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Welco me to the BROWN ADHD Clinic Manhattan Beach, California The Brown Clinic is a Private Practice Our clinicians offer expert Diagnostic Evaluations & Treatment for ADHD & Related Disorders in Children, Adolescents & Adults. We have a sub-specialty for those with high-IQ. ** We DO NOT take insurance for payment of services. ** Thomas E. Brown, P h D Director Thomas E. Brown, PhD is a clinical psychologist who received his Ph.D. from Yale University and specializes in assessment and treatment of high-IQ children, adolescents and adults with ADHD & related problems. In his 40+ years of experience, Dr. Brown has contributed to over 30 journal publications, 7 books , and presented in speaking engagements and lectures throughout the US and in 45+ other countries. He was inducted into the CHADD Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to research and professional education about ADHD in children and adults. Dr. Brown has also been elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, FNP-C Associate Director Ryan Kennedy, DNP, FNP-C is a board-certified, family nurse practitioner who specializes in assessment and treatment of ADHD and Related Disorders. At the Brown Clinic, he offers initial evaluations and treatment for ADHD & Related Disorders in adults, adolescents, and children. New patients must be residents of California and he is able to provide expert medication management to his patients & offers consultations for his other patients who have a current prescriber or live at a distance from our clinic located in Manhattan Beach, CA. ​ Meet our Clinicians NEW PATIENT REGISTRATION ​ ALL prospective patients are required to 1st schedule a brief intake call with our Patient Coordinator prior to scheduling an evaluation. ​ ​ ​ Our intake staff are professionally trained & specialize in screening prospective individuals who fit our provider's scope of practice & clinic services. ​ During the intake call, we will help schedule your Initial Diagnostic Evaluation. We'll answer questions about our clinic & providers, share our process for new & established patients, office policies, follow-up services, & scheduling. ​ *After the intake call, we'll send you forms required for Registration* ​ Self-Schedule an Intake Call for New Patients Description of Services & Fees (Click Here to Open) Our Services New PATIENTS INITIAL EVALUATION All patients new to our clinic begin with our initial 3-hour initial diagnostic & psychological evaluation. ​ ​ Our clinicians are experts in their field and offer this comprehensive consultation & testing for ADHD & screening for other related problems that often co-occur with ADHD. ​ Our comprehensive assessment helps to discover a better understanding of your individual strengths, difficulties and needs. Our clinicians will share their impressions and together we develop a treatment plan. Read More > CURRENT PATIENTS Follow-UP SERVICES Established patients can schedule follow up appointments with our doctors for the following services Medication Treatment Individual Therapy Parent/Family Sessions Cognitive Therapy Executive Function Skills Treatment of Comorbidity Behavior Management Read More > Testing Services Follow-UP SERVICES Established patients with attention and learning problems may be eligible for accommodations. ​ After testing, we are able to prepare Narrative Summary Reports often required to verify eligibility for accommodations. Cognitive Abilities Intelligence (I.Q.) Academic Achievement Executive Functions Psycho-Educational Testing Read More > New Understanding Every person, not just those with ADHD, develop an Executive Function system. This brain system is complex and wired through several brain regions; it undergoes a pruning process from early childhood and continues to develop through adulthood. However, because executive functions are mostly subconscious, this helps to answer how a person with ADHD can focus very well for tasks under pressure or activities of strong interest ... and yet struggle with the many routine tasks of daily life. ​ ​ Every person, not just those with ADHD, develop an Executive Function system. This brain system is complex and wired through several brain regions; it undergoes a pruning process from early childhood and continues to develop through adulthood. However, because executive functions are mostly subconscious, this helps to answer how a person with ADHD can focus very well for tasks under pressure or activities of strong interest ... and yet struggle with the many routine tasks of daily life. ​ The Brown Model of Executive Functions in ADHD Click to Order Dr. Brown's Books Contact Us Contact Us Required to select an option below Interested in New Patient Evaluation Seeking An Evaluation for my child I am an Existing Patient of Drs. Brown/Kennedy Referral Professional in Mental Health, Medicine, Education... Business Inquiry Join Our Team (Careers) Submit

