The Myth of the ADHD Child, Revised Edition: 101 Ways to Improve Your Child's Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion

After being told by my son's second grade teacher that she thought my son had ADD, my husband and I took him to three different professionals. The first two wanted to medicate him. The third tested him and gave us this book to read. It turned out that our son had many allergies to both foods and environmental items. He also was above average intelligence and was bored with his classwork. We bought a computer and got him learning software. We also signed him up for piano lessons and had him read many books. We took care of his allergies through diet and shots. He is now a high school sophomore who is in all honors classes. He is planning on going to school to become a surgeon. Please take the time to investigate all your options before going straight to the Ritalin. Some children will still need the medication but use that as your last resort. Another good book to read is "Is This Your Child?" by Dr. Doris Rapp. She discusses the allergy aspect to behavior problems.

When you're dealing with an active kid, fresh ideas can be hardto come by, and finding 50 of them in one place is reason enough to celebrate. Some of these are more practicable than others--I've found that any idea that requires getting the school to do things differently is a hard idea to implement--but all are thought-provoking. If nothing else, it's nice, in these medicate-first-ask-questions-later times, to find someone taking behavior modification seriously, and turning our kids' imagination, exuberance, and energy to their advantage. END

As the parent of a child labeled ADHD and as someone who has spent the last 18 months researching this condition, I found this book to be the best I have come across yet. Unlike the first review listed here, I did not get the impression that this book blames bad parenting for the condition. It is touched upon early in the book as a probable cause of some of the behaviours, but it is definitely not what this whole book is about. Thomas Armstrong give us several very workable strategies that are more compatible with different learning styles. He does not swing too far to the left or right, but rather encourages us to stand back and use reason and understanding and not to be caught up in the opinions of the closed-minded disorder model. He does not totally condemn nor does he fully endorse the use of medication, again he shows us how to use reason to determine if and when medication should be used. Not only do his strategies work for these "labeled" children, but many of them are excellent strategies that we all could make use and would be of benefit to even "normal" children. I would highly recommend this book to all parents of children who have been saddled with the label of ADD/ADHD. This book should be mandatory reading for all teachers. It should be part of the program during teachers college.

I've read about 10 books on attention deficit disorder, including Driven to Distraction and most of the Thom Hartmann books. Out of all the books I've read, this is my favorite. The book is not quite as radical as it sounds; the author isn't saying that some kids aren't different or couldn't use intervention. What he's saying is that the "disorder" designation of ADD is not appropriate for most of the kids who get labeled as such. Yes, they're different, but there are lots of reasons why, including diet, learning styles, temperament, allergies, and normal heredity. The book is very practical. There is a questionnaire to answer about your child. For each "yes" answer you give, the author references one or two chapters which might be helpful to your specific child. I found these chapters on "tips" most helpful. For example, if your child seems to think best on his feet, there is a chapter which discusses how some kids perform better in school when they are allowed to move around during the lecture. He does not lump all ADD kids together, like most authors, but focuses on their individuality.

Thomas Armstrong states his thesis very clearly in his preface as follows: "A.D.D. does not exist; these children are not disordered. They may have a different style of thinking, attending, and behaving, but it's the broader social and educational influences that create the disorder, not the children." He goes on to explain that the behaviors, difficulties, and learning shortfalls noted by parents and teachers do exist, but he believes there are better - though more demanding - solutions than a medical diagnosis and medication. (Note that he's not anti-Ritalin, having seen many dramatic success stories. He's just against a knee-jerk prescription of Ritalin for every child whose behavior and/or attention don't match our norms.) Armstrong's list of alternatives to medication is eclectic and wide-ranging, taking in the controversial (try the Feingold anti-allergen diet - it can't hurt), the unarguable (help your child with organizational skills), and the novel (use incidental learning to teach.) He provides a quick quiz to help parents identify the most promising options for their child, and directs them to short, 3-4 page chapters describing each idea. Here are just a few chapter titles: Provide a Balanced Breakfast Limit Television and Video Games Discover Your Child's Personal Learning Style Use Color to Highlight Information Give Instructions in Attention-Grabbing Ways Spend Positive Times Together Provide Your Child with Access to a Computer Have Your Child Teach a Younger Child This book is a lifesaver for those, like me, with a child who doesn't exactly fit any of the labels. I would expect it to be equally useful for those with a child who is 100%, obviously, dead-on ADD. Whether a child is a candidate for medication or not, parents and teachers owe it to that child to teach needed behavioral skills, enhance self-esteem, and identify the most productive learning environment. Highly recommended.