Ritalin Is Not the Answer Action Guide: An Interactive Companion to the Bestselling Drug-Free ADD/ADHD Parenting Program [Paperback]

David B. Stein Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2002

Since 1999, parents and teachers have relied on Dr. David Stein's groundbreaking book Ritalin Is Not the Answer as a resource to help them work with hyperactive children who have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now the same principles and tools of the acclaimed Caregivers' Skill Program that Dr. Stein outlined in Ritalin Is Not the Answer are present in this easy-to-use companion workbook. Filled with self-tests, specific step-by-step guidelines, checklists, and exercises, Ritalin Is Not the Answer Action Guide offers a healthy, comprehensive behavioral program that has been proven to work!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…offers a way in which parents/carers can enable children and young people to take control of their behaviour…” (Youth & Policy, No. 83)

Review

"Offers parents of children diagnosed with ADD or ADHD an entire program for improving behavior and raising performance-without resorting to drugs. Dr. Stein offers much good practical advice."
—Washington Times

"As a practicing pediatrician, I have been using Dr. Stein's book Ritalin is Not the Answer as an alternative to medication, and I have achieved great success with parents who prefer a non-medication approach.... Once you see results, as I have, your views on ADD/ADHD will inevitably begin to change."
—DuBose Ravenel, M.D., Cornerstone Pediatrics, Highpoint, North Carolina

"Shows Ritalin, a drug commonly used to treat ADHD in millions of young children, to be a dangerously addictive drug.... Anyone who acts as a caregiver for elementary-aged children diagnosed with ADHD should consider this perspective."
—Youth Today

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (March 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787960446
• ISBN-13: 978-0787960445
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Special Needs > Disabilities

More About the Author

Dr. David Stein is professor of Psychology at Longwood College in Virginia. In addition to teaching, he has been a clinical practitioner, writer, researcher, and public speaker for over 25 years during which he has campaigned against the use of amphetamine drugs to treat children labeled ADD/ADHD. He is the author of many professional publications and scientific presentations, and has won numerous awards, including the 2000 Outstanding Teacher Award at Longwood College.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars common sense for adhd, November 6, 2003

By 

J. Walker "ever a student of life" (Columbia, South Carolina United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ritalin Is Not the Answer Action Guide: An Interactive Companion to the Bestselling Drug-Free ADD/ADHD Parenting Program (Paperback)

I am the mother of Ben, who has had lots of labels...Adhd, Autism, PDD, brat. Somehow he has made it through to the fourth grade and basically is a bright kid.

Ben was languaged delayed and might not have made it in the regular classroom without ritalin because he was just out of control and I was clueless as to how to change. In earlier days, we literally had to "show" Ben how to talk, with pictures... he had to "see" it to understand it, as he didn't pick up language as most kids do. He was different from the beginning!!!

He is the most frustrating, and the most enjoyable of kids I have ever had the pleasure to love. But when it came to correction, I just believed I would have to spend the rest of my life ignoring his oppositionality. It was like I had no control...and just kept getting more and more frustrated, and giving more and more negative vibes off because I was just at my wits end. I don't like the idea of spanking or yelling at all, and it always just seemed to make matters worse. Ben took no responsibility for his behavior.

When I came across this book initially I ignored it because it was that crazy "anti-ritalin" crowd, or so I thought. You know, the "zealots". After having read it and applied it somewhat, I wonder if Dr. Stein hasn't serendipitously (sp?) come across a way to help our kids behave, in the same way Catherine Maurice's book helped provide me with a way to teach Ben language!! Hey, we're on this earth to help each other out!

I really do believe Ben has a difference that makes it hard to deal with some aspects of schooling. I don't recall anywhere in this book Dr. Stein saying that it's easy. But if I only give in and say, "He can't do it, he's handicapped..." am I really helping him? It isn't a matter of ritalin or not...what this book forces you to think about is how we as parents unfortunately handicap our children by having such low expectations of them.

How can a form of discipline that includes no yelling or spanking, no belittlement; that encourages positive behavior and encourages thinking of the consequences of actions beforehand; that requires us as parents to refuse to see our children as handicapped and to enrich their lives and show them unconditional love, be bad?

Got me....

(...)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talk about transformation!, November 6, 2004

By 

S. Smith (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ritalin Is Not the Answer Action Guide: An Interactive Companion to the Bestselling Drug-Free ADD/ADHD Parenting Program (Paperback)

Do you want to be blown away by the straight-forward truth. Our child was out of control, dominating every situation we were in - it was all about him and his inability to see others. Inattentive, can't focus, getting F's in school, only because ....(the list is endless), this book lays out how to get your child on the right tract so he/she can be a contributer to society and not take from everyone.


This book spells out what our Grandparents knew and could not tell us. No more drugs, no more psycologist office visits, no more check lists and prizes, no more manipulation and bargaining; 'let your yes be a yes! and your no be a no!'
This book teaches us parents how to use gentle, firm, consistent tones so anxiety is not produced in these children.
This book talks about the way some children receive information; what are we doing as parents???? This book is not for cowards. If you are a parent who is easily influenced, this book is not for you, it is a wake up call to how we as parents parent.

Our child just received his report card...I want to cry because I am so greatful for the transformation. He received almost all A's and some B's. He can now actually draw a picture with detail. Before he would scrible on an assignment and say, "I'm done." I follow Dr. Stein's recommendations and have found peace. Our son's brothers and sister now have a friend and not a bully for a brother. It is truly amazing.

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skip the drugs and the psychiatrist. Read this book first!, December 28, 2002

By 

Adam A. Honeycutt (Salem, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ritalin Is Not the Answer Action Guide: An Interactive Companion to the Bestselling Drug-Free ADD/ADHD Parenting Program (Paperback)

December 2002: Did you know that there is no scientific test for the presence of ADD/ADHD? According to Dr. Stein that's because ADD/ADHD is NOT the epidemic biological/chemical/genetic/dietary disease that today's popular medicine would have us believe. It's what grade schools used to call poor conduct, and it can be corrected with a two-pronged, drug-free approach: increase praise to reward good conduct and use boredom--what I refer to as "Time Out on Steroids"--to correct bad conduct. The book includes a simple, well-reasoned explanation of what Dr. Stein believes causes kids to be inattentive (IA) and highly misbehaving (HM). More importantly for parents like me it includes a detailed, step by step, VERY PRACTICAL program for working with an IA/HM child in a broad variety of settings (e.g. at home, at a store, in the car). He calls this the Caregivers Skills Program (CSP).

The key to the CSP is that it helps the child understand that it's to his benefit to think...think about the consequences of his actions, think about the rules, think about the feelings of others, etc. This book is surprisingly short for the importance of its subject, reads very quickly, is down to earth and to-the-point. Dr. Stein includes just the right amount of the theories behind the CSP so parents can build on the specifics in the CSP to handle other situations not specifically covered by the book.

If you're considering resorting to drugs or professional counseling to try and help a child you suspect might be ADD/ADHD, you owe it to the child and yourself to read this book.

Updated March 2009: This book is a great start. Use it in concert with the Feingold Diet (which eliminates artificial flavorings, artificial colorings and artificial preservatives) to bring about truly amazing improvements in behavior, school achievement, happiness and self-esteem.