Handbook for Families: A Guide to Communicating with Professionals. - Review - book review

Adolescence, Fall, 2000

WEINGARTNER, Paul L. ADHD Handbook for Families: A Guide to Communicating with Professionals. Washington, DC: Child and Family Press, 1999. 133pp. (p).

This book gives families practical, concrete know-how. Chapters 1 through 3 provide background information on ADHD: what it feels like, why it is difficult to identify, and how our attitudes about ADHD affect our understanding of the disorder. Because ADHD is a neurobiological disorder, we can observe the effects it has on our child and record our observations. This process, described in Chapters 4 and 5, will be critical in working with a treatment professional on a successful intervention. Chapter 6 suggests resources you can use to find the appropriate person to help. Chapters 7 and 8 describe medical and psychosocial interventions. Chapters 9 through 12 offer steps for "following-up" on intervention. This follow-up includes further observing and recording, as well as developing behavior modification plans and strategies. Again, this process will assist you in working with a treatment professional, teachers, and other members of the family. Chapters 13 through 15 include additional information for you to u se, and the author's own account of how he applied the processes of observing, recording, and modifying his behavior.