Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD [Paperback]

Peter S. Jensen MD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 22, 2004 | Series: Making the System Work for Your Child

There’s lots of help out there for kids with ADHD, but getting it isn’t always easy. Where can you turn when you’ve mastered the basics and “doing everything right” isn’t enough--the insurer denies your claims, parent-teacher meetings get tense, or those motivating star charts no longer encourage good behavior?

 

Dr. Peter Jensen has spent years generating ways to make the healthcare and education systems work--as the father of a son with ADHD and as a scientific expert and dedicated parent advocate. No one knows more about managing the complexities of the disorder and the daily hurdles it raises. Now Dr. Jensen pools his own experiences with those of over 80 other parents to help you troubleshoot the system without reinventing the wheel. From breaking through bureaucratic bottlenecks at school to advocating for your child’s healthcare needs, this straightforward, compassionate guide is exactly the resource you’ve been looking for.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Finally, a book that really talks about what parents have to do to make things work when their child has been diagnosed with ADHD! This is an amazing book, and every parent whose child has ADHD should read this and apply it. I wish I had had this guide at the start of the process in my own family, but I am glad that others will have it, hopefully much earlier in their own process. Thank you, Dr. Jensen, and thank you to all the parents whose marvelous and moving stories are included here. This book is a godsend."--Barbara Huff, Executive Director, Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

"A practical, helpful, and easy-to-understand book that informs parents and helps them take charge of their child's care. Many excellent strategies are provided to enhance parents' effectiveness as decision makers and advocates."--Patricia H. Latham, JD, coauthor of Attention Deficit Disorder and the Law

"This must-read book acknowledges that 'ADHD is not a sprint; it's a marathon.' Comprehensive and clear, it outlines a sane and safe approach to tackling all the tough issues you face as a parent: making medication decisions, safeguarding your child's educational rights, and much more. You'll especially enjoy Dr. Jensen's real-life anecdotes, particularly those about coping with his own son's ADHD."--Ellen Kingsley, Editor-in-Chief, ADDitude Magazine

"This is an exceptional book on a sadly overlooked topic that cries out for serious attention. Thank you, Dr. Jensen, for so richly filling this void for parents of children with ADHD. Few could rival Dr. Jensen's qualifications--as clinical professional, government insider, and sensitive parent--for writing this highly informative book that guides parents through the byzantine process of obtaining professional assistance for their child through the health care, educational, and community systems. Parents, take note: there is simply no comparable book on this topic, and none so useful. I only wish I had written it."--Russell A. Barkley, PhD, author of Taking Charge of ADHD; Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina

"Dr. Jensen is one of the smartest and wisest child psychiatrists around. In this groundbreaking book, he gives parents his authoritative knowledge in a form they can easily use and reliably turn to.This book guides you through the wilderness of looking for help, and will bring you to the help you may have been seeking for years. This book is a masterpiece, and best of all, it is practical, useful, and unpretentious."--Edward Hallowell, MD, coauthor of Driven to Distraction

"This is the best book I have ever seen that gives you the 'inside story' on getting the help you need for your child with ADHD. Dr. Jensen and his panel of expert parents show you how to navigate the system like a pro--and offer reassurance that you're not in this alone. This book helps parents and caregivers orchestrate a master plan for the care of their child and develop key partnerships within healthcare and educational settings. Kudos to Dr. Jensen and the many parents who share their thoughts, feelings, and stories in these pages."--Beth A. Kaplanek, RN, mother of a child with ADHD and past president of CHADD

About the Author

Peter S. Jensen, MD, is Director of the Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health and Ruane Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Previously, he was Associate Director of Child and Adolescent Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), where he was the lead NIMH investigator on a major study of the treatment of ADHD. He is the author or editor of numerous scientific articles and books; has received prestigious national awards for his research, writing, and teaching; and serves on the board of directors of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), among other organizations. This book is the first in a new series edited by Dr. Jensen, "Making the System Work for Your Child."

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (June 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572308702
• ISBN-13: 978-1572308701
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter S. Jensen, MD, is the President, CEO, and founder of the REACH Institute (REsource for Advancing Children's Health), a federal non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that children and families have access to the latest scientifically proven, high quality interventions for mental health problems. He is also Co-Chair of the Division of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Prior to these duties, Dr. Jensen served as the Ruane Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York (1999-2007), and Associate Director for Child & Adolescent Mental Disorders Research, National Institute of Mental Health (1989-1999).

