CHADD and Public Consulting Group Partner to Enhance Teachers' Capacity for Supporting Students With ADHD

BOSTON, June 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), the leading national resource for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Public Consulting Group (PCG), leading national provider of web-based tools for educators, including Pepper, the online, interactive professional development platform, today announced their new strategic partnership and the creation of CHADD's first ADHD online learning platform for teachers, parents and providers.

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This partnership brings evidence-based ADHD training resources from the recognized leader in ADHD to educators nationwide on Pepper's robust edX platform. For the first time, educators will have unlimited, on demand access to CHADD's intellectual property through self-paced online learning. The initial program launch will feature CHADD's Teacher to Teacher program, which helps educators identify common ADHD-related learning problems and proven classroom techniques to enhance school success for students with ADHD. Following the initial launch for teachers, CHADD and PCG plan to roll out the Parent to Parent program and the Provider to Provider program on the Pepper platform.

"CHADD is thrilled to partner with PCG and Pepper – we're finally combining the scientific expertise with the technological expertise to make proven techniques available on an easy to access platform," said Michael MacKay, President of CHADD. "We recognize that there is a great need for ADHD supports in the classroom. Teachers are overworked. They're so busy but at the same time, they want to help their students with ADHD succeed. To do this, they need access to the right resources, and that access needs to be convenient. Thanks to Pepper's content curation expertise, we can now offer our Teacher-to-Teacher program to teachers on an interactive platform they can access 24/7, at their own pace."

Dr. Jack McLaughlin, PCG Manager and head of Pepper, said "At PCG Education, we are very fortunate to have CHADD as our partner to help serve the students and teachers in our Pepper Professional Learning Network.  Delivering high-quality, engaging, and research-based solutions for students with ADHD will strengthen the practice of educators in the classroom.  CHADD strategies work."

About CHADD
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), is a national nonprofit organization that improves the lives of people affected by ADHD through education, advocacy, and support. CHADD is in the forefront in creating and implementing programs and services in response to the needs of adults and families affected by ADHD through collaborative partnerships and advocacy, including training for parents and K-12 teachers, hosting educational webinars and workshops, being an informative clearinghouse for the latest evidence-based ADHD information, and providing information specialists to support the ADHD community. CHADD represents more than 12,000 members and is located in Lanham, Maryland. (www.chadd.org)

About Public Consulting Group
Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) is a leading public sector consulting firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has nearly 2,000 professionals in more than 60 offices around the U.S., in Canada, and in Europe. PCG Education, a division of PCG, offers consulting solutions that help schools, school districts, and state education agencies/ministries of education to promote student success, improve programs and processes, and optimize financial resources. (www.publicconsultinggroup.com)

Created through a partnership between WestEd and PCG Education, Pepper is a vibrant, online learning community where educators engage with high-quality, interactive content while collaborating with coaches and peers. Pepper is built on the powerful edX platform, the Cambridge-based education partnership founded by Harvard University and M.I.T. to support two important missions: improving online education, and advancing teaching and learning through research. (www.pepperpd.com)

About Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is one of the most common childhood neurobehavioral disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, parents report that approximately 11 percent or 6.4 million children ages 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD in the US and 82.5% of diagnosed children are receiving medication and/or treatment by a mental health professional. Approximately 35% to 60% of affected children transition into adulthood with some or all of the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication estimated a 4.4% prevalence of current ADHD in the U.S. adult population. It is estimated that the annual direct cost of the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of ADHD in the US is approximately $30 billion.

SOURCE Public Consulting Group, Inc.