Pioneering ADHD Women: A Look at Our 25-Year Progress – 2023

Join us for a landmark session as Ellen Littman, Ph.D. and Sari Solden, MS, two pioneers and prominent voices in the field, share reflections about the field of women with ADHD from its earliest days. They share their experiences clinically, through research, and in the field over past 35 years. Then Ellen and Sari look ahead as they begin to pass the torch to help develop and support a new generation of women leaders, researchers, and clinicians. Viva ADHD Women and the pioneers who fought hard – and still fight hard – for acknowledgement and validation!

About Sari Solden, M.S.

Sari Solden, M.S, is a psychotherapist who has counseled adults with ADHD for over 35 years. She is the author of the books, Women with Attention Deficit Disorder, Journeys Through ADDulthood, and co-author of A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD. Her areas of specialization include women’s issues, inattentive ADHD, and the emotional consequences and healing process for adults who grew up with undiagnosed ADHD. She is a prominent keynote speaker on these subjects nationally and internationally. Ms. Solden currently consults with neurodiverse women mental health and helping professionals, as well as trains therapists in how to help women with ADHD. She serves on the professional advisory board of ADDA and was the recipient of their award for outstanding service by a helping professional.

About Dr. Ellen Littman

Dr. Ellen B. Littman is a clinical psychologist in private practice in New York State.  Educated at Brown and Yale Universities, the doctoral program of Long Island University, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she has specialized in neurodiverse disorders for over 30 years. 

In her Mount Kisco practice, just north of New York City, Dr. Littman focuses on a high IQ adult and adolescent ADHD population.  She has expertise in identifying and treating complex presentations of ADHD that may be misinterpreted or overlooked.   Described by the American Psychological Association as “a pioneer in the identification of gender differences in ADHD”, she has extensive experience with issues affecting women and girls with ADHD.  She is particularly interested in the diagnostic and treatment challenges of working with high IQ individuals with ADHD, and helps entrepreneurs harness and utilize ADHD traits to their advantage.  In addition to individuals, Dr. Littman often works with couples and/or families to optimize communication.

Internationally recognized as an author and speaker, Dr. Littman co-wrote the book “Understanding Girls with ADHD” in 1999, as well as a revised edition in 2015.  She has contributed chapters to numerous books, including “The Hidden Side of Adult ADHD” (El lado oculto del TDAH en la edad adulta), “Understanding Women with ADHD”, and “Gender Differences in ADHD”.  She has created a video training program on Women with ADHD for the American Medical Association’s continuing education program.

Dr. Littman’s understanding of neurodiversity is informed by her training in neurobiological, cognitive-behavioral, somatic, and psychodynamic perspectives.  She has developed a strengths-based assessment that provides the foundation for solution-focused treatment. 

Dr. Littman’s therapeutic approach empowers individuals to achieve qualitative and quantitative successes through a combination of psychoeducation, insight, reframing, concrete strategies, and coaching in a safe and validating environment.  She is well-versed in the treatment of co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and trauma. 

With advanced training in trauma, eating disorders, self-harm, and crisis intervention, Dr. Littman has expertise working with individuals with ADHD who have experienced chronic childhood trauma.  Her interest in dissociative symptoms that can mimic inattentive ADHD symptoms has led to extensive experience treating dissociative disorders, including Dissociative Identity Disorder. 

About Dr. Ellen Littman