Carole Jacobs - The Everything Parents Guide to ADHD in Children

Letter to the Reader

THE

PARENTS GUIDE TO ADHD IN CHILDREN

Dear Reader,

Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects the lives of millions of children. Whether your child has ADHD, you know other children who have the disorder, or you are curious to learn more about the disorder, we hope you will find this book a helpful and informative resource.

Although no one knows exactly what causes childhood ADHD, and there is no cure, rapid advances in technology are leading to more effective diagnostic and treatment modalities.

Today, most children with ADHD who receive appropriate treatment go on to lead happy, productive lives. In fact, throughout history, many children with ADHD have become adults with ADHD who have achieved great fame and fortune, and made lasting contributions to society. Just a few ADHD greats your child is familiar with include Cher, Tom Cruise, Walt Disney, Benjamin Franklin, Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg, Magic Johnson, Babe Ruth, Will Smith, and Steven Spielberg.

Hopefully, this guide will inform and inspire the parents of children with ADHD about a wide range of issues regarding the disorder, and affect them and their childrens lives in a positive way.

Carole Jacobs and Isadore Wendel, PhD, MSCP

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Title Page

THE

PARENTS GUIDE TO ADHD IN CHILDREN

A reassuring guide to getting the right diagnosis, understanding treatments, and helping your child focus

Carole Jacobs and Isadore Wendel, PhD, MSCP

Avon, Massachusetts

Copyright

Copyright 2010 by F+W Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced

in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions

are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.

Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.

www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-60550-678-8

ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-678-4

eISBN 10: 1-60550-679-6

eISBN 13: 978-1-60550-6791-

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

is available from the publisher.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

All the examples and dialogues used in this book are fictional, and have been created by the author to illustrate different situations.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all children, parents, and families who are living with childhood ADHD.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Brett Shanahan at Adams Media, and Robert G. DiForio of D4EO Literary Agency.

Introduction

Parenting a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be an exhausting, frustrating, bewildering, and overwhelming experience. But as a parent, there is a lot you can do to help your child manage and control his or her symptoms, and to quiet the chaos that the disorder often imposes on families and marriages. It all begins with a complete understanding of childhood ADHD.

The Everything Parents Guide to ADHD in Children is a comprehensive resource for parents of children of all ages and provides detailed information on recognizing and managing your childs disorder from preschool through high school. This health guide offers practical advice on the telltale signs and symptoms of childhood ADHD and information on getting a reliable diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment for your child.

By reading this book, youll glean the basic medical knowledge necessary to talk intelligently about your childs condition to his or her doctor. Youll also learn about the conditions classic symptoms, new diagnostic and evaluation techniques, and an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of high-tech treatment and medication modalities used to treat childhood ADHD.

While practically all children have days when they dont complete their homework, blurt out the wrong things in class, or forget where they put their backpack, those days are the norm, rather than the exception for children with ADHD. As youll learn by reading The Everything Parents Guide to ADHD in Children, not every child has the same ADHD symptoms, and a childs symptoms may change over time. While some children with ADHD are hyperactive, others are quiet dreamers who stare into space, miles away from their teacher and homework at hand. Still others are so impulsive that they butt into every conversation, are overly blunt and tactless, or invade everyones space.