ADD/ADHD Drug Free: Natural Alternatives and Practical Exercises to Help Your Child Focus

This is a very balanced approach to ADHD treatment. Although the title of the book would lead one to believe there is no place for prescription drugs in the treatment of ADHD, this book clearly shows when and also when not to use medicine. The book helps parents of young children not to panic that their active preschooler is hyperactive, but helps the parent to learn about the developing brain and tips to help their preschooler avoid the ADHD label at some later point in his life. The discussion of learning styles is wonderful and especially useful to every parent and teacher. Educating children from the starting point of their learning strengths is beneficial to everyone. The book has a short list of lifestyle modifications to help the child, but this is not the sole focus of the book. The list, though, is worthwhile and should be tried before entering the dangers of medicating a child (or adult). The book clearly states the cold hard fact, that medication alone without behavior modification/ therapy will be unsuccessful in the long run of helping a child/ adult with ADHD. Although I was expecting the book to advocate never using medication, it clearly does not say that, but the book shows that medication alone will never suffice. The book also helps one to see where medication needs to be used in order to make any progress in therapeutic exercises.

This book is a terrific guide to help parents learn better ways of dealing with their unconcentrated child. The book has two parts: an explanation of various behaviors and a workbook section for the best approach suitable to your child. What I liked the most was the strength survey in the middle of the book to determine what type of learner your child is. It was a little too challenging for my seven-year-old son, but my nine-year-old was able to answer the questions without trouble. It will continue to be a great resource as my kids face challenges at school and with friends. Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff and Sahm I Am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe, is a freelance writer who leaves near Munich with her husband and two children.

This is a very readable book. If you are a parent with an ADHD child, or if you are a parent who thinks their child might be diagnosed as such, you should read this book. It will not only help guide you through the decisions you should make about your child, but it will also give you practical exercises to immediately use with your child. If you are a teacher of "difficult" children, you should also read this book. It will give you very important information about your "difficult" children and provide insight and guidance toward serving such children in the school setting. As a counselor and school administrator, I will be providing copies of this book for my teaching staff.

Having worked as a Probation Officer for nearly 20 years in 4 seperate counties I have dealt with many children that were or should have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Many were medicated and most were ordered to receive family or individual counseling. I wish this book was written many years ago. It would have and should be required reading for all Juvenile Probation Officers and staff of Juvenile Detention Centers. I would highly recomend this book to all foster parents and group home staff that deal directly with deliquent and pre-deliquent children. The unique activities and exercises contained in this book are easily understood and easy to apply. All deliquent and pre-deliquent children should be screened for ADD/ADHD and if diagnosed, their learning style should be assesed and the appropriate activities introduced. If applied by parents or professionals, the activities in this book may be the saving grace for the community, the parents, and the children who suffer from these disorders.

As a general ed elementary teacher I am so pleased to have this tool. It provides very practical, easy to read, and insightful information for understanding and helping not just ADD/ADHD students, but all "challenging" students. The focus audience is any helper, but I found the tools to be particularly beneficial for parents. The learning style specific activities that make up almost half of the book will be easy for me to duplicate and give to my student's parents. I appreciated the authors' open attitude regarding the ADD controversy. Their opinions do not reflect either side of the debate, but rather serve to simply help our kids be their best based on their individual unique qualities.