About The Course
Join Dr Sanil Rege in this on-demand recording of a live masterclass examining ADHD through the integration of neurobiology, diagnostic formulation, and real-world clinical decision-making. The masterclass focuses on structured, mechanism-informed approaches to assessment and treatment, including individualised pharmacological strategies and lifespan complexity, supporting clinicians in moving beyond checklist-based care and applying coherent frameworks to complex ADHD presentations.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is suitable for:
- Psychiatrists
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (MHNPs)
- Psychologists
- Mental health professionals
- Clinicians working in or expanding into psychiatry and mental health care
Accreditation Information:
- Psychiatry Accreditation: This series of online events has been endorsed by the RANZCP as CPD activity code: ED000066, and 7.5 Hours of participation can be claimed under Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 4.1). This course is available for self-accreditation with other relevant psychiatric and mental health organisations.
- GP Accreditation:
- The course is RACGP and ACRRM accredited for general practitioners.
- The ADHD Masterclass is a GPMHSC FPS CPD-approved activity for 7.5 CPD Hrs. The GPMHSC is offering GPs a limited number of $200 FPS CPD subsidies to help complete FPS CPD and maintain registration.
Included with enrolment: Access to the complementary course Clinical Audit: ADHD and Sleep Dysfunction.
This ADHD Masterclass on-demand course is not a part of the Academy subscription. It can, however, be purchased individually. Please scroll down to the pricing section.
What You'll Learn
- Apply evolutionary, developmental, and systems-based lenses to ADHD presentations.
- Use mechanism-informed frameworks to understand dopamine/NA network dynamics, arousal regulation, and network switching.
- Apply a nine-step, multi-modal ADHD diagnostic framework, integrating clinical pattern recognition, collateral history, and structured tools (ASRS, Wender Utah, DIVA-5, etc ) with sensitivity to gender and context
- Use a staged diagnostic hierarchy to identify comorbidity and drivers of partial or non-response, guiding targeted reformulation and treatment planning.
- Translate stimulant/non-stimulant pharmacology into real-world prescribing
- Implement lifestyle and behavioural interventions alongside medications
- Manage ADHD in the context of clinical complexity, including SUD, ASD, comorbid trauma, sleep disorders and more.
- Provide safe, evidence-based care in perinatal ADHD and special populations
Course Programme
6 Units | 24 Modules | 9.5 hours total length
- The evolutionary lens and modern mismatch
- Why “Same Diagnosis” ≠ “Same System”: Symptom Overlap and Heterogeneity
- Systems over symptoms: shifting from labels to formulation
- Dopamine and noradrenaline network dynamics in ADHD
- Predictive coding, timing, and network switching (ECN/DMN/salience)
- Fronto-striatal circuits and executive function
- Arousal regulation as a treatment-relevant target
- Neurobiological drivers of symptoms and treatment response
- ADHD diagnosis as clinical pattern recognition across time and context
- Multi-modal assessment: developmental history, collateral, and patient narrative
- Rating scales as supports (not substitutes): ASRS, Wender Utah, DIVA-5 etc
- Gender and developmental considerations
- The structured nine-step model and diagnostic hierarchy approach
- Mechanism-informed prescribing: signal-to-noise and staged intervention
- Stimulants and real-world safety considerations (including cardiovascular risk context)
- Non-stimulants and adjunctive agents in practice (e.g., atomoxetine; clonidine/guanfacine; bupropion)
- Switching strategies and dose equivalence
- Behavioural strategies: reinforcement, structure, and high-frequency feedback
- Sleep and medical drivers that mimic or amplify ADHD and their treatment implications
- ADHD and substance use disorders
- ADHD and ASD: differentiating features and treatment sensitivity
- Female-specific considerations: eating disorder risk, menstrual cycle/PMDD variability, menopause and hormonal augmentation
- Perinatal ADHD: pregnancy and lactation risk–benefit framing and medication options
- Integrating pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches
- Case-based formulation: identifying pattern mismatches, risk signals, and safety buffers in complex presentations.
- Clinical pitfalls: using non-response to prompt re-evaluation of the diagnostic hierarchy
- Clinical Q&A for Practice (2 hours): applied discussion based on participant-submitted clinical questions from the live masterclass, focused on real-world decision-making and follow-up care.
