ADHD: A Survival Guide for Parents and Teachers
fill an important need expressed by parents and caretakers
of ADHD children. Parents, teachers, and other caretakers
have asked for clear, practical, and easily understood strategies
to deal with ADHD children. The book's "survival guide"
format meets this important need.
The book's format is designed so the reader can read either
from cover to cover and/or read individual sections that are
of special interest and deal with a particular need. A "Review
and Tips" section is provided at the end of individual
sections for a review of important suggestions and themes.
The "Review and Tips" format provides the reader
with two options: either to review highlighted material and
tips immediately after reading a section, or to return to
it at a later date.
The book not only covers ADHD problem behaviors in great depth, but it does so in a friendly and supportive style that is easy for readers to use and understand. Rather than a textbook, the book´s style serves as a resource readers can easily use and repeatedly refer to. Parents, teachers, and caretakers of ADHD children will appreciate the sympathetic approach and expert discussion by authors who have worked extensively with ADHD children and their families in a broad range of settings: medical, clinical, and educational. Because the book deals with a childhood disorder that is widely recognized by professionals and growing in recognition among lay people, its ideas and suggestions can be a resource for parents and teachers for years to come.
The book includes a forward, introduction, table of contents, ten chapters, references, exhibits, and recommended readings for parents and children.
Table of Contents
- I Am Confused-So What Is ADHD?
- According to the Experts, What Is ADHD? 9
- Definition and Symptoms
- Are There Different Types of ADHD?
- Other Behaviors Sometimes Associated with ADHD
- ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type (ADHD-I)
- Developmental Stages of ADHD
- Infants and Toddlers
- School Age
- Four Behaviors Worthy of Discussion
- Inhibiting Behavior
- Rule-Governed Behavior
- Inconsistent Performance
- What Are the Roles of Biology and Environment?
- Myth or Fact
- Brain Injury
- Lead Poisoning
- Medical Problems
- How Can I Know for Sure My Child
- Who Can Make a Diagnosis of ADHD?
- Can Other Factors Cause My Child to Look Like He Has ADHD?
- Will My Child's ADHD Go Away As He Gets Older?
- Why Are My Two Children with ADHD So Different?
- My Child Can Sit in Front of the TV for Hours and Never Move. Does That Mean He Doesn't Have ADHD?
- My Friend's Child Has Tourette Syndrome but Acts Like He Has ADHD
- My Doctor Now Says My Child May Have Bipolar Disorder, Not ADHD. What Is Bipolar Disorder?
- Am I to Blame?
- Should I Blame Myself?
- I Feel Guilty Spending So Much Time with My Child
- My Doctor Doesn't Believe Me-He Says, Take a Parenting Class"
- My Parents Say We Are Terrible for Putting Their Grandchild on Medication
- Sally-Next-Door Says I Am Not Strict Enough
- I Am Losing My Child
- The Hardest Time for Me Was When I Had to Place My Child in a Psychiatric Hospital
- I Feel Like Running Away
- Sometimes I Don't Like My Child
- "Don't Blame Me-I Have ADHD!"
- I Didn't Take My Pill-Don't Blame Me!
- Counting to Five Silently
- Talk to Yourself
- Plan Ahead for Problem Areas
- He Seldom Says He's Sorry
- Acknowledging Mistakes
- Making Amends
- Chart "I'm Sorry" Statements
- Time to Talk
- He Is So Emotional-Is This Normal?
- Counting to Five Silently
- Stop, Look, Think, and Do
- Prepare Your Child for Changes
- He Never Seems to Learn from His Mistakes
- Ideas to Help Your Child Learn Better from His Mistakes
- What Scares Me the Most Is When He Gets Violent
- I C.A.R.E.
- Green, Yellow, Red
- Zip My Lip
- Know What Makes Your Child Angry
- Is My Child Noncompliant or Just Incompetent?
