Whetstone said he has hosted similar workshops around the country. In each of the six sessions, Whetstone said, topics will be approached from the child's perspective. The purpose of the workshop is to facilitate communication between grandparents, parents, teachers, coaches and other adults in a child's life.

"Here is a young man or a young woman, and here are some strategies the adults can all work on to make the relationship with the child go better and better the relationships with each other," he said. "It's amazing what happens when you get the right group of people together."

Whetstone said when adults understand ADHD, learning disabilities and other behavioral issues, it benefits the child and prevents adults "getting into negative struggles." If all of the adults in a child's life have the same set of information, he said, they can work together to come up with solutions that help the child learn.

In his psychological work and in other workshops, Whetstone said he has seen that the needs of each child vary. For example, a student who may be a more visual learner may have difficulty understanding verbal communication. That child may have difficulty participating in sports activities, but if the coach is aware of the child's visual learning style, he can draw out the plays on paper to help the child understand their role on the team.

"Each person has a unique constellation of learning style assets and challenges. It is a very individualized approach, and each person processes information differently," Whetstone said.

The workshop series, presented by the Jefferson County Adults and Community Education Program, begins Jan. 20, with sessions held every other week through April 6. Topics include communication, creating a relaxed environment for children, behavior, and pros and cons of psychiatric medications.

"I do the workshops every other week because I give people enough to work on that it takes a couple of weeks to start incorporating those ideas. Instead of doing it every week, this course structure is less intense and gives people about 90 days to develop different styles or strategies for working with children," Whetstone said.

The workshop sessions will take place at Charles Town Middle School from 6-8 p.m. on six Wednesday evenings. The cost to attend is $10 per session.

For more information or to register for the workshop, call Judy Slusher, Jefferson County Adult and Community Education faciliator, at 304-728-9237.

Staff writer Mary Stortstrom can be reached at 304-725-6581 or www.twitter.com/mstortstromJN.