Rating: 
Summary: Very Direct and Reconstructive!
Review: Finally, someone wrote a book about very troubled children without being afraid to actually tell you what to do. We have struggled for years with our two emotionally disturbed Russian-adopted children and have covered every type of therapy with no positive outcome. We even tried all that "holding-attachment therapy" which was a waste of time and money. Medication after medication, play therapy, talk and family therapy all failed, as our kids were smarter than the therapists. Dr. Federici has taken a very direct approach that puts parents back in charge and keeps the family moving forward. No frills or hand holding-just hard work. We contacted him frequently for advise and he was very helpful. We know his "volume two" is due soon and will surely continue this family centered approach.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for parents of older Russian children
Review: Having adopted 4 older Russian children in the past two years, I found this book to be a welcome source of new ideas and technics in helping my children adapt to their new family, social and cultural situation. Especially, in the areas of dealing with their personal losses, adoption issues and growing together as a family.Although we have been very lucky in having done some of these technics, by accident, it is now comforting to know why they work, as well as, where we need to make changes in order to assist our children in succeeding with their integration as a family and the creation of their new lives. A better title would have been, 'Helping the Post Institutionalized Child Adapt to Family Life', as these children are obviously not 'hopeless'. The book is very user friendly with many headings, written with a minimum of ivory tower jargon, and obviously written from the heart of one adoptive parent to other adoptive parents (and perspective ones as well). This book is the best of dozens of books we have read on strong willed children, older adoptive children and attachment issues. But, don't tell your child where you're getting your new ideas from, your book will begin to magicly 'disappear' overnight. So far, little hands haven't hidden it well enough, as we keep finding it in the strangest places....
Rating:
Summary: The Toughest and Best Way I Helped My Kid!
Review: My Romanian adopted child was seen by so many medical and psychiatric professionals over the past 7 years that I had almost given up hope until I read Dr. Federici's book. It was totally on target, inspiring and motivating! It took a lot of effort on our part but it saved our family.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT book for families with unmanageable children
Review: One of the most practical, family friendly books I have read in dealing with children having severe emotional and behavioral problems.
Rating:
Summary: A True Handbook for the Desperate Family
Review: This book by Dr. Federici is so long overdue that we bought several copies for all the therapists we had seen over the past four years who tried to help us with our two very difficult and disturbed Romanian children.. This book is not the "hand-holding" type as it got us to mobilize and deal with all the problems that all the other so-called "experts" had missed. It also made us realize how easy it is to get in denial of the problem and how easy it is to waste money and valuable time on non-productive therapies like holding time, attachment centers, people/therapists who tell us to "just wait and it will be fine".We even went to the "Internet" for advice and became frustrated as there were only hundreds of others who were equally confused with no real solutions offered. We went around the country seeking out all of the named experts who gave us bits and pieces but no real direction or plan. Well, it was not fine as we were told many times and our family was almost destroyed until we read this book and utilized it to the letter. It was VERY TOUGH for us to do what was asked, but six months later we are back in control and have a family again. We hope that this Author will continue to challenge families and write more books which give us "Hope" in the face of hopelessness. It is recommended for anyone wanting to just "give up".
Rating:
Summary: The Most Intensive and Helpful Plan for Our Family
Review: This book had a rather intriguing title, and we were at the ends of our rope with our two Adpoted Russian Children from one of those "Summer Camp Programs" which we would never do again. We were totally lost and Dr. Federici's book gave us the strength and new direction to not disrupt our adoption. All the traditional medications, therapy, RAD stuff was tried to no avail. This book helped us take apart the problem and put the pieces back together. Strongly recommended for families like us who were ready to quit. All these other books we read were "very nice and polite", but did not touch on the institutional issues.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible
Review: This book is an indispensable source for those who have adopted children from orphanages. I wish I'd had it when I got home from Russia 7 years ago. My child can't be found in the Dr. Spock books, but he's all over the pages of this one. Thank you for confirming some things we've already discovered and given us a guide for where to go next.
Rating:
Summary: A great Piece of Work for the Family in Need!
Review: This very aggressive and creative book by Dr. Federici is one of a kind. His experience and willingness to address the 'hopeless child" which many others choose not to discuss has been an inspiration to our family! We hope there is a volume II.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, Someone Who Understands And Is Knowledgeable
Review: This was the most common sense and practical book a person could buy who has felt totally overwhelmed by two very troubled children adopted form eastern Europe. No "sugar-coating" here, as Dr. Federici get right down to the cold, hard facts that helped put our family back together. All the other books played around with "RAD", "ADHD", and other catchy terms but never got to the right way to treat damaged children. We hope there are more books coming from this author.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, Organized and the Best Treatment So Far!
Review: We wasted years and tons of money in non-productive therapies, attachment work, medication, and family therapy till we bought and utilized this book. Dr. Federici hits the nail on the head when he describes how to "de-institutionalize" children. It was hard work but safe, structured and successful. We read so many other books about using "attachment therapy"; logic; medication and even knowing when to "give up". This book gave us, who truely felt "Hopeless" a chance to gain control over our two very disturbed Romanian children that all the other "specialists"(including some of the big people in the child development field)had given up on.
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