- Positive Directions
- Reminder Sheets
- One Direction at a Time and Be Specific
- Keep a Stopwatch Handy
- Commonsense Rules
- Be Firm
- Changing Habits
- Be Preventative, Not Reactionary
- Our Child Takes a Lot of Our Time
- Reminders, Reminders, All the Time
- Reminder Sheets
- Mnemonic Reminders
- Kitchen Timer
- Oral Directions
- Make Eye Contact
- Be Close to Him
- Family Outings Can Be Overwhelming
- Look Before You Leap
- Waiting Is No Fun
- Change Is Not Easy
- Getting Ready for School-It's Never Enough Time
- Sleep Time
- Bathroom Time
- Sitting Down for Breakfast Can Be World War III
- Table Rules
- Catch Him Being Good
- Getting Ready for Bed Can Be a Nightly Battle
- Pre-Bed Rituals
- His Sister and Brother Want to Live Next Door
- Find Special Time
- No One Wants to Be Abused
- Brothers and Sisters Need a Vacation, Too
- He Minds His Dad Better Than Me
- Homework Is a Family Mission
- Don't Jeopardize Your Relationship with Your Child
- You May Not Be Able to Be His Teacher
- Parental Responsibility
- The Homework May Be Too Hard or Long
- Let's Not Talk about Going to the Store!
- Have a Plan
- Rules on a Card
- Take a Photo of the "Time-Out" Chair
- 1-2-3 Magic
- Reward Him for Being Good
- Our Marriage Needs Some Attention
- Taking Care of You Is Important
- It's Okay to Say No
- Stop Trying to Control Things
- Don't Neglect Your Partner
- Try to Share Parenting
- I Am a Single Parent-Help!
- I Can't Find a Baby-sitter
- Dating? Say That Word Again!
- Where Do I Go When I Want to Explode?
- My Partner Isn't Patient or Understanding
- Try to Be Supportive, Not Enabling
- I Feel Alone and Nobody Cares 1
- My Child's in School-Can I Tell You Some Stories!
- Should I Tell His Teacher He Has ADHD?
- I Think I Should Get a Diploma, Too!
- I Feel Like Hiring a Tutor
- How Much Does the Teacher Know about ADHD?
- I Hate to Hear from My Child's School
- His School Says It's My Child's Responsibility to Remember to Take His Medication
- Homework Takes Forever
- Homework May Be Too Hard or Long
- He Does His Homework and Then Forgets to Turn It In!
- Monitor Your Child's Homework
- Communicate Regularly with the Teacher
- He Doesn't Seem Motivated to Get Good Grades
- My Neighbor Has a Child with ADHD, and
He Is Doing Fine in School- Why's That?
- He Did So Much Better in the Third Grade Than He's Doing in the Seventh Grade
- Behavioral Expectations
- Academic Expectations
- Writing Assignments Are Especially Difficult
for My Child
- Could My Child Have a Learning Disability?
- My Neighbor Says Schools Have a Legal Obligation to Accommodate My Son's ADHD. Is This True?
- Section 504
- My Child Has a Hard Time at Recess
- Impulsive Behavior
- Difficulty Modulating Emotions
- Noncompliant and Oppositional Behavior
- Ideas to Help at Recess
- Don't Leave the Classroom without a Plan
- Green Card
- Time-Out Areas
- My Child's School Asked for a Student Study Team-What's That?
- I Worry My Child Will Be a School Dropout
- Even My Pharmacist's Wife Says
She Wouldn't Put Her Child on Ritalin
- My child's teacher says that my child needs to be put on medication.
- What medications are most commonly used to treat ADHD?
- What changes can I expect to see in my child after giving Ritalin or Dexedrine?
- Do stimulants cure ADHD? How do these medications work?
- How long do I need to try stimulants to know if they work?
- How do I know when I am giving my child enough, versus too much, of a stimulant medication?
- If the medication works, does that confirm that the diagnosis is correct?
- What side effects might I expect my child to have from stimulants?
- Can stimulants cause problems with growth?
- I've heard that stimulants can cause twitches or Tourette syndrome.
- Are stimulants addictive?
- Can stimulants lead to problems with abuse of other drugs?
- Are there particular children who would be expected to do poorly on stimulants?
- My child's teacher says that my child should only be on Ritalin for school, and my doctor says he needs it daily. Whom should I believe?
