Understanding Girls with Ad/HD

The authors of this incredible book put into words what I've wanted to say for years, but still struggle to make someone understand. Girls with ADD, especially those who are succeeding academically, will rarely be diagnosed unless parents, educators and child care providers educate themselves. This book should be required reading for every educator in our country.

Understanding Girls with AD/HD, Nadeau, Littman and Quinn This book discusses how attention deficit disorder may manifest itself in girls from preschool to late adolescence. The authors identify types of ADHD girls. Active girls may act like tomboys. They may socialize with boys. They are active, and may engage in impulsive escapades. Another group of girls shows their ADHD by talkativeness and excessive socializing. They too may become involved in risky behavior. Some girls with ADHD seem to fade into the background. They are shy and inattentive. They may have few friends and are more likely to be depressed. The last group is often escapes diagnosis until adolescence or adulthood. These are the very smart girls who have the ability to put in an extraordinary effort to hyper-focus. Adults see them as achievers but are often unaware of the anxiety and extreme effort the such girls use in order to compensate for their inattentiveness. Such girls are often anxious and self-critical. This is an excellent resource for parents and adolescents. I have only one criticism. The screening checklists in each chapter are fairly non-specific. The lists highlight the fact that ADHD may manifest itself differently in girls. However, some of the items on the lists can be caused by other conditions.  Carol E. Watkins, M.D. Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist

This is really a great book directed at the issues surrounding girls. Most books are written from research done with boys, and girls do have different concerns and show different signs of ADHD. For instance, they seem to be moodier, and more easily brought to tears. (At least this is true in my household between my son and daughter who both unfortunately have ADHD). This book addresses how to answer some of our questions that I have not found elsewhere. I think this book is a must for families who have girls with this disorder. It also has pointers to teachers. I recommend it.

As the mother of an 8-year-old ADHD girl, I can't recommend this book enough. It has been totally invaluable in learning to understand and love her (and all her quirks - like chewing on her hair and clothes -- who would have thought that was ADHD related? ) Furthermore, in addition to very valuable and practical information I can use now for her while she is in elementary school, there are sections that I know I will come back to (or read to anticipate) what will go on as she grows older. I think of this book as the "what to expect when you are expecting" book for living with ADHD girls! This is a great book and I, for one, am very grateful that the authors have written this.

As the father of two girls who some might label as "having ADD," I found this book both enlightening and reassuring. As a psychotherapist who writes and works in the field of ADHD, I found it solid, well-informed, and useful. Highly recommended...