Education Committee
The Education Committee of CHADD is established to address and enhance educational opportunities and support systems for individuals with ADHD. The committee's scope encompasses a broad spectrum of activities aimed at advocating for and advancing educational policies, practices, and resources that benefit individuals with ADHD in various educational settings.
Chris Foster, EdD, Co-Chair
Chris Foster, EdD, has been a public school teacher for over twenty-five years. Certified in multiple subject areas, she is currently teaching culinary arts in high school (mainly baking and pastry, because who doesn't like to bake?). Writing her dissertation on teacher turnover, with an emphasis on neurodivergent teachers, led Foster to build on this research with further studies on neurodiverse educators and neurodiversity in education and the workplace. She is an adjunct professor at Wichita State University and teaches concurrent credit through WSUTech. Her son and stepson both graduated from college in May 2022; she also has a “bonus daughter” (stepdaughter) with ADHD in high school and two four-legged children. Foster has an insatiable appetite for travel, photography, and learning. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time working with others. Her personal ADHD journey began at age forty-six. Learning more about her "superpower" has made her even more passionate about helping students, teachers, families, and communities to understand the neurodiverse and learning differences.
Vida Carey, MEd
Vida Carey, MEd, a passionate advocate for the ADHD and AuDHD communities, draws from her rich personal and professional experiences as a late-diagnosed AuDHD woman, mother to AuDHD children, and sister to an autistic individual. With over fifteen years in education, including eight years as a behavior modification specialist and special education teacher, she recognized the significant lack of support for neurodivergent students transitioning into adulthood. Having faced the challenges that accompany an AuDHD diagnosis herself, she is dedicated to ensuring that no one feels alone on their journey to fulfilling their passions. She now uses her expertise as a full-time AuDHD and ADHD coach. An Oklahoma native, Carey holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's degree in educational leadership. In addition to her role as an AuDHD and ADHD coach, she is a podcast host, content creator, and is actively involved in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Ashley Harding, MA
Ashley Harding, MA, the founder of North Star Academics, is an educational therapist who holds a master’s degree in child development from Tufts University. Her practice is dedicated to educational equity, providing specialized evidence-based practices to support students with diverse learning and social-emotional needs, particularly students of color in private and independent schools. Her commitment to addressing educational and community inequities for students and families of color is nationally recognized, notably through her published work with James Jennings, PhD. Her innovative approaches in educational therapy have garnered attention, leading to features in national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, podcasts, and speaking engagements. Harding’s commitment to transformative educational practices and advocacy continues to have a significant impact on the learning landscape for diverse communities.
Letizia Hendrickson, MS, CCC-SLP, ADHD-RSP
Letizia S. Hendrickson, MS, CCC-SLP, ADHD-RSP, is a bilingual speech-language pathologist. She received her master’s degree in communication disorders and sciences from California State University, Northridge. She has been working with individuals across the lifespan for fifteen years in schools, medical, and private practice settings. In her current role she works with pediatric and adult populations with a variety of communication, cognitive, swallowing, and voice disorders. She also supervises graduate clinicians, SLPA students, SLPAs and clinical fellows. As an educator she strives to help our next generation of speech-language pathologists enter the field with knowledge and confidence. As a clinician she is passionate about early intervention, working with individuals with ADHD, advocacy, and neurodivergent-inclusive approaches and neuroaffirming practice. She serves on the board of directors of the California Speech and Hearing Association as secretary and treasurer. She serves on the equal access committee of the North Los Angeles County Regional Center to help advocate for early intervention, our neurodivergent community, their families, and educators. She also serves on CHADD’s education committee. Hendrickson is a certified ADHD rehabilitation service provider and holds certifications in LSVT-LOUD, Hanen More Than Words, and PROMPT Bridging. She has been recognized by the American Speech and Hearing Association for her commitment to lifelong learning and is a recipient of three ASHA ACE awards. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, studying languages or neurology, exploring nature, traveling, or curling up with a book and a cat.
