Lesson 1: Lesson 1: What is ADHD?
Further Resources
Over the course of these eight lessons, I will be sharing what I hope will be useful information about ADHD and ways to cope. Having a good understanding of behavioral management will enable you to put in place many skills that can greatly influence your child’s behavior, create structure in the home and reduce chaos. As you learn more about ADHD, you will be able to help your child understand why he may be having difficulty and show him positive ways to feel good about himself. Working with the school and applying some simple strategies can enable both the child and the school to succeed.
Books I recommend for your library and to use with this course:
Taking Charge of ADHD, revised Ed., by Russell A. Barkley. Dr. Barkley is a highly respected and world-renowned researcher on ADHD and professor at the Univ. of Mass. Medical Center. I strongly recommend this book for an overall, comprehensive understanding of this problem. It does require some concentration although it is written for lay people, but it provides the reader information about the latest research and theories regarding ADHD and will help you understand this condition better. Dr. Barkley addresses the dynamics of parents with ADHD children, and myths about ADHD. His book provides intervention strategies both medically and behaviorally.
The ADD Hyperactivity Workbook for Parents, Teachers and Kids, by Harvey C. Parker. This would be one of my first book choices for an easy to read manual on ADHD. It outlines simply strategies, ADHD causes, and gives excellent examples of reward charts, etc.
How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children, Practical Techniques, Strategies & Intervention for Helping Children With Attention Problems and Hyperactivity, by Sandra F. Rief, March 1993 – An excellent book especially for teachers and schools. It can be very helpful for parents who want to become an integral part of helping their child succeed in school.
From Chaos to Calm, by Janet E. Heininger and Sharon K. Weiss. One of the authors, who is a psychologist, shares her frustrations with raising an ADHD child. The child’s point of view is also included which is so helpful in understanding this disorder from a child’s perspective. Has some excellent tips.
Problem Solver Guide for Students with ADHD, Harvey C. Parker. This book is exactly about what it claims to be and can be useful for both parents and teachers. It has lots of interventions, strategies and step by step learning strategies.
I Would If I Could: A Teenager’s Guide to ADHD-hyperactivity, by Michael Gordon An excellent book for teens to read. It’s written in a style that I think most teenagers could relate.
Distant Drums, Different Drummers: A Guide for Young People with ADHD, by Barbara Ingersoll. A book that parents can read with their children (mid-school, early teen years) to help them understand ADHD.
"If Your Child is Hyperactive, Inattentive, Impulsive, Distractible…", by Stephen W. Garber, Marianne Daniels Garber and Robyn Freedman Spizman. While this is an older book, it gives examples of how to help your child understand ADHD, and gives many games and activities that are specifically designed to help your child control his activity level, calmness training, stretching their attention span, etc.
Putting on the Brakes, by Patricia O. Quinn and Judith M. Stern. Another good book for younger school age children to read or go over with their parents.
Understanding Girls with AD/HD, by Kathleen G. Nadeau, Patricia Quinn, Ellen Littman. Since girls with ADD are often overlooked and suffer the consequences both in terms of self-esteem and learning, this book focuses in on this problem and is an excellent book for anyone who thinks they may be ADD.
Give your ADD Teen A Chance, by Lynn Weiss, is another book written for parents with teenagers who have ADD. The whole emphasis is on teenagers and how to parent them. Has lots of stories.
For information on the internet, click on RESOURCES, where you will find a list of related links. The websites listed can connect you to many other links as well.
Relaxation Tape. It often is difficult to learn how to relax as we end up trying to force it to happen instead of allowing it to happen. I have a designed tape that teaches you to relax all the parts of your body. It is available by contacting me through my e-mail address of anders@fidalgo.net.