About Thomas E. Brown, PhD Thomas E. Brown, PhD is a clinical psychologist who received his Ph.D. from Yale University. He specializes in assessment & treatment of high-IQ children, adolescents & adults with ADHD & related problems. For over 30 years, Dr. Brown maintained an independent clinical practice in Hamden, CT. He also served as Associate Director of the Yale Clinic for Attention & Related Disorders from its inception, until 2017, when he re-located to California and opened the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders . After serving on the clinical faculty of the Yale Medical School for 20 years, Dr. Brown resigned to accept an appointment as Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He has resigned from this position and currently is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine In response to invitations, Dr. Brown has given lectures, workshops or grand rounds at hospitals, medical schools, colleges and universities, independent schools, public school systems, and at advocacy, business and professional groups throughout the United States. He has also presented workshops at international meetings of professionals in over 40 countries. ​ Dr. Brown’s research interests and publications include assessment and treatment of ADD/ADHD, especially in persons with high IQ; executive function and memory impairments in ADD; overlap of ADD and learning disorders, use of combined medications for ADD comorbidities, and problems of sleep and awakening in ADD. ​ For his research and teaching about ADHD Dr. Brown received an award of honor by the National Attention Deficit Disorder Association and a Distinguished Professional award from the HELP Group in Los Angeles. He has been inducted into the CHADD Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to research and professional education about ADHD in children and adults. He has also been elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. ​ He has published more than 30 scientific articles in professional journals and is author of the Brown Executive Function/Attention Rating Scales (formerly: The Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scales) published by The Psychological Corporation/Pearson. He is the author of 6 books and the editor for ADHD Comorbidities: Handbook for ADHD Complications in Children and Adults , a major text and reference work published by American Psychiatric Publishing.​ Anchor 1 Publications Books by TEB ADHD and Asperger Syndrome in Smart Kids and Adults: 12 Stories of Struggle, Support and Treatment. ADHD and Asperger Syndrome in Smart Kids and Adults offers detailed examples of 12 individuals who have above-average cognitive intelligence, but struggle with executive function impairments of ADHD and significant social-emotional impairments of Asperger syndrome. Case examples are followed by updated, science-based descriptions of these disorders. ​ Read More Outside the Box: Rethinking ADHD in Children & Adults - A Practical Guide Identifies assumptions about ADD/ADHD that demand reevaluation in light of recent research. Building upon a current, science-based foundation, the book describes in practical terms how ADHD can be recognized at various ages; how it differs from more typical brain development; how it can significantly impair those affected; and how it can safely, and in most cases effectively, be treated in children and adults. Read More Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens & Adults with ADHD Explains how and why many with ADHD get stuck in their schooling, employment and relationships due to emotional problems they did not know they have. It describes how emotions –positive and negative, often unconsciously–play a critical role in prioritizing tasks, sustaining or shifting interest and effort, holding thoughts in working memory, and choosing to engage in or avoid tasks and situations. True stories of teens and adults illustrate how those with ADHD can get “unstuck” from emotional problems that are holding them back (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2014) Read More Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults Introduces and describes the six clusters of Brown’s model of ADHD as impaired executive functions and illustrates these with many examples of how these difficulties appear in daily life during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. It explains how the brain works in managing executive functions and how these change during development. It also explains how ADD/ADHD differs from normal inattention, other disorders that often accompany ADHD, and what treatments are effective. (Yale University Press, 2005). Also available in Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Portuguese, Turkish and Spanish. Read More Brown Executive Function/ Attention Rating Scales (BEFARS) Dr. Brown has developed an expanded model to describe the complex cognitive functions impaired in ADD/ADHD. This model describes executive functions, the cognitive management system of the human brain. (Pearson, 2019) Read More A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults: Executive Function Impairments ​ Offers and explains a new working definition of ADHD. It also describes 35 myths about ADHD and why they are wrong. Chapters explain recent research that supports the new model of ADHD, implications of that research for assessment and effective treatment, and why so many of those with ADHD also suffer from other disorders of learning, emotion or behavior (Routledge, 2013). Read More ADHD Comorbidities: Handbook for ADHD Complications in Children and Adults An edited textbook in which Dr. Brown and 33 expert contributors offer describe how ADHD is different when accompanied by various co-occurring disorder. (American Psychiatric Publishing, 2009). Read More

