Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach

Of all the books I've read about parenting children with AD/HD, this is the most useful. The author, Dr. Monastra, runs an attention-disorder clinic that offers a class specifically geared to parenting children with AD/HD. He has taken that class, simplified the content, and broken it down into eleven lessons. While it is of course no substitute for attending a ten- or eleven-week class, the lessons are clear and highly valuable. He explains the condition from a brain-function standpoint, discusses the different medications (what they do and when each type might be most useful) and outlines simple techniques that can help address some of the biggest areas of difficulty. The book was very readable and engaging. Dr. Monastra understands that many parents of kids with AD/HD have AD/HD themselves, and he designed the book with that fact in mind. He also provides his "top 40" list of typical behaviors that parents may feel they need to address. Overall, I felt like I was reading about my own child, and his advice was extremely helpful.

I am parenting five children with ADHD and have read a lot of ADHD literature. Dr. Monastra's book is the most useful I have read ever. Particularly helpful are his suggested accomodations in school, the "Time Stands Still" strategy and Parent "Self-Care" suggestions. His best chapter is called "Temperment May be Inherited...but...Emotional Control is Learned." He advocates ways to teach children emotional control that are so effective they should be shared with every parent with children :), ADHD or not. His book is life-affirming and practical. Thank you, Dr. Monastra, for making such a positive difference in the ADHD world.

This book is a winner. I have bought and read many different books on ADHD - from all perspectives - and I like this one the best. It is balanced on the medication issue, with accurate and well-researched medical explanations of the benefits and shortcomings. The title makes it seem anti-medication but the author does recommend medication (with certain caveats, and easy-to-understand explanations of the reasons it may not work well in some individuals), so don't be put off by this if your child is on medication. His goal is to go beyond a simple prescription to give the parent other helpful information that can provide a well-rounded approach to helping their ADHD child. The book is very practical, with questionnaires, checklists, or homework at the end of each chapter. If you are new to this topic, buy this one first. If you are a veteran but need more tips on how to help your child, this book still has plenty to offer you.

Professional clinical psychologist Vincent Monastra presents Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach, a guide drawn from his years of experience evaluating and treating thousands of children and teens with ADHD. Chapters address simple basic problems and guidelines, including the importance of a lesson plan, how to teach children to manage their anger, why nutrition is critical and why yelling rarely solves anything. Written in plain terms, Parenting Children with ADHD is a superb supplementary resource for lay people, and a "must-read" for anyone charged with raising, giving care to or instructing an ADHD youth.

I have over 100 books on this subject and try read anything that will help my ADHD son. The old saying an informed consumer comes true with this disease. You are your child's own best advocate. Within this book I found some very helpful information I have not read before particularly with respect to diet and protein. The book offers some wonderful checklists for medication monitoring as well as guideline lists for 504 plans. It is written in clear concise language. I can tell you it has become a bible in my library of ADHD books. Kudos Dr. Monastra for putting some new light and useful information on this disease!