What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don'T?: Social Skills Help for Adults With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Ad/Hd) a Reader-Friendly Guide

Rating:
Summary: Best social skills book I have ever read, but disappointing!
Review: For sure, this is one of the best self-help books I have ever read! Not only does it explore the social difficulties experienced by adults with AD/HD, but also offers practical advice to improve social skills. I was particularly impressed with the chapter on understanding the hidden meaning behind what people say. I have never seen this social skill addressed in any other self-help book before. So, why am I disappointed? Well, I am disappointed because this book has so much unrealized potential! It could have been geared to adults with learning disabilities as well as ADHD. Certainly the content is applicable.

The author mentions that his specialty is ADHD. If this is the case he will be well aware of the fact that 50% of adults with ADHD also have learning disabilities. So why did the author limit himself to ADHD when he could have helped the LD community as well?

Rating:
Summary: Best social skills book I have ever read, but disappointing!
Review: I don't have ADD but I think I've married into a family enmeshed in it. I laughed out loud at times while reading this book because it described family gatherings perfectly -- the loud, simultaneous "conversations" at dinner, the late-arriver who can never get there on time, the rapid-paced gasping monologues when one recognizes a subject as something he knows about, the conversations carried on from one floor of the house to a remote room on another -- all done as if it's normal! Whether my family by marriage is ADD-riddled or not, they ACT this way and this book was helpful in helping me recognize the activity that stems from this (that comes across to me as "rude"), what are appropriate responses from ME, and, well, how to cope. It also made clear what social rules need to be made explicit because they are NOT going to be "picked up" by social experience.
Finally, I have a daughter with a genetic syndrome that, among other things, gives her a personality like a high-functioning autistic. I have had to teach her every social rule she knows because she cannot just pick them up by being around others. This book is a good set of skills to use as a checklist re the essentials. It's obviously targeted to ADDs but its usefulness is not limited to them.

Rating:
Summary: It's a good book for spouses and parents of AD/HD children
Review: I found it to be very insightful as the spouse to my ADD husband and mother of an ADD adult child. I only wish I had read it ten years ago as it would have saved some heartache! My other wish would be that the book were available on cassette or CD-Rom. My spouse cannot read this book, even with the reader-friendly innovations the writer has done to make it easier for ADD people to read. I find most books for him must be on CD or I have to read it to him.

Rating:
Summary: It's a good book for spouses and parents of AD/HD children
Review: I found it to be very insightful as the spouse to my ADD husband and mother of an ADD adult child. I only wish I had read it ten years ago as it would have saved some heartache! My other wish would be that the book were available on cassette or CD-Rom. My spouse cannot read this book, even with the reader-friendly innovations the writer has done to make it easier for ADD people to read. I find most books for him must be on CD or I have to read it to him.

Rating:
Summary: I found this book very helpful
Review: I haven't finished the book yet but from the chapters I've read so far, I'm extremely pleased. It's helped me understand the reason why strangers will stare at me - I used to figure they were just being rude but now I understand that it's becuase they need to understand me (& I understand the reasons why they need to understand me). I also understand why some people seem to really dislike me - mainly because they don't understand so they see me as a threat. I've found a lot of very useful information so far that has helped me a lot. I've read a couple chapters on communication & it's such a relief to see things written out so I can be sure when I'm doing things right. I've used CBT to overcome social anxiety. Now reading this book is helping me understand some situations I never was able to figure out. I'm very glad I bought this book and I look forward to reading the rest!

Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful
Review: I must admit I was first some what turned off by this book. I felt insulted by some of the simple suggestions. As I read more into the book ,I began to find it helpful. It does offer some great suggestions and advice for both simple and more complex social skills.

Rating:
Summary: Good on absolute fundamentals, but not much else
Review: If you have ADD/ADHD, or are married to someone who has, this book is for you. Growing up with ADD we seemed to have missed out on the socialization that everyone else experiences. This book offers practical examples and suggestions to help get your out of controlled life under control.

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Summary: NOVOTNI PROVIDES READER-FRIENDLY GUIDE TO SOCIAL SKILLS
Review: Michele Novotni's newest book is easily one of the best and most useful books that anyone with ADD could read. Novotni provides exellent advice that, while insightful, is also easy to read and understand. Pick up this book today and watch your relationships with others begin to improve immediately!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide for AD/HD adults & parents of AD/HD kids
Review: Michele Novotni, Ph.D., has more than 20 years of experience as a psychologist working with children and adults with AD/HD. She is an Assistant Professor in the graduate counseling department of Eastern College, Saint Davids, Pennsylvania. She has also co-authored Adult ADD: A Reader Friendly Guide to Identifying, Understanding and Treating Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. Both her son and her father have AD/HD.

This 314-page book has footnotes at the end of each chapter, an index, a bibliography and several useful appendices, including two social skills checklists. The book discusses the importance of social skills, why adults with AD/HD may not have learned all the social skills they need in their childhood, and systematically teaches these missing social skills.

This excellent guide is clearly and concisely written. Each chapter ends with a very helpful, gray-highlighted box called "Just the Facts" which lists the major points of the chapter for ready reference.

It is true that many of the social skills covered in this book are very basic, like remembering to say, "please" and "thank you" and always saying, "hello" when you enter a room and "goodbye" when you exit. However, Dr. Novotni goes much deeper than this level. For example, she covers the important area of observation of subtle social cues, using "I messages" and conflict resolution techniques, all of which most so-called "normal" adults don't know.

I believe this book is useful not just for adults with AD/HD, but for parents of AD/HD children, as well. Dr. Novotni has helped me see in a very complete and concrete way the social skills my two AD/HD teens need to acquire by adulthood.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a vital addition to the ADD 'library'.
Review: This reader friendly guide to developing social skills has been a blessing to my family. Michelle Novotni has provided many long awaited answers to chronic problem areas at home and in the workplace. It has brought structure and hope into our lives. I bought several more copies to share with friends and family.