Customer Reviews

Please Don't Label My Child: Break the Doctor-Diagnosis-Drug Cycle and Discover Safe, Effective Choices for Your Child's Emotional Health

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This is a book from a pediatric psychiatrist who does prescribe medication in his practice. At the same time, he recommends resisting labeling children and states that he finds that he can often help children more by not labeling them. The current practice of labeling and medicating, falls very short, and there is an alarming rate of increase in a few years, in the use of psychiatric medications for young children, children and teens. In part, it is the labeling system that lends itself so well to prescribing pills to children. Also, the use of strong psychotropic drugs is handled very casually by many in the medical profession. This along with Sharna Olfman's books, No Child Left Different, No Child Left Different (Childhood in America) and Bipolar Children, Bipolar Children: Cutting-Edge Controversy, Insights, and Research provides adequate proof of the phenomena of the increasing label and medicate "syndrome" in the United States, and other parts of the world today.

At the same time, Dr. Shannon, also helps one to see that disrupted family life, personal and emotional attachments, do have a strong effect on a child's mental health, and that a child, as well as an adult, can be weaned off of psychiatric medications, and do well, with support. Labels linger, even after a disorder is over, and while there is some benefit to labeling, it would seem as if the harm outweighs the good. I feel that every parent who has a child in psychiatric care, should read Please Don't Label My Child. It is a kind, balanced, reasonable book, from a psychiatrist who does prescribe medications, but who gives a realistic, balanced picture of the situation.

Unlike Sharna Olfman, he does not touch on the violence and sex in the media issues, and how that might be effecting children, but as far as a book that explains well the issue of labeling, it is excellent, the best, most simple, effective explanation out there. It can really help parents on this issue, as well as educators, teachers, and mental health professionals. Well written and put together.

Scott Shannon's book, Please Don't Label My Child is an excellent resource for parents trying to raise healthy children in today's complex times. Whether, as a parent, you have concerns about your child's development or just want to do right for your child you will find this book immensely helpful. Dr. Shannon is a child psychiatrist who can take a topic full of jargon and medical terminology and turn it into a read that is both easily understood and enjoyable. I work in the public schools as a school psychologist and I am recommending Please Don't Label My Child to parents, teachers, colleagues and anyone else who cares about our children.

We are parents of three daughters. The two older ones, now age 11 and 6, were diagnozed with ADHD, and the 11 year old with bipolary depression. We fully belive in knowledge and getting help, so both of us has been reading all the books we could get on the topics. We also had individual and family therapy and support. Some helped a lot. Others not at all.
Dr Shannon's book made the most difference of them all. Not only did it guide us to get them off harmfull medication in the right way, by we changed schools and our approach to parenting in a way that made immediate impact.
We keenly reccommend this book to parents who have real life struggles with high spirited kids that just need the correct guidance and help in their own special and unique way. Buy more than one copy, as you might want to give some of your friends the book - but not your own copy!

I loved Dr. Shannon's book, as he gave me the faith and sustinence to continue believing in my child as a whole and complete little boy. My son has a speech and language delay; plus, he's just a very quiet and soft spoken little boy. But, this deviation from NORMAL is just enough to ignite the diagnostician in many of the early childhood teachers/teaching assistants. So, in response to a broad plethera of board alligations, I very recently had my five yr old evaluated by the Chairman of Developmental and Behavorial Pediatrics and his team at the University of Chicago. As we suspected: a speech and language delay - no spectrum disorder, no Aspergers and no ADHD. We also had him evaluated by another developmental specialist two years earlier at Riley Hospital for Children, also diagnosed with a speech delay.

Dr. Shannon, I just purchased two more copies of your book: one for the eminent developmental pediatrician that recently evaluated my child, and another copy for his talented fellow. Thank-you Dr. Shannon for reminding me to use my own common sense about my own child, as well as sharing your faith about all of those poor "out-of-the-box" children in this society whose parents must continually fight the diagnosing and drugging culture our children are vulnerable to.

I'm a Mom with a boy whose teacher was eager (really eager) to diagnose him with ADD because he drifts off during math. This book saved us from that cycle of testing and medication. I learned about diet and supplements and how to stand up for my child against a system that wanted to check him off and put a label on his forehead. That label would have made his teacher feel better, but not anyone else. Thank you!!!

This is a great resource for parents and for educators and mental health professionals as well. Educators need to get a more balanced view of labeling. This book, by a psychiatrist who does use medications is of value. It provides a view that is palatable to both sides of this polemic issue. [[ASIN:1449902871 Overcoming ADHD Without Medication:

As a teacher of adolescents, I found Dr. Shannon's book to be a useful resource, and it will be an important part of my professional library. He explains important concepts from a logical yet compassionate point of view, and he gives you the tools to be proactive in the care of children and adolescents. This book was hard to put down once I started it, and I don't say that very often about nonfiction. After you read this book, you are going to recommend it to everyone you know. I did.

I've just finished reading Scott Shannon's book. It was thoughtfully written, well researched, and chock full of ideas on how to make life easier for my child. I learned a lot about a child's developing brain and drug free ways to support my son.

This is an excellent resource for parents who really care for their kids emotional and physical well being. Believe me, I know parenting can be challenging, but we owe it to ourselves and our kids to bring them up appropriately and lovingly without leaping to what others think is a cure all. Hats off to Shannon and Heckman for addressing this issue and opening our eyes!

I wish every parent, teacher, and health care professional would buy and read this book. Please Don't Label My Child is informative, helpful, and beautifully written for the layman. Our children are being drugged and mis-diagnosed in horrific numbers and in this book Dr. Shannon offers healthy common sense alternatives. There's also an Appendix that defines the labels given to our children that is comprehensive and enlightening! I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about the future of our children.