Free Publications & Resources Chapter 4: "Non-Medication Treatment for ADHD," By: TE Brown & RJ Kennedy (2019) Meet our Associate Director Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, FNP-C ​ Ryan i s the Associate Director of the Brown Clinic in Manhattan Beach. A native of Connecticut, Ryan attended SCSU & and received his Bachelor of Science in Public Health before moving on to become a registered nurse at Bridgeport-Hospital School of Nursing. He received his doctorate in nursing practice from Quinnipiac University, and he maintains board certification as a family nurse practitioner. He completed the certificate program for the Master of Psychopharmacology through the Neuroscience Education Institute. He completed training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy through the Beck Institute of CBT and several years of intensive training in psychotherapy at the Yale Clinic for Attention & Related Disorders. In 2011, Ryan began to work alongside his mentor, a Yale-trained, clinical psychologist, Thomas E. Brown., Ph.D., where he worked in his private practice clinic for six years. Ryan was first Dr. Brown's research assistant and during graduate school he completed extensive training in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD & Related Disorders in children, adolescents, & adult patients. He has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, lectured at national and international conferences, co-author of several book publications on ADHD, and regularly provides training and continuing education lectures and workshops for medical and nursing healthcare providers & students. At the Brown Clinic, he also provides training & clincial education for resident physicians of UCLA-Harbor. Anchor 1 Anchor 2 ​ "One of the most important things I love about my work is building strong relationships with my patients & and their loved ones. Over the years in this field, I've heard from hundreds of patients who had poor experiences in psychiatry, many people who have tried for years, and for some, decades, to search for answers to lifelong difficulties, in finding a provider who genuinely takes the time to understand the person beyond the patient. Every day, I continue to grow and learn from every interaction with my patients. I enjoy the opportunity to provide my patients a place where I can better serve them and understand their uniqueness, strengths, difficulties, and goals in life." ​ "I am grateful to my patients who say that I listen to them carefully, instead of just hearing their voice... to be given the opportunity to have a space for patients to share their emotions, to validate their experiences, and to work together to find a treatment plan that is tailored to their individual needs. I hope to be the provider patients can find effective support and treatment, despite if they feel like they have given up, because of treatments that didn't help in the past, had providers who prescribed medication that didn't relieve their suffering, or patients who have 'tried it all' and hope to find a treatment plan that works for them." ​ "I enjoy making connections with patients because my appointments are not confined to the typical, 15 to 30-minute appointment block... Instead, patients can schedule 1-hour appointments with me without a long wait. I can carefully listen to my patient's concerns and questions. This amount of time allows us to build a solid foundation and therapeutic relationship. This is my practice philosophy and why I am passionate about providing meaningful and effective care to patients. It is quality time that allows us to collaborate, which is essential for sustaining long-term, successful treatment of this common, yet complex, lifelong condition [ ADHD]."

The Brown Model of Executive Function Impairments in ADHD. From more than 25 years of clinical interviews and research with children, adolescents and adults who have ADHD... ​ Dr. Brown has developed an expanded model to describe the complex cognitive functions impaired in ADHD. This model describes executive functions, the cognitive management system of the human brain. ​ Although the model above shows 6 separate clusters, these functions continually work together, usually rapidly and unconsciously, to help each individual manage many tasks of daily life. The functions appear in basic forms in young children and gradually become more complex as the brain matures throughout childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. ​ Everyone has occasional impairments in their executive functions, individuals with ADHD experience much more difficulty in development and use of these functions than do most others of the same age and developmental level. ​ They may have chronic difficulty with ADHD symptoms in most areas of life, but when it comes to a few special interests like playing sports or video games, doing art or building Lego constructions, their ADHD symptoms are absent or hard to notice. ​ This phenomenon of “can do it here, but not most anyplace else” makes it appear it that ADHD is a simple problem of lacking willpower; it isn’t. These impairments of executive functions are usually due to inherited problems in the chemistry of the brain’s management system. ​ How was the Model created? ​ Utilizing clinical interview methods, Dr. Brown studied children, adolescents and adults diagnosed with ADHD according to the DSM criteria. He compared their descriptions of their problems with those of matched normal controls. Comparisons between the ADHD-diagnosed and the non-clinical samples in each age group yielded reports of impairments that can be recognized in the six clusters of this model of executive functions: Here are some examples to describe each cluster of the model ​ Activation: organizing tasks and materials, estimating time, prioritizing tasks, and getting started on work tasks. Patients with ADD describe chronic difficulty with excessive procrastination. Often they will put off getting started on a task, even a task they recognize as very important to them, until the very