Understanding ADHD: Current Research and Practice (FutureLearn)

Offered by King's College London,
Understanding ADHD: Current Research and Practice (FutureLearn)

Learn about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including ADHD symptoms, the latest research and ADHD treatment. Ensure your knowledge of ADHD is up to date by exploring the latest research. What is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? What are the symptoms of ADHD? How is ADHD diagnosed? Get answers with this course that features fundamental information about ADHD, as well as the latest ADHD research.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Through the course you will learn about ADHD as a developmental disorder, considering controversies related to the condition. You will learn about the diagnosis and best practice treatment of ADHD as you build your empathy towards people with ADHD. You will also learn practical strategies to help the educational and personal development of people with ADHD.

What topics will you cover?

  • What ADHD is, and the controversies raised by the concept of ADHD
  • Latest neuroscientific and psychiatric research base on the mechanisms, symptoms and impairments of ADHD
  • ADHD as a developmental disorder throughout the lifespan: genes, environments (protective and risk factors)
  • Latest neuroscientific and psychiatric research base on the various means of screening and assessing for child ADHD
  • Latest neuroscientific and psychiatric research base on the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD
  • Understanding best practice in treatment for ADHD Mechanisms and efficacy of psychosocial tretments, pharmacological treatments supporting positive outcomes for those with ADHD and their families

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Discuss the prevalence and impact of ADHD in children, adolescents and adults.
  • Discuss ADHD as a disorder and how it differs from normal behaviour.
  • Be able to critically assess key factors in the conceptualisation and understanding of the disorder.
  • Discuss the core challenges faced by those with ADHD, their families and relevant professionals.
  • Discuss wider issues related to ADHD, such as labelling and stigma from multiple perspectives.
  • Demonstrate an empathic understanding of the experiences of people living with ADHD.
  • Describe core principles, tools and techniques used in the screening and diagnosis of ADHD, and the factors that may impact on the accuracy of a diagnosis.
  • Explain how ADHD is distinguished from, and relates to, other common neurodevelopmental, behavioural and mental health problems.
  • Reflect upon and discuss current evidence for the genetic and environmental vulnerability for ADHD, and associated neurological mechanisms for ADHD.
  • Critically discuss the current evidence base for both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions for ADHD.
  • Evaluate the rationale, mechanism, and limitations of the primary medical and psychosocial treatments for ADHD.
  • Evaluate practical strategies to support the educational and personal development of those living with ADHD.
  • Be able to identify resources and relevant support services for those living with ADHD.
  • Evaluate the biological and environmental risk factors for ADHD.

Who is the course for?
This course is for people with ADHD and anyone working with children and adults with ADHD. This includes parents and close family members, teachers, and educational (learning disability) assessors in schools and higher education and occupational therapists.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Liver Transplant: the Ins and Outs (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Birmingham

Liver Transplant: the Ins and Outs (FutureLearn)

Learn about the science behind having a liver transplant with this free online course from the Centre for Liver Research. In this free, three-week course, we will teach you about the fascinating field of liver transplantation. We will cover the history of liver transplantation - from early experiments in the late 1960s to exciting new technological advances in organ preservation happening today.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
ADHD: Everyday Strategies for Elementary Students (Coursera) Coursera
University at Buffalo,The State University of New York

ADHD: Everyday Strategies for Elementary Students (Coursera)

This course will provide an overview of ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Course participants can expect to learn about ADHD as a developmental disorder that begins early in childhood, and participants will also learn about evidence-based approaches for diagnosing ADHD. Following that, two evidence-based treatment approaches (the Daily Report Card and Parenting Strategies) will be introduced. (Note these course activities are informational and are not intended to replace working with a licensed/trained professional).

