Customer Reviews

ADD/ADHD Drug Free: Natural Alternatives and Practical Exercises to Help Your Child Focus

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very balanced approach to ADHD treatment. Although the title of the book would lead one to believe there is no place for prescription drugs in the treatment of ADHD, this book clearly shows when and also when not to use medicine. The book helps parents of young children not to panic that their active preschooler is hyperactive, but helps the parent to learn about the developing brain and tips to help their preschooler avoid the ADHD label at some later point in his life. The discussion of learning styles is wonderful and especially useful to every parent and teacher. Educating children from the starting point of their learning strengths is beneficial to everyone. The book has a short list of lifestyle modifications to help the child, but this is not the sole focus of the book. The list, though, is worthwhile and should be tried before entering the dangers of medicating a child (or adult). The book clearly states the cold hard fact, that medication alone without behavior modification/ therapy will be unsuccessful in the long run of helping a child/ adult with ADHD. Although I was expecting the book to advocate never using medication, it clearly does not say that, but the book shows that medication alone will never suffice. The book also helps one to see where medication needs to be used in order to make any progress in therapeutic exercises.

This book is a terrific guide to help parents learn better ways of dealing with their unconcentrated child. The book has two parts: an explanation of various behaviors and a workbook section for the best approach suitable to your child. What I liked the most was the strength survey in the middle of the book to determine what type of learner your child is. It was a little too challenging for my seven-year-old son, but my nine-year-old was able to answer the questions without trouble. It will continue to be a great resource as my kids face challenges at school and with friends.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff and Sahm I Am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe, is a freelance writer who leaves near Munich with her husband and two children.

As a general ed elementary teacher I am so pleased to have this tool. It provides very practical, easy to read, and insightful information for understanding and helping not just ADD/ADHD students, but all "challenging" students. The focus audience is any helper, but I found the tools to be particularly beneficial for parents. The learning style specific activities that make up almost half of the book will be easy for me to duplicate and give to my student's parents. I appreciated the authors' open attitude regarding the ADD controversy. Their opinions do not reflect either side of the debate, but rather serve to simply help our kids be their best based on their individual unique qualities.

This is a very readable book. If you are a parent with an ADHD child, or if you are a parent who thinks their child might be diagnosed as such, you should read this book. It will not only help guide you through the decisions you should make about your child, but it will also give you practical exercises to immediately use with your child. If you are a teacher of "difficult" children, you should also read this book. It will give you very important information about your "difficult" children and provide insight and guidance toward serving such children in the school setting. As a counselor and school administrator, I will be providing copies of this book for my teaching staff.

The title is somewhat misleading and offers arguably nothing on "natural alternatives... to help your child focus". The practical exercises are great and useful- however there is little for the very young child with ADHD symptoms. The authors are clear that this is not a book for scientists and in a certain sense are not "professionals" which can make the book more approachable for many. For me, it was inadequate. Buy this for the exercises but not to learn more about ADHD and/or its treatment. Although it has its own flaws, Taking Charge of ADHD by R. Barkley is a better book.

Having worked as a Probation Officer for nearly 20 years in 4 seperate counties I have dealt with many children that were or should have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Many were medicated and most were ordered to receive family or individual counseling. I wish this book was written many years ago. It would have and should be required reading for all Juvenile Probation Officers and staff of Juvenile Detention Centers. I would highly recomend this book to all foster parents and group home staff that deal directly with deliquent and pre-deliquent children. The unique activities and exercises contained in this book are easily understood and easy to apply. All deliquent and pre-deliquent children should be screened for ADD/ADHD and if diagnosed, their learning style should be assesed and the appropriate activities introduced. If applied by parents or professionals, the activities in this book may be the saving grace for the community, the parents, and the children who suffer from these disorders.

This book gives many anecdotes of children the authors worked with in the Colorade over a period of several years. It seemed to deal mostly with very severe cases of ADHD in underpriviledged children. Although it didn't offer me much practical help for my child with a less severe form of ADHD, it was a good "rah-rah" book on telling the upside of the "gift" of ADHD so that was what I mostly took away from it.

The authors aren't totally against drugs to help with ADD/ADHD. They point out that some children respond well, some don't, and some can't tolerate the side effects. But whether you choose to go with the drugs or not, this is a useful book. The authors lay out the signs and symptoms of ADD and use their experience and knowledge to ferret out ways to help children and parents. Practical exercises can help children develop their minds and manage their symptoms. Brain function can be strengthened.
The first part of the book is devoted to case histories and information about ADD and the second part contains a survey to help gauge the seven strengths survey. Caregivers can then choose from a variety of exercises developed to strengthen areas where the child is weak. A must read to help children at risk become successful.

It's a useful book, have a grate resume about ADD/ADHD acording to parents and teachers, but, in my opinion, the exersices are more to 5 or 6 years old and forgot 7 to 10 (or more) years old children, but if you understand the basic idea you can improve those exercises.

I think the book's title is a little misleading. I was hoping to find help for our ADHD daughter who is on meds. While I agree with the diet ideas we are already doing them. I didn't find anything so very different than what we have already heard. It was just ok.