Books on ADHD

If you've heard of "positive discipline" but wondered how on earth to do it, this is the book that can show you. The Nurtured Heart Approach involves bombarding kids with positive statements, while treating misbehavior with unemotional time-outs. A credit system adds more positive feedback. You may be surprised how well it works. 5 Stars

Everybody thinks they know what ADHD is all about -- hyperactivity and inattentiveness, right? -- but author Martin Kutscher stresses that the disorder is even more about an inability to organize and an impairment of the brain's executive function. Applying that knowledge to your child can help you focus on ways to help and support, not stress and depress. 4.5 Stars

Think problems with ADHD and learning disabilities stop when your child finally makes it out of school? Think again. Anne Ford, who first shared her daughter's story in the book Laughing Allegra, follows her into adulthood now with a look at the way problems with organization, focus and social skills just go on and on and on. Fortunately, parents can help -- once the kids are adults, and before they get there. 4.5 Stars

Looking for a hard and fast answer to the question of whether psychiatric medications will be safe, effective, and necessary for your child? Too bad, you won't find it here. You will find an evenhanded look at the pros and cons, from a psychiatrist who is cautiously pro-medication but entirely mindful of its pitfalls. Whichever side of the fence you're on, or even if you're straddling it, you'll find some validation for your point of view here. Some food for thought, too. 4.5 Stars

This sequel to All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome takes the same approach, matching adorable animal photos with the particular traits of children with the disorder. It's an extremely accessible formula, and one that has the potential not only to inform, but to make kids with ADHD feel better about themselves by comparison to such cool critters. 4 Stars

If your child has behavioral challenges, you've probably had the experience of reading symptoms for one diagnosis after another and feeling your child could be tagged with any of them. Kids in the Syndrome Mix works to sort out some of those tangled strands and lead parents to meaningful interventions for their children, whatever the diagnosis may be. 4 Stars

On a 35,000 round-trip across the U.S. in one of those stubby special-ed buses, Mooney meets people who vary from society's ideal of "normal" in various ways, from a deaf-blind child in Virginia to a transgendered artist in Maine to a young woman with Down syndrome in Ohio -- all of whom have in common difficult school experiences, and more comfort in their own skins than Mooney's been able to muster. If you've wondered where your child fits in the world, the lessons the author learns here may benefit you and yours as well. 4 Stars

Medicating children for behavior problems can be a difficult subject to discuss, one that provokes strong emotions among parents, pro and con. Dr. Lawrence Diller, author of Running on Ritalin, provides information about a host of psychiatric drugs while also offering caution as to their use. It's thought-provoking stuff regardless of which side of the line you're on. 4 Stars

That title just seems designed to provoke, doesn't it? There are plenty of families for whom ADD is anything but a myth. As for drugs and labels, they do seem to work for many children, as a route to succeeding in school and receiving needed services. If you can overlook the title and some of the theory here, though, the 50 ways work pretty well, too. 3.5 Stars

More accurately, the title should be Please Don't Label YOUR Child, because the author is directing his message at parents who are quick to seek a label and a prescription, rather than doctors and educators who are quick to offer them. If you can keep from getting defensive over that, there's some good information on how adjusting nutrition, environment, and lifestyle may be more effective than meds for many kids. 3.5 Stars