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Medical Humanity: Engaging Patients and Communities in Healthcare (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Taipei Medical University

Medical Humanity: Engaging Patients and Communities in Healthcare (FutureLearn)

Find out how and why you should engage patients and communities in the development of new healthcare technology and treatments. The development of healthcare treatments has given people hope to fight diseases. However, humans are born to be afraid of advanced technologies. As such, it is critical that medical professionals have the skills to explain the benefits of treatments to patients and, ideally, involve them in the development of new treatments in the first place.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Managing ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, and Concussion in School (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Managing ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, and Concussion in School (Coursera)

Welcome to our next course in the School Health specialization: Managing ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, and Concussion in School. In this course, you will about the most common developmental and behavioral disorders affecting children such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, learning disorders, and concussions. We will focus on how schools can support children by recognizing common symptoms and understanding the diagnosis process.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
ECG Assessment: an Introduction for Healthcare Providers (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
St George's, University of London

ECG Assessment: an Introduction for Healthcare Providers (FutureLearn)

Understand the principles of electrocardiography and learn a step-by-step approach to the ECG test, with this free online course. The electrocardiograph (also known as electrocardiogram) or ECG is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure, commonly used to assess people with known or suspected heart disease, in a variety of healthcare settings. Competent recording, reading and interpretation is vital to ensure safe and effective care, yet ECGs are commonly undertaken by unqualified and junior staff, who have received little training.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Babies in Mind: Why the Parent's Mind Matters (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
The University of Warwick

Babies in Mind: Why the Parent's Mind Matters (FutureLearn)

Find out how parents and caregivers influence children’s minds, from conception through infancy, with this free online course. This course will explore how the mind of the parent influences the developing mind of the child, from conception through infancy and into later life. We will take you on a journey that begins in pregnancy, exploring the importance of the ability of the mother-to-be to think about her baby while still in utero, alongside the impact of emotions such as anxiety and depression.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
The Open University

Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation (FutureLearn)

How important are eyewitness testimonies in police investigations? Discover how forensic psychology prevents criminal injustice. Become a forensic psychologist and help solve crimes using eyewitness evidence. Have you ever questioned how reliable your own mind is? In this 8-week forensic psychology course, you’ll learn how the mind plays tricks on us and how this can impact criminal investigations. You’ll discover how cautious the police have to be during eyewitness investigation, and you’ll step into the shoes of a forensic psychologist.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
The Genomics Era: the Future of Genetics in Medicine (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
St George's, University of London,St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Genomics Era: the Future of Genetics in Medicine (FutureLearn)

Get an introduction to the growing role of genomics in healthcare, for patient diagnoses, treatment and disease prevention. This free online course will provide healthcare professionals with a basic grounding in genomic medicine. It will introduce you to new genomic technologies, which are revolutionising medicine and will, in time, provide the mainstay of patient diagnosis, treatment and disease prevention.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Quality Improvement in Healthcare: the Case for Change (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Bath

Quality Improvement in Healthcare: the Case for Change (FutureLearn)

Explore new and better ways of organising health and social care services, to improve quality, with this free online course. Why is quality improvement in health and social care systems so difficult? Why is it so challenging to bring in new and better ways of organising health and social care services? Many reasons have been put forward: lack of money; lack of knowledge about either the actual quality of care delivered, or resistance to making changes to long-established ways of working; excessive and sometimes misunderstood regulations; and professional opinions and interests that are hard to influence when systems are working at or beyond capacity.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Exercise Prescription for the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Trinity College Dublin

Exercise Prescription for the Prevention and Treatment of Disease (FutureLearn)

Learn how physical exercise can help patients including those with cardiovascular disease, mental health problems and cancer. In the last few decades physical exercise has become well established as a tool to prevent and treat disease. Perceptions within the healthcare sector of exercise and its prescription as a treatment have changed dramatically in recent years.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Challenges in Antibiotic Resistance: Gram Negative Bacteria (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy - BSAC

Challenges in Antibiotic Resistance: Gram Negative Bacteria (FutureLearn)

This course by BSAC is for healthcare professionals managing infections. You will learn about Gram Negative Bacteria. Identify, diagnose and treat gram negative bacterial infections. Gram negative bacteria (GNB) are a group of bacteria that can cause infection and toxic reaction in patients, yet are difficult to differentiate and treat with antibiotics due to their structure.

Self Paced
3 Weeks