Help for the Hopeless Child: A Guide for Families [Unabridged] [Paperback]

Ronald S. Federici (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 1998

Designed specifically for families that have struggled for many years with an unmanageable child, this book focuses on innovative and aggressive assessment and treatment strategies for the most difficult child who has not responded to previous mental health interventions. Specialized sections of this book focus on dealing with the complexities of the internationally adopted child who has survived years of institutionalization. Clear and specific treatment strategies for all families are outlined in a very practical approach.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An intelligent and insightful book that examines the special problems of the post-institutionalized child. Dr. Federici's personal and professional experience with this population adds a dynamic dimension to this work which reaches well beyond a dry medical text. -- Lois Hannon and Thais Tepper, Co-Directors, Parent Network for Post-Institutionalized Child

For most adoptive parents, the addition of a new child to the family is one of life's high points. Sadly, this joy is not a universal experience. Children who have suffered extreme deprivation and/or abuse within institutional care settings often arrive with a spectrum of problems that overwhelms most parents. As a drowning person reaches for a lifeline, parents of severely disturbed post-institutionalized children should reach for this book. Guided by his extensive professional and personal experience with these "hopeless" children, Dr. Federici helps parents navigate through the complexities of medical and behavioral services for children with complex problems to help their child reach his or her full potential. -- Dana E. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Division of Neonatology, Co-Director, International Adoption Clinic, The University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic

I feel privileged to call Dr. Ronald Federici my friend. I have traveled with Ron to Romanian orphanages on two occasions this past year and his work is remarkable. His drive to save the lives of the "the forgotten" is inspirational. After reading his book I am convinced that families and adoption professionals all over the country will get the passion that flies off of every page. Ron's efforts to save children who ordinarily would have been abandoned is truly unique. His depth and breadth of experience with older adopted institutionalized children has served to help thousands of families over the last 10 years. No one knows the effects of institutionalization on the neuropsychological development of children like Dr. Federici. His guidelines for evaluating and managing newly adopted institutionalized children are invaluable to adoptive parents and adoption professionals. We thank you Ron! -- Dr. Jane Ellen Aronson, Director, International Adoption Medical Consultation Services, Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Health Sciences Center-Stony Brook, Winthrop-University Hospital

From the Author

The most common complaint parents present to a mental health professional is that their child's behavior is inappropriate and in need of treatment. It is extremely common nowadays to hear parents describe their children as being completely out of control--often to the point where parents feel they are no longer able to manage the child within the home. The most common presenting problems are defiance of authority, uncontrollable temper tantrums and aggressive behaviors, manipulative and deceitful actions, substance abuse and sexual acting out, and chronic academic underachievement. Family relationships have become strained or everyone may have "given up" and become disengaged within the home.

This book consists of a very comprehensive, aggressive and innovative assessment and treatment program for those families having children who have been deemed "hopeless" or "untreatable." There has been a tremendous increase in the amount of children, both biological and adopted (United States and internationally) who have presented with significant cognitive, emotional and behavioral disorders; including "reactive attachment disorders" based on the profound effects of severe medical, nutritional, environmental and social-emotional neglect.

"Help for the Hopeless Child:A Guide for Families" offers a somewhat controversial and provocative approach in dealing with the most difficult children and their troubled families. Let me forewarn readers that my treatment program can be very rigorous and require great patience, diligence and dedication toward the concept of recreating family cohesiveness and unity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Ronald S Federici & Associates; 1 edition (October 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096671010X
• ISBN-13: 978-0966710106
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,163,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book for the overwhelmed family!!, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Help for the Hopeless Child: A Guide for Families (Paperback)

Dr. federici's book and aggressive treatment approach helpedour family get back together. He has tremendous insight, compassionand knowledge of tough kids, particularly internationallly adopted children. He provides clear and concrete guidelines on assessing and dealing with all types of chronic problems. We learned more from thos book than from all the mental health and medical experts we have seen over the years.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Straighforward and Helpful Book We've Read!, January 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Help for the Hopeless Child: A Guide for Families (Paperback)

Being the parent of two very difficult children from Eastern Europe, we went around and around before we found this book.We also spent a lot of time in denial of the seriousness of the problems and hoped that everything would get better on its own. We spent countless dollars on non-productive therapies and listen to so many people with their contrary opinions that we were totally confused.The professionals we saw never offered solid solutions, just a lot of "wait and see" or "it will be OK soon".Dr. Federici's book was the best we have read. We finally felt that someone understood the serious nature of the problems we were having and provided hope and compassion in his very tough (but helpful) treatment model. We recommend this book HIGHLY for any family having a tough time, especially with an internationally-adopted child. We hope he writes more detailed books in the future.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for parents of older Russian children, May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Help for the Hopeless Child: A Guide for Families (Paperback)

Having adopted 4 older Russian children in the past two years, I found this book to be a welcome source of new ideas and technics in helping my children adapt to their new family, social and cultural situation. Especially, in the areas of dealing with their personal losses, adoption issues and growing together as a family.

Although we have been very lucky in having done some of these technics, by accident, it is now comforting to know why they work, as well as, where we need to make changes in order to assist our children in succeeding with their integration as a family and the creation of their new lives.

A better title would have been, 'Helping the Post Institutionalized Child Adapt to Family Life', as these children are obviously not 'hopeless'.

The book is very user friendly with many headings, written with a minimum of ivory tower jargon, and obviously written from the heart of one adoptive parent to other adoptive parents (and perspective ones as well).

This book is the best of dozens of books we have read on strong willed children, older adoptive children and attachment issues. But, don't tell your child where you're getting your new ideas from, your book will begin to magicly 'disappear' overnight. So far, little hands haven't hidden it well enough, as we keep finding it in the strangest places....