last minute. It is as though they cannot get themselves started until the point where they perceive the task as an acute emergency. ​ Focus : focusing, sustaining focus, and shifting focus to tasks. Some describe their difficulty in sustaining focus as similar to trying to listen to the car radio when you drive too far away from the station and the signal begins fading in and out: you get some of it and lose some of it. They say they are distracted easily not only by things that are going on around them, but also by thoughts in their own minds. In addition, focus on reading poses difficulties for many. Words are generally understood as they are read, but often have to be read over and over again in order for the meaning to be fully grasped and remembered. ​ Effort: regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing speed. Many with ADHD report they can perform short-term projects well, but have much more difficulty with sustained effort over longer periods of time. They also find it difficult to complete tasks on time, especially when required to do expository writing. Many also experience chronic difficulty regulating sleep and alertness. Often they stay up too late because they can’t shut their head off. Once asleep, they often sleep like dead people and have a big problem getting up in the morning. ​ Emotion : managing frustration and modulating emotions. Although the DSM-5 does not recognize any symptoms related to the management of emotion as an aspect of ADHD, many with this disorder describe chronic difficulties managing frustration, anger, worry, disappointment, desire, and other emotions. They speak as though these emotions, when experienced, take over their thinking as a computer virus invades a computer, making it impossible for them give attention to anything else. They find it very difficult to get the emotion into perspective, to put it to the back of their mind, and to get on with what they need to do. ​ Memory : utilizing working memory and accessing recall. Very often, people with ADHD will report that they have adequate or exceptional memory for things that happened long ago, but great difficulty in being able to remember where they just put something, what someone just said to them, or what they were about to say. They may describe difficulty holding one or several things “on line” while attending to other tasks. In addition, persons with ADHD often complain that they cannot pull out of memory information they have learned when they need it. ​ Action : monitoring and regulating self-action. Many persons with ADHD, even those without problems of hyperactive behavior, report chronic problems in regulating their actions. They often are too impulsive in what they say or do, and in the way they think, jumping too quickly to inaccurate conclusions. Persons with ADHD also report problems in monitoring the context in which they are interacting. They fail to notice when other people are puzzled, or hurt or annoyed by what they have just said or done and thus fail to modify their behavior in response to specific circumstances. Often they also report chronic difficulty in regulating the pace of their actions, in slowing self and/or speeding up as needed for specific tasks. ​ ​

About Us We are a private practice clinic located in Southern California. ​ Our clinicians are internationally recognized specialists in their field for assessment and treatment of ADHD and Related Disorders. Our clinic is for children, teenagers and adults, and we have sub-specialty for those those with ADHD and have a high IQ. ABout Our Specialty After serving over 20 years on the clinical faculty of the Yale Medical School, Dr. Brown relocated with Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, FNP-C in 2017 from Connecticut to re-open this specialty clinic in Manhattan Beach, California. Our clinicians offer expert assessments and treatment for children, teenagers and adults using their specialized approach and up-to-date knowledge of neuroscience, research & evidence-based practice. In the Brown Clinic, during the comprehensive evaluation, we also assess for the common conditions that often accompany ADHD & contribute to the various difficulties that undermine success in one's life - during school, college & grad school, career/employment, home, social settings, peer-relationships, sports/hobbies/social events, and interactions with family & friends. These difficulties may include the following listed below: Attention, Memory, & Motivation Academics/Work/Social under-achievement problems ​ Anxiety Disorders Generalized & Social Anxiety ​ Asperger's Syndrome High IQ-Autism (level 1) Cognitive Problems in Menopause ​ Emotion Regulation Quick to Frustration/Irritability Sensitivity to Rejection Depressive Disorders ​ Bipolar Disorders ​ Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders ​ Parenting & Family Conflict ​ Specific Learning Problems Math, Reading, & Writing ​ Sleep & Awakening difficulties ​ Alcohol & Drug Use Problems In this clinic those diagnosed with attention and learning problems can also receive expert psycho-educational testing which may be required to obtain accommodations in schools, universities and for professional credentialing tests. ​ Other available services include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, family therapy, and medication monitoring. Meet our team Our Team Meet the team Thomas E. Brown, PhD Director Thomas E. Brown earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Yale University and then served on the Yale faculty for 25 years. He is the Director of the Brown Clinic & Clinical Professor of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine He has published 30 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and 5 ground-breaking books on ADD/ADHD. Dr. Brown is is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Liza Somilleda, MA Educational Consultant Liza is an experienced educator with both Special Education & Education Administration Credentials. She has over 17 years of school based experience, and extensive training & credentials in ABA. She assists parents in understanding the needs of their children with problems in attention, learning and behavior. Liza is also a certified PEERS social skills provider, and she specializes in working with children in middle and high school. Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, NP-C Thomas E. Brown, PhD DIRECTOR Thomas E. Brown earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Yale University and then served on the Yale faculty for 25 years. He is the Director of the Brown Clinic & Clinical Professor of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine He has published 30 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and 5 ground-breaking books on ADD/ADHD. Dr. Brown is is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Bio Summary Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, NP-C ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Ryan J. Kennedy is a board-certified, family nurse practitioner and received his doctorate in nursing practice from Quinnipiac University. He specializes in assessment and psychopharmacology treatments for ADHD and comorbid disorders. Ryan has collaborated in research and writing with Dr. Brown for over 12 years. Their work is published in books, medical literature and peer-reviewed articles, and present their research & posters at national and international conferences, universities & lectures. At the Brown Clinic he provides assessment, treatment, medication management and therapy treatments for ADHD and related problems. Bio Summary Corrine Gach, ASW Associate Therapist Corrine Gach, ASW is an associate therapist, under the supervision of Dr. Thomas E. Brown, PhD (PSY29849) offers individual psychotherapy for children, teens, and young adults patients (CA-based only), previously evaluated at our clinic. ​ Corrine earned her MSW at the University of Southern California and has been associated with our clinic since 2019. She has had additional training in cognitive behavioral therapy through the Beck Institute and is a PEERS for Adolescents certified provider through UCLA’s PEERS program. Contact Info. Liza Somilleda, MA Educational Consultant Liza is an experienced educator with both Special Education & Education Administration Credentials. She has over 17 years of school based experience, and extensive training & credentials in ABA. She assists parents in understanding the needs of their children with problems in attention, learning and behavior. Liza is also a certified PEERS social skills provider, and she specializes in working with children in middle and high school. Contact Info.

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Documentation Requests Report Policy & Fees NOTICE: if you are an established & current patient , use this form to request a letter or report regarding diagnosis, recommendations, and/or accommodations, preparation can take between several hours and billed at the doctor's hourly fee. If you need a brief summary for a diagnosis, treatment progress or medication recommendations, this may be subject to a fee depending on the time required to complete the letter. Please allow us at least a few weeks notice for requesting any reports. Requesting Documentation- Existing Patients ONLY I am requesting the following: Initial Assessment Report (note: charges may apply) Requesting Records Requesting Superbill Requesting Individual Insurance Form Accomodations Report (preparation charges will apply) I understand turnaround can take 1-4 weeks, depending on the request Submit Thanks for submitting!

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Medication Treatment for ADHD & Related Disorders Patients have the option to bring treatment recommendations from our clinic to their own primary prescriber if they are able and willing to provide appropriate medications. Often, our patients prefer to start and continue treatment with Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, FNP-C who is a specialist in the field & is committed to individualized treatments and fine-tuning for each patient. Medication management follow-ups can be scheduled in our office, with our specialist doctoral family nurse practitioner who licensed to prescribe to patients evaluated and reside in CA. Patients can also see their current healthcare provider to prescribe medication, and consult with our providers who may be able to collaborate with your provider on pharmacological care of ADHD treatment.

Therapy Sessions Follow up therapy appointments can be scheduled for established patients with Dr. Brown & Ryan J. Kennedy, DNP, FNP-C. We offer individual psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and family/parent sessions. If patients are interested in these services or if your clinician recommends some sessions, appointments are scheduled for 50 minutes and the frequency or number of visits depends on your situation so appointments can vary from once weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly and as-needed. Appointments can be scheduled by phone or online with the option for in-person or via ZOOM. ​

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