention Services, Alabama Department of Mental Health; and Dr. Barry Burkhart, professor and chair of Auburn University's Department of Psychology. The panel discussed how ADHD often is misdiagnosed or overdiagnosed, pharmaceuticals and the criminal justice relationship to child mental health. Panelists answered questions raised by the moderator and audience. Dr. Leon Wilson, ASU provost and vice-president for Academic Affairs, greeted speakers warmly and congratulated them on their work toward finding solutions in treating ADHD. "We applaud all of those who make it a steady effort to ensure that we look at the data and not throw our hands up in despair but find ways to do something about it," Wilson said. Former dean, COHS founder and dean emeritus, Dr. Denise Chapman-Montgomery, also attended the symposium. The Valda Montgomery Child Health Symposium is designed to align health science, practice and policy to achieve the best health outcomes for children. It is sponsored by various ASU entities including the Trust for Academic Excellence, the COHS, the Center to Advance Rehabilitative Health and Education and the Maternal and Child Health Pipeline Training Program, along with the Alabama Family Youth Initiative and the Montgomery Area Community Wellness Coalition. The symposium is named in honor of Montgomery, a retired professor in ASU's Department of Physical Therapy with 40 years experience as an educator and exercise physiologist. Montgomery received a B.S. from Fisk University, M.Ed. from ASU, M.S.S. from the United States Sports Academy and Ph.D. from Auburn University. Montgomery also is the author of "Just a Neighbor," a book that recollects her childhood as a neighbor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Steven Chesbro, COHS dean, applauded Montgomery for her continued work and commitment to child health. "It was only appropriate to not only acknowledge her work as an educator and clinician...but also as a history-maker and trailblazer," Chesbro said. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.