John T. Walkup, MD

AACAP Annual Meeting 2026

October 26–31, 2026 · Atlanta, GA · Full program

• PlenaryPresidential Interview: John T. Walkup, MD Interviews Awais Aftab, MD

  October 27, 2026

  AACAP's president sits down with psychiatrist and writer Awais Aftab for a live-streamed conversation on conceptual and philosophical issues facing modern psychiatry.

  Measurement-Based Care & DiagnosisPractice, Policy & Workforce

• PlenaryOpening Plenary: Calling In: Showcasing Your Passion with Compassion

  October 28, 2026

  The meeting's opening plenary features activist and scholar Loretta J. Ross in conversation with AACAP President John Walkup on 'calling in' — engaging disagreement with compassion rather than public shaming.

  Practice, Policy & Workforce

• SessionChairDistinguished Member Awards Lunch

  October 28, 2026, 11:45–13:15

  Invite-only luncheon recognizing the 2026 Distinguished Member Award recipients and their contributions to AACAP and the field.

  Education & Training

• PosterLongitudinal Evaluation of Tic Severity and Psychiatric Comorbidity in Young Adults Who Received Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics as Children

  October 28, 2026, 13:00–15:00

  Follows young adults who had behavioral therapy for tics in childhood, reporting tic severity and psychiatric comorbidity over time.

  Autism & Neurodevelopmental DisordersChild & AdolescentPsychotherapy

• PlenaryTown Meeting: Shaping Minds, Shaping Justice: Children's Mental Health Through the Lens of Atlanta's Civil Rights Movement

  October 29, 2026

  A host-city town meeting connecting Atlanta's civil rights legacy to children's mental health, with Morehouse School of Medicine faculty, Georgia behavioral health leaders, and community advocates.

  Child & AdolescentDiverse & Underserved Populations

• SymposiumBeyond the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS): Lessons From the Next Generation of RCTs Comparing Treatments for Childhood Anxiety in the Real World

  October 29, 2026

  CAMS investigators and successors synthesize what the newest generation of pragmatic randomized trials adds to the landmark CAMS findings on treating childhood anxiety in routine care settings.

  Anxiety DisordersChild & AdolescentPsychotherapy

• PlenaryLawrence A. Stone, MD, Plenary Session: Understanding Posttraumatic Growth

  October 30, 2026

  Richard Tedeschi, who originated the concept of posttraumatic growth, discusses how positive psychological change can emerge after trauma and what that means for clinicians working with youth.

  Child & AdolescentPTSD & Trauma

• SymposiumTreatment of Pediatric Anxiety Disorders in the Primary Care Setting: Findings From the Partners in Caring for Anxious Youth (PCAY) Study

  October 30, 2026

  First findings from the PCAY study of treating pediatric anxiety disorders within primary care, presented by senior anxiety trialists including John Walkup, James McCracken, and Jeffrey Strawn.

  Anxiety DisordersChild & AdolescentCollaborative & Integrated Care

• LectureResults of the Partners in Caring for Anxious Youth (PCAY) Study

  October 30, 2026, 09:30–11:30

  Reports the main outcome findings of the PCAY study.

  Anxiety DisordersChild & AdolescentCollaborative & Integrated Care