Seven stars
On my journey to better understand Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), I turned to this book by Drs. Mark L. Wolraich and Joseph F. Hagan Jr. While I have lived with ADHD through at least one person in my household for the past decade, getting a handle on it from the outside is difficult. Putting my mind in the context of the diagnosed and trying to parent my son was hard enough, but when a blended family led to more cases, things got out of hand. I needed some resources and sought them out. This book was one such tool I brought in to assist. It did open my eyes to much, while muddying the waters in other aspects as well.
Touted as being "fully updated with the latest American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for the treatment and care of individuals with ADHD", this book has won a number of awards as a guide for parents to better understand ADHD in their children. While I do not discount this, it is highly technical and offers up quasi-layperson terms and sentiments on the subject. The information found herein is core and mostly digestible, though the amount of detail might have been more than I needed on some subjects, especially as I chose the audiobook route. Drs. Wolraich and Hagan cover all aspects of ADHD, from understanding its core, the associated disorders that mirror or accompany it, to medications that are on the table, and how to handle everyday life with a child whose diagnosis might seem scary. All in a single book that can be read in a short amount of time.
While I will not get into the core principles or expand on the contents of the book too much, I can say that the authors have a good handle on things. They shine a light on things and help the parent to realise that this is not their fault, nor is it of the child. Be it through brain chemistry or genetics, ADHD is prevalent and since it is not going away, it must be handled. Some would treat the child as fragile or hopeless, though the authors seek to have parents steer away from both. Rather, it is a hill that must be conquered and with the right tools, anything is possible,
I can see a number of things in the book that strongly relate to Neo and his step-siblings, all of whom at at different developmental ages in the ADHD process. I can also see how I struggle with understanding and synthesising things at times to better parent the ADHD child(ren). Drs. Wolraich and Hagan provide some key tools for success, as well as some highly outlandish statements that the reader can find for themselves within the pages of the book. With detailed chapters, the authors tackle a great deal, but tend to do so with relative ease and keep the parent/reader in the know.
While things did get to be overwhelming at times, I was not one to feel too panicked with what was going on. There is hope for success with an ADHD diagnosis, but it takes time, patience, and understanding. This book paved the way to help better comprehend all that is before me and to correct some of the mistakes that I found occurred in my past parenting choices. I suppose the best take-away from the piece for both me and the children in my care.... you are not alone!
Kudos, Drs. Wolraich and Hagan, for swinging a light on things here and helping me to feel better prepared for the years to come.
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