Shadi Jahrani, DDS
Shadi Jahrani is a doctor of dental surgery with fourteen years of clinical practice in her motherland, Iran. Since 2014, she has called Calgary, Alberta, Canada, her second home. She is also mother to three young adults who also live in Calgary. She and her three children are all officially and proudly diagnosed with ADHD. After relocating, she at first planned to prepare herself for the certification process to practice dentistry in Canada, too. However, what she experienced together with her three children revealed to her a huge lack of understanding (if not misunderstanding and myths) about ADHD, which could easily lead to having low expectations for students with the so-called “learning disabilities” including ADHD within and by the education system. She had always been a high achiever throughout her own learning journey, despite the ongoing presence of ADHD and without any diagnosis. She realized what made the difference was that none of her supporters (including her parents, extended family, and educators) had low expectations for her. She applied the same approach to support her own children and they are now successful young adults who are proud of their ADHD. Therefore, instead of pursuing dentistry, Jahrani decided to take another pathway to be able to support and advocate for other children and youth the way she had supported and advocated for her own children. She returned to college and obtained a diploma in child and youth care; however, the more she learned about so-called “challenging behaviors,” the more she realized that the education and healthcare systems have the least understanding of neurodiversity and how it presents through diverse learning patterns. She decided to pursue further education and is now working toward a degree in community rehabilitation and disability studies at the University of Calgary. Currently, she is working with public schools in Calgary as a special-needs education assistant.
Jeffrey S. Katz, PhD
Dr. Katz is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He has many years of involvement with CHADD. Dr. Katz presently serves on CHADD's board of directors, he is a co-chair of the public policy committee, and is a member of CHADD's professional advisory board. Dr. Katz specializes in the evaluation and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with an emphasis on ADHD as well as other behavioral and learning issues. In addition, Dr. Katz frequently attends school meetings, bringing his knowledge of ADHD, learning disabilities, and school-based interventions, together with his knowledge of educational regulations, to ensure that students receive the support they need. Furthermore, Dr. Katz is an expert in evaluating individuals who are requesting accommodations on high-stakes testing, such as the GREs, in medical school and for attorneys sitting for the bar exam.
Jean Tidd, LISW-S, ADHD-CCSP, SAP
Jean Tidd, LISW-S, ADHD-CCSP, SAP, received her bachelor’s degree in social work from Ohio University and her master’s degree in social work from The Ohio State University. She has been a licensed independent social worker since 1998. She has spent twenty years as adjunct faculty, teaching in both the undergraduate and graduate social work programs, at The Ohio State University. For the past twenty-seven years, she has been perfecting her craft as a therapist and coach with a specific focus and specialty in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating people with ADHD. Her current professional endeavors include creating Badass ADHD Evaluation, Coaching, Consultation and Training, a division of Holistic Consultation. The mission of this effort is to create opportunities for people with ADHD to move beyond living to thriving. By helping people with ADHD embrace their unique blend of brilliance, resilience, and fearlessness, they can feel truly successful in every sense of the word. Believing it is critical to offer support and care to couples and families challenged with ADHD, she created numerous programming opportunities within her membership-based Badass ADHD Powerhouse Collective. With many years of experience as a trainer and teacher, Tidd offers learning opportunities and continuing education credits to other professionals interested in anything related to ADHD. She holds memberships in several ADHD organizations, including CHADD, APSARD, and ACO. Perhaps most importantly, she is a card-carrying member of the ADHD community, as she too has been diagnosed with ADHD, as have two of her three children.
Trish White, Staff Liaison
With over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Trish is a passionate nonprofit leader dedicated to empowering the ADHD community. As the Director of Training at CHADD, she has spearheaded numerous initiatives to support individuals with ADHD, their families, and educators. Trish’s personal connection to ADHD—both as a mother of two young adults with ADHD and the wife of someone with ADHD—drives her commitment to creating meaningful, practical resources that improve the lives of those impacted by ADHD. Her leadership combines professional expertise with a deep, personal understanding of the challenges faced by neurodiverse families.