Much more important to Dr. Jensen than his many scientific awards, research articles, chapters and books, he is the father of 5 children, and is now counting grandchildren...the latest tally is at 5, but is likely to reach a dozen or more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, comprehensive book for parents and professionals, January 22, 2005

By 

Carol Watkins "Psychiatrist" (Parkton, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD (Paperback)

You can always tell the books written by people who have personal experience with AD/HD. You can also spot books written by authors with clear professional experience. This book is both. Dr.Jensen is both a well-known reasearcher and the parent of a boy with AD/HD. He includes deatiled practical information on a variety of topics relevant to reasing a child with AD/HD. He illustrates this with examples from his own family life as well as with the voices of many other parents. He clearly shows respect for the members of families who are dealing with AD/HD.

I liked his suggestions on how to interact with health professionals in a managed care environment. He holds physicians to a high standard of care, and tells parents how to be effective and assertive when they feel that they are not getting what they need. I liked his suggestions on how to politely get your doctor to answer further questions when he is ready to end the session. I was glad that he talked about communication between members of the child's treatment team. this is often where treatment founders. He gives specifics on how a parent can encourage and monitor the communication flow beween school, physician, and other therapists.

Dr. Jensen explains the role of medication and how parents can help professionals monitor progress and possible side effects. He also suggests situations when a parent might want to consider whether the medication is not being monitored closely enough. He suggests ways that parents can hlep the physician monitor medications. He explains the importance of a parent keeping records of medications and other treatments.

The section on home and family life is compassionate and pragmatic. He gives suggestions for behavioral plans but also puts them in a realistic perspective. He gives suggestions for what to do if a well-designed plan does not work. He discusses parent stress and burnout. Many parents have wanted practical information on how to balance play dates and a busy schedule.

The appendices contain items such as model letters requesting special education services. There are also recommended books and web sites for individuals who desire more information on legal rights, time managements and advocacy groups.

At 283 pages, the book might be too long and too dense for some stressed, overworked parents. For those new to AD/HD a shorter book might make a more accessible introduction. However, for the parent who has the attention and time to read it, the book provides the practical wisdom of many experienced parents and the knowlege of an experienced scientist.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, November 2, 2004

By 

Ron Vitello - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD (Paperback)

I've been through several books, but this is one of the best so far. What I particularly like is Dr. Jensen's problem-focused approach, and the practical solutions to all the crazy frustrating problems my wife and I didn't realize we would get into with our son's school, and even with his doctor who should know better. We were inspired to look around, once we began to realize our previous doctor wasn't as knowledgeable about ADHD as we just assumed he would be. The new doctor, a pediatrician who specializes in ADHD has been a real boon. The letters at the back of the book were especially good, particularly in guiding us in writing offical letters to the school to get more classroom help. We're not "there" yet, but this book has given us a jump start, and was well worth what we spent. Ron Vitello [e-mail]

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Resource, September 23, 2004

By 

Sandra Rief - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD (Paperback)

Reviewed by Sandra F. Rief, author of How to Reach & Teach Children with ADD/ADHD, 2nd edition (2005) and The ADHD Book of Lists (2003):



This is an outstanding book - one that I highly recommend not only to parents of children with ADHD, but anyone (educator or clinician) advising parents of how to obtain the best help for their children. The author addresses what to expect from and how to get the best from their healthcare system, child's education, home and family life, etc.

Written with compassion, humor, solid understanding, and powerful expert advice by one of the world's leading and most respected researchers, practitioners, and authorities in the field. What makes this book exceptionally valuable and insightful is that Dr. Peter Jensen also shares what he has learned as a parent of a child with ADHD, as well - not only his own personal anecdotes and perspective as a parent, but the honest and open advice of other "expert parents" who were interviewed for this wonderful book.

Dr. Jensen has written an invaluable resource - one that gives parents information that no other book I have seen has been able to provide... the inside scoop on how parents can get what they need from their physician, the school, their insurance providers, etc. In short, it is a guide for helping parents best advocate and become an effective case manager for their child with ADHD.

I found Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD to provide exactly what the title indicates. It is packed with information that will strengthen, encourage, and empower parents. At the same time, Dr. Jensen's humorous, engaging style made it a pleasure to sit down and read this book.

I also appreciate the author's focus on how to cultivate positive working relationships between parents and all parties involved in the care and education of their child, how to advocate for their children effectively - yet do so in a way conducive to building a collaborative relationship ... a win-win situation.