Course Description
ADHD Masterclass Event: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice: Navigating Complexity Across the Lifespan.
Join Dr Sanil Rege in this on-demand masterclass on ADHD Neurobiology Clinical Practice, integrating neurobiology, diagnostic reasoning, and real-world clinical decision-making. This course provides a structured, mechanism-informed approach to ADHD that moves beyond symptom checklists and protocol-driven care, supporting clinicians working with complex presentations across the lifespan.
ADHD is increasingly understood as a trans-diagnostic, neurodevelopmental condition, shaped by arousal regulation, emotional processing, sleep, trauma, and environmental context. Rather than relying on static diagnostic labels, ADHD neurobiology in clinical practice is explored through a systems-based lens that emphasises understanding the state of the system being treated.
1. Rethinking ADHD: Evolution and Context
The course begins by reframing ADHD through an evolutionary and developmental lens, highlighting the mismatch between ancient attentional systems and modern environmental demands. This section examines why “same diagnosis” does not mean “same system,” exploring symptom overlap, heterogeneity, and the limitations of symptom-based labels. Emphasis is placed on shifting from categorical diagnosis to formulation-based thinking.
2. Neurobiology of ADHD: Circuits and Dopamine Networks
This section examines the neurobiology of ADHD with a focus on dopamine and noradrenaline network dynamics, fronto-striatal circuitry, and executive control. Predictive coding, timing, and large-scale network switching (ECN, DMN, salience) are explored alongside arousal regulation as a treatment-relevant target. This section explores unstable arousal switching, salience network dysfunction, and their impact on executive control. The relationship between neurobiological system states, symptoms, and treatment response is examined in detail.
3. Diagnosis in Depth: Frameworks, Hierarchy, and Pattern Recognition
Focusing on diagnostic formulation, this section conceptualises ADHD diagnosis as clinical pattern recognition across time and context. A multi-modal assessment framework is presented, integrating developmental history, collateral information, and structured tools (ASRS, Wender Utah, DIVA-5, etc ) within a broader clinical formulation. A nine-step diagnostic model and staged diagnostic hierarchy are introduced to guide systematic evaluation of sleep, anxiety, mood, trauma, and medical contributors, particularly in cases of partial response or diagnostic uncertainty.
4. Therapeutic Decision-Making in ADHD: Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Strategies
This section examines therapeutic decision-making in ADHD using an individualised, systems-informed approach. Pharmacological interventions, including stimulant and non-stimulant treatments, are considered in terms of signal-to-noise optimisation, dopamine stability, and arousal regulation. Practical guidance is provided on medication selection, titration, switching strategies, dose equivalence, cardiovascular risk assessment, and the role of adjunctive agents such as atomoxetine, clonidine, guanfacine, and bupropion. Pharmacological strategies are integrated with behavioural and lifestyle interventions to support sustained clinical response across diverse presentations.
5. ADHD, Comorbidity, and Special Populations
ADHD is examined in the context of common and clinically challenging comorbidities, including sleep and medical conditions that mimic or amplify ADHD, substance use disorders, autism spectrum disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, trauma-related presentations, and metabolic dysfunction. Female-specific considerations, including eating disorder risk, menstrual cycle and PMDD variability, and menopause, are addressed. Perinatal ADHD is explored using a risk–benefit framework covering pregnancy, lactation, and medication options.
6. Case Integration, Pitfalls, and Clinical Q&A
Clinical cases are used throughout the course to illustrate key concepts across neurobiology, diagnostic formulation, and treatment decision-making, with a final integrative case drawing these elements together. This section focuses on identifying pattern mismatches, risk signals, and safety buffers in complex ADHD presentations. Common clinical pitfalls are examined, particularly the interpretation of non-response as a signal to revisit the diagnostic hierarchy. The course concludes with a dedicated Clinical Q&A for Practice (2 hours) based on participant-submitted clinical questions from the live masterclass, translating course principles into practical follow-up strategies for everyday clinical practice.
By the end of this on-demand course, you will be able to:
- Apply evolutionary, developmental, and systems-based lenses to ADHD presentations.
