Psychiatry & Psychology

BUDS Program

BUDS is a summer treatment program run by the Program for ADHD & Disruptive Behavior at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. This 5-week summer program is intended for young children who demonstrate mild to moderate disruptive behavior. The program is developed and led by Dr. Vasco Lopes, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Who is the program intended for?

  • Young children between 5 and 9 years of age
  • Children who demonstrate disruptive behavior in their current classroom setting

How can this program help my child?

  • Improve listening to teacher instructions
  • Transition from activities more quickly
  • Help regulate activity level in the classroom
  • Improve frustration tolerance
  • Improve social skills
  • Help overcome school-related anxiety

What activities does the program entail?

We will simulate an early childhood classroom structure while engaging children with a mix of fun activities, challenging academic-like tasks, and therapeutic interventions.

Fun Activities:

  • Outdoor Play time
  • Field trips to museums, zoos, and other activities
  • Classroom play time

Academic-like Activities:

  • Story times
  • Arts & crafts
  • Academic activities in math, reading, and writing

Therapeutic Interventions:

  • Positive reinforcements throughout the program day to improve positive school behavior
  • Social skills training to improve interactions with peers
  • Coping skills for frustration tolerance and emotion regulation

What are the different components of the program?

We incorporate evidence-based treatment approaches, including:

  • Positive reinforcements throughout the program day
  • Coping skills training
  • Social skills training
  • Daily Behavior Report Cards
  • Weekly Parent training meetings to help manage disruptive home behavior

Program Specifics

  • Location:
    The Cathedral School
    1047 Amsterdam Avenue
    New York, NY 10025
  • Dates: July 6th through August 7th  
  • Length of Program Day: 9:00 am-3:00 pm
  • Staffing ratio: 2 children per staff member

Our Leadership

BUDS Program is directed by Vasco Lopes, PsyD. Dr. Lopes is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Lopes has years of training and experience in treating children with behavioral and emotional dysregulation. Dr. Lopes is certified in gold-standard treatments for children with disruptive behaviors, including Parent-child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and Parent Management Training. He has led numerous workshops, has consulted with many schools in training teachers on how to manage disruptive classroom behavior and has published several journal articles on childhood ADHD and emotional dysregulation.

Contact Us

For questions about the BUDS program, please contact:

Devon Seelig
dgs2139@cumc.columbia.edu  
212-342-0951