- Are there problems with adverse
drug interactions if my child is on a stimulant?
- I've heard that kids can become psychotic on stimulants.
- Can stimulants be used in children under age five?
- My child seems to do better after drinking soda or a cup of coffee. Is there anything wrong
with using caffeine instead of Ritalin?
- Can stimulants bring out bipolar disorder (manic depression)?
- My child used to do well on Ritalin but now it doesn't work. What is going on?
- Are there any good natural remedies available?
- Are there medications used to treat ADHD other than the stimulants?
- Clonidine (Catapres) and guanfacine (Tenex)
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Wellbutrin (bupropion)
- Mood stabilizers
- New ADHD drugs on the horizon
- When should drugs like Prozac be used?
- Do medications help learning disabilities?
- My child is defiant. Will medication help with this?
- My child with ADHD doesn't sleep well-what
should I do about it?
- Are stimulants used to treat adults with ADHD?
- If It Works, Try Again, but It Won't Work for Long
- What Works for His Younger Brother Doesn't Work for My Child with ADHD
- Medication Helps, but I Need More
- There Will Be Good Moments and
There Will Be Bad Moments
- I Am Tired of Yelling
- I Am Uncomfortable Bribing My Child to Be Good
- My Adolescent Is Too Old to Place in Time-Out
- I Would Love to Help as a Teacher, but I have Children in My Classroom
- I Have Too Many Other Responsibilities
- The Challenge Presented Teachers
- Blame Doesn't Help
- Teachers Need Not Feel Guilty
- My Students Find Some Curriculum Especially Difficult
- Written Work
- Reading Comprehension
- I'm Angry That I'm Responsible for His Medication
- He Is on Medication, So Why Isn't He Doing Better Academically?
- Short-Term Effects of Stimulants on Academic Performance
- Long-Term Effects of Stimulants on Academic Performance
- What Stimulants Cannot Do to Improve Academic Performance
- Other Reasons Why He Is Not Doing Better
- He Is Disrupting the Education of the Other Children-I Can't Allow That
- Have a Plan
- Set Firm Limits and Follow Them
- Pick Your Battles
- Catch Him Being Good
- What Interventions Seem to Work Best in the Classroom?
- What Activities Give Students with ADHD Difficulty?
- He Always Needs to Be Reminded Primary Grades (Kindergarten through Sixth Grades) Secondary Grades (Seventh through Twelfth Grades)
- He Wastes Time During Class Primary Grades Secondary Grades
- He Fails to Remember to Turn in His Schoolwork Primary Grades Secondary Grades
- Written Work Seems Especially Difficult Primary Grades Secondary Grades
- He Gets Out of His Seat Without Asking Primary Grades Secondary Grades
- He Gets Angry and Upset Too Quickly Primary Grades Secondary Grades
- He Turns in His Schoolwork, but It Is Sloppy Primary Grades Secondary Grades
- Section 504 Worries Me
- How Should I Tell Parents I Think Their Child Has ADHD?
- How Can I Help the Doctor?
|From Frustration to Hope-a Summary
- DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Developmental Stages of ADHD
- Nerve Cell
- Disorders That Can Mimic ADHD
- Stimulant Medications Used in Treatment for ADHD
- The Weekly Report
- Daily Student Rating Card
- Web sites offering information about ADHD
- Recommended Reading
- For Parents and Teachers
- For Children
- Reference List
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What Reviewers Have Said
" This book covers all the bases with wisdom and clarity."
"A must for any parent who wants a road map to success in raising
child with ADHD"
"Panoramic in its scope, uplifting in its vision, caring in
"A useful, credible guide for any parent or teacher concerned
these special children"
Taylor, Ph.D., Author, Helping Your A.D.D. Child
"Easy to read, parent friendly; avoids jargon; personalizes
experiences that will help parents, teachers and school administrators;
helpful to teachers, recreation leaders, school administrators as
well as parents."
V. Boyer, Assistant Superintendent of Student Special Services,
Juan Unified School District, Sacramento, California
"It is the best book I have read on ADHD in years."
E. Comings, MD, Author, Tourette Syndrome and Human Behavior