Judy Wiener, PhD, C. Psych
I am a Professor in the Human Development and Applied Psychology Department at OISE/University of Toronto. Most of my work is within the School and Clinical Child Psychology program where I teach courses in psychological assessment (including assessment and academic intervention with children from bilingual and multicultural backgrounds), prevention, and consultation. I also teach a course on the psychology and education of children and youth with learning disabilities and ADHD. I am currently President of the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities (www.iarld.com), an international professional organization dedicated to conducting and sharing research about individuals who have learning disabilities. Prior to my academic career I worked as a School Psychologist for six years in school districts in Quebec and Ontario. Together with senior doctoral students in School and Clinical Child Psychology, I am applying my research and clinical skills in school psychology by consulting to Eenchokay Birchstick School in Pikangikum, a First Nations reserve approximately 700 km north of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Prior to 1998 my research was mainly devoted to understanding the peer relations of children with learning disabilities and the social, behavioural and emotional impacts of different approaches to special education service delivery (e.g., self-contained classes, inclusion programs). I also developed and evaluated a classroom-based social skills training program (Social Life – LD) that has a positive impact on the social skills and peer relations of children with learning disabilities. During the past 12 years, however, I have focused most of my research on children and youth with ADHD. I am fascinated with what I call the ripple effect of ADHD – how ADHD impacts the self understanding and mental health of these children and youth, and their relationships with parents, peers, and teachers. The ripple, however, does not go one way. Parents, peers, and teachers play a major role in how these children and youth function at home, in school, and society. Together with several colleagues and my graduate students I am investigating the self-perceptions, attributions, peer relations, and parent-child relationships of children and youth with ADHD and am developing a mindfulness cognitive therapy intervention to address some of their challenges.