- Use mechanism-informed frameworks to understand dopamine/NA network dynamics, arousal regulation, and network switching.
- Apply a nine-step, multi-modal ADHD diagnostic framework, integrating clinical pattern recognition, collateral history, and structured tools (ASRS, Wender Utah, DIVA-5, etc ) with sensitivity to gender and context
- Use a staged diagnostic hierarchy to identify comorbidity and drivers of partial or non-response, guiding targeted reformulation and treatment planning.
- Translate stimulant/non-stimulant pharmacology into real-world prescribing
- Implement lifestyle and behavioural interventions alongside medications
- Manage ADHD in the context of clinical complexity, including SUD, ASD, comorbid trauma, sleep disorders and more.
- Provide safe, evidence-based care in perinatal ADHD and special populations
Included Course: Clinical Audit – ADHD and Sleep Dysfunction
As part of registration for the ADHD Masterclass, participants also receive access to the complementary course Clinical Audit: ADHD and Sleep Dysfunction.
Sleep disturbance is one of the most common yet under-recognised comorbidities in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with significant effects on attention, emotional regulation, and behaviour. This clinical audit provides clinicians with a structured, evidence-based framework to evaluate and improve their approach to sleep-related difficulties in ADHD.
Designed as an interactive audit activity, the course guides participants through reflective practice using the Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) quality improvement cycle. Clinicians learn to differentiate insomnia from sleep dissatisfaction, apply evidence-based assessment and management strategies, and audit outcomes across five patients.
The course supports diagnostic precision, treatment optimisation, and meaningful quality improvement, translating evidence into sustainable change in everyday clinical practice. It complements the ADHD Masterclass by deepening clinical insight into sleep dysfunction and its role in complex ADHD presentations.
This audit-based course complements the ADHD Masterclass by supporting clinicians to apply structured, evidence-based approaches to sleep dysfunction, a common and clinically significant comorbidity in ADHD.
The ADHD Masterclass is CPD-accredited for 7.5 hours (EA 6, RP 1.5) and is recognised by RANZCP, RACGP, ACRRM, and GPMHSC FPS CPD frameworks. The Clinical Audit – ADHD and Sleep Dysfunction is CPD-accredited for 6 hours (EA 1, MO 5), recognised by RACGP and ACRRM, and available for self-accreditation with relevant psychiatric bodies.
This ADHD Masterclass on-demand course is not included in the Academy subscription. It can, however, be purchased as a standalone course. Please select the relevant option below or scroll down to view the pricing details.
ADHD Masterclass Event: For General Practitioners
ADHD Masterclass Event: For Consultant Psychiatrists and Mental Health Professionals
Related Courses:
Advanced Psychiatric Formulation Series: Enhance your diagnostic precision and clinical reasoning with the Advanced Psychiatric Formulation and Strategic Management series, which deepens mechanism-informed formulation and management skills across complex psychiatric presentations, complementing the clinical frameworks in ADHD management.
Clinical Excellence in Adult ADHD: Build on your ADHD expertise with the Clinical Excellence in Adult ADHD curriculum, offering comprehensive strategies for diagnosis and management in adult populations that dovetail with the neurobiological and pharmacological principles explored in this masterclass.
Psychopharmacology Masterclass Series: Broaden your treatment repertoire with the Psychopharmacology Masterclass Series, which provides in-depth training in neuroscience-guided prescribing and medication optimisation relevant to ADHD and other neuropsychiatric conditions.
Sleep and Psychiatry: Neuropsychiatric and Precision Approaches: Deepen your understanding of sleep-related presentations with Sleep and Psychiatry, a course that examines neuropsychiatric mechanisms and precision approaches to sleep dysfunction — a significant comorbidity in ADHD clinical practice.
Women’s Mental Health: CPD Clinical Training: Expand your competence in sex- and gender-specific care with Women’s Mental Health, focusing on hormone-related mood disorders across the lifespan, which enriches contextual understanding of ADHD presentations in female patients.
Join Dr Sanil Rege in this on-demand ADHD masterclass exploring neurobiology, diagnostic reasoning, and ADHD pharmacological management, supporting clinicians to navigate complexity and apply evidence-based frameworks across the lifespan.







