PRAISE FOR FLIPPING ADHD ON ITS HEAD
Whether you are a mom, or a dad, or a teacher, or just somebody interested in learning about this fascinating condition, Dr. Jim is your man.
EDWARD HALLOWELL, MD, coauthor of Driven to Distraction
In tennis, there is nothing more critical than understanding, developing, and applying ones strengths toward success. If I were to take everything I know about coaching youth and apply it to parenting an ADHD child, this book would be it. High praise to Dr. Jim for Flipping ADHD on Its Head.
CHUCK KRIESE, ACCs winningest tennis coach, former US national coach
Having combatted the devastating stigma and difficult challenges of mental health for over 30 years within my own family, I could not be more thrilled to see Dr. Jim finally getting this message out to the world. Flipping ADHD on Its Head is a welcome addition to the cause and the first book Id recommend to any parent struggling with an ADHD child. Dr. Jims approach gives so much hope to an area that has often been hopeless. Bless you, Dr. Jim, for this gift to the world.
VAN EURE, International Restaurateur of the Year, Chair, Walk for Hope
Ive read several books by physicians and clinicians about ADHD for patients and familiesthis is at the top of my list.
MARK SIMMS, MD, Director of Childrens Hospital in Milwaukee
Dr. Jim has figured out a way to take what many doctors and people consider a handicap and turn it into an asset! This book will be life-changing for families all over our country!
BARRY FOOTE, Entrepreneur, former MLB Player and Coach
This informative book provides awareness and understanding along with skills and strategies for parents of ADHD children... The specific strategies and concrete suggestions for helping ADHD children become successful learners, along with Dr. Jims encouragement and positivity, result in a valuable resource for parents.
DIANE PAYNE, principal, educator, author
This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, you should seek competent medical help. You should not begin a new health regimen without first consulting a medical professional.
Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press
Austin, Texas
www.gbgpress.com
Copyright 2020 Jim Poole and Matthew Poole
All rights reserved.
FastBraiin is a registered trademark of Dr. James M. Poole.
Thank you for purchasing an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright law. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.
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Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group and Sheila Parr
Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group and Sheila Parr
Cover image iStockphoto / ivanastar
Illustrations by Josh Malchuk
Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.
Print ISBN: 978-1-62634-659-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62634-660-4
Part of the Tree Neutral program, which offsets the number of trees consumed in the production and printing of this book by taking proactive steps, such as planting trees in direct proportion to the number of trees used: www.treeneutral.com
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
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First Edition
To all the children and adults with ADHD who have not yet experienced the joy, gift, and success of being FastBraiin
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
W hen you get to be my age, Ill be 70 by the time this book hits the market, well, you dont need to mess around anymore. You can pretty much tell when a person is good and when a person isnt inclined toward goodness. You can pretty much tell when someone has something interesting to say and when a person is just going to talk, which is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. After all, each person has to do something and if talking is what that person chooses to do, then so be it. Its just that its my choice to listen, or not. And you can pretty much tell when someone is onto something and when someone isnt.
Dr. Jim Poole is onto something. What I especially like about what hes onto is that, unlike a new recipe for hummus, or a new route from D.C. to Philly, or a new take on the influence of soybeans in the history of Mississippi, what hes onto really mattersto me and to millions of children, parents, teachers, and anyone else who cares about kids and how they are educated and brought up these days.
You see, one of the most misunderstood, hotly debated, kicked around, and generally mangled topics in education, parenting, pediatrics, psychiatry, mental health, and child development is the subject Dr. Jim is onto. Its the condition called ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disordera misnomer and a mouthful of syllables if there ever was one. More people understand Martian weather forecasting than those who truly understand ADHD, but Dr. Jim is one of them.
Theres no deficit of attention in ADHD, instead, theres an abundance. Hyperactivity is often not present at all. And, far from being a disorder, it can be a huge asset, as it is for David Neeleman, the man who founded JetBlue Airlines. But, you must beware because it can be a terrible disorder, as it is for the many people in prison who have it and the addicts and the unemployed who have it. This is why it is so important that we understand it and deal with it properly, so the kids who have it can grow up and become like David Neeleman, instead of being unemployed, in jail or addicted.
Dr. Jim is onto all of this. He wants to teach everybody about this condition that is so misleadingly called ADHD, help everybody so they can turn it into the asset it ought to be, and avoid the terrible outcomes that can result if it is not dealt with properly.
Theres another thing I like as I get near 70. I like people who want to do good in this world. Dont you agree? Im so fed up and just plain sick and tired of people who only want to make noise and get on the news and kick up a ruckus, not caring a hoot about the world as it continues to burst with sin and suffering. That phrase comes from my old friend Samuel Johnson. He lived a long time ago in the 18th century. But the world today still bursts with sin and suffering, and Dr. Jim is one of those people who actually wants to spend the time he has left doing something about it.
And the thing he knows enough about to do something is this condition so wrongly called ADHD. Dr. Jim will teach you what it ought to be called in this book. He coined a neat little term for it that Ill let him tell you. He will teach you how to turn the condition into an advantage for your child. He will also give you practical tools.