Customer Reviews

Moving Beyond ADD/ADHD, Second Edition

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All I can say is "simply outstanding." Many health practitioners have been saying for years that ADD/ADHD needs a "multi-modal" approach, and the authors, while very careful not to dismiss medications for ADHD state, "whatever the cause of these symptoms, there are certain things common to all who are experiencing them, as well, certain things that can be 'retraind' and 'reframed'" (my paraphrase)

I am 46 and was a "victim" of ADHD all of my life, until my late 30's living on the edge, at times almost homeless...Even before I read this book, I had learned much of it intuitively, and when I came across it, found it "languaged" my experience to the "T". Whatever the cause (ultimate or proximate) of ADHD, there are things we can do to change our world, and our perception of the world.

ADHD folk, never quite get the joke: "DR. DR., it hurts when I do this, 'so DON'T do it!'", rather we just continue using old strategies that accomplish nothing. Using some of the book's excersizes, in a sense, I "graduated" from them...more than giving me useful tools, (which it did) it opened up my thinking, and hence I have forged my own unique set of tools, through examining my experience in the world...and it would not have been possible (to my mind) without the "concretization" that this book did for my intuitions.

Not everything in the book, may be for everyone, but if you walk away with the book's jist, it can help you change your own life...You are not a victim, neither is your child...ADHD, rather than a disease is a set of neurological traits, which when misunderstood can wreak havoc in our lives, but when understood and harnessed can help us not only to overcome, but to exceed ours and others expectations entirely!

I wish I had had this book when I was an adolescent, in hindsite, I might not have been ready to receive its message, but who knows...more important than the excersizes, imho, is the main message this book speaks about! A MUST READ!

I am personally appalled that the prevalent solution to A.D.D., A.D.H.D. in the U.S. is dependence on drugs for our children. That is why I am convinced that the suggestions offered in "Moving Beyond A.D.D., A.D.H.D." should be a first line of defense, not the last one. Debroiter and Hart offer practical, insightful techniques for grounding both children and adults who suffer from these deficits where wholeness is restored, and balance is self-regulated. For those who suffer from the disconnection that ensues from this disorder, holistic exercises and routines that help re-connect mind, body, and spirit must be accessed from within to be lasting. This is a "must read" for all stakeholders who love and work with children.

Finally someone has the courage to say NO to drugs. This book shows you that there is life before taking drugs for this disorder. I commend the authors for doing an outstanding job of showing how anyone can overcome this setback in their life. On a scale of 1-5, I give this book a 10. Everyone should read this book to get a better insight to what this so called disorder can do to you or your family.

Michael Monji, author of "Does It Pay to Die?", a living trust workbook.

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Since reading this book my family life has gotten a lot happier. We used to worry out of our minds about our ADD son now we actually enjoy him and have fun as a family. We learned to 'read' his body language and to talk to him in a way that he listens. If anybody out there is struggling, take a chance on this book. The ideas it gives you really work.

Every parent of ADD/ADHD kids and every adult with it needs to read MOVING BEYOND ADD/ADHD. This book explains why drugs are not the answer, and offers a huge window of hope and enlightenment for conquering this problem, often with the help of therapy. Debroitner and Hart don't pull punches with vague or simplistic advice about deep breathing. Instead they provide a step-by-step guide that teaches both adults and children how to ground and center themselves -- which are just other words for paying attention and connecting with ourselves -- in all types of daily situations.

The book is an engaging and fun to read education in holistic healthcare: I learned just how much ADD/ADHD is a mind and body condition, and how being aware of auditory, visual, olfactory and more elements combine to attain achievement of sensory integration. It's all about "body ownership" -- without it we have difficulty (edgy, restless) experiencing the real world within and around us, and with it we have self-awareness and confidence. In the ADD/ADHD person, this leads to a calm and attentive center.

Powerful and intelligent, this material runs the gamut, from simple parental guidelines (how to handle temper tamtrums, let go of anger) and exercises (eye-focusing; direct communication examples, etc.), all the way up to the tougher challenge of reflecting on our own lives. For those up to the challenge, fear not: this has nothing whatsoever to do with blame and guilt, but everything to do with an opportunity to enrich our inner and outer lives. It's like the old airplane oxygen mask rule: we must make sure we're able to breathe so that we can help the kids breathe. The all-important bottom line here is that the road to overcoming ADD/ADHD is paved with hard work toward empowerment and self esteem, and, best of all, as many case examples in the book show, it's within our reach to do it.

Moving Beyond ADD/ADHD is jam packed with practical holistic and healthy suggestions for dealing with the challenges of ADD/ADHD. It is easy to read with great step by step instructions on everything from understanding sensory issues to avoiding drugs to parenting techniques. It is written mindfully with compassion, caring and clarity. If you implemented even one of the many suggestions in this book you would be on your way to a more natural way of healing, growing, learning and becoming.

Pamela Meredith Scarfone, Occupational Therapist

I found this book more preaching than beneficial. It blamed the parents, without consideration that ADD is a biological, chemical imbalance of the brain. It brings in co-dependency, like this is the cause of ADD, and then how to treat the co-dependency. It points fingers in a very stereotypical way, a lot of examples of the mother doing something wrong, and then one example of the father and he was underparenting. Way too much focus on changing the parental behavior/self and lacked changing the childs. It is a lot of fluff. The book does off a range of solutions, from nutrition to therapy.