Atlanta, Here We Come!

guest blog by Zara Harris, MS, OT

Atlanta is one of the best-ever venues for our Annual International Conference on ADHD, jointly hosted by CHADD and ADDA this year.

First of all, it is easy to get to as Atlanta is a hub airport. Second, to get to the Hilton Hotel from the airport, you take the MARTA train directly from the baggage claim area to the Peachtree Center—for just $3.50. Once you’ve arrived at the center it is a short roll of your suitcase to the hotel.

The hotel is great—the floors are numbered, except for the Galleria in the basement. All the conference meetings will be on the second floor along with the plenary meeting room and the registration area. The rooms also have numbers—no need to hunt for the Atlantic Ballroom IV! The exhibition, the posters, and the other meeting spaces will be on the Galleria level. So all in all, it will be easy to find your way around the conference.

Apart from several good hotel restaurants, it is an easy walk through bridge tunnels to a food court with all the usual eatery providers. Three stops on the MARTA takes you to the residential area of Midtown and many additional wonderful restaurants.

For those not attending the conference or those who want to take time off, it is a one mile walk or short Uber ride to the Centennial Park, which has the Georgia Aquarium (rated #1 in the country), the World of Coca-Cola center, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the new Civil and Human Rights Museum. A bit further afield are the Margaret Mitchell House, Jimmy Carter Library, Zoo Atlanta, and many other attractions.

Register today for this year’s conference. Early Bird prices run to August 31. If you are willing to be a volunteer, you can get one day free for eight hours of volunteering.

Come one, come all! You won't regret this trip to Atlanta and that’s before all the benefits you will get from attending the CHADD and ADDA conference November 9-12, 2017.

Zara Harris is an occupational therapist with more than thirty years of experience. She is licensed in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Having worked with international schools on three different continents, she is in a unique position to understand the special needs of today's mobile families. Harris specializes in helping students who struggle with handwriting, homework, attention, time management and organization. She serves on the editorial advisory board of Attention magazine and on CHADD’s conference committee.