Rating: 
Summary: Not for those who think medication is
Review: ...the answer. He has good reasons why we (parents of kids diagnosed as ADD) should really examine medication and other solutions. I am glad I bought this book. Before heading right to the 50 Ways, Armstrong offers the reader five chapters filled with information, positive and negative, about ADD and medication, the whys and wherefores. He starts with reasons why he doesn't believe in A.D.D as a medical problem, treatable primarily by medication. As he says in this review area, he is NOT saying ADD doesn't exist - he acknowledges that the problems we experience with our kids are real. What I believe he IS saying is that he doesn't believe the 'disease' diagnosed as A.D.D. is a medical problem only within the child, curable by medication. He suggests that some of the problem may be cultural - we expect our children at the age of 6 to be able to sit quietly in a classroom setting - other cultures allow children more freedom, some offer less. Changes in our own "short attention span" culture may contribute to the A.D.D. behaviors, as do boring classroom set-ups, gender differences, different learning styles, parent-child dis-connections and so on. He tells what is good, and not good about the pills - some of which may be the same as a placebo effect. When parents and teachers know the child is being medicated, they relax and that change of attitude has a positive effect on the child (I have seen this with my own child and his teachers). He writes more about the negative effects of Ritalin (not Adderall) as perhaps stifling creativity and the dependency factor, although he is clear that there is no answer yet (however, both Ritalin and Adderall are controlled substances and many children do have negative 'withdrawal' effects). Despite his discussion on drugs, he says "Such drugs, used in the right way with the right individuals by responsible physicians, can significantly enhance the quality of life for many children." But he limits this to three situations - 1) several hyperactive children 2) children in the midst of a life-changing trauma (death in the family, for example) 3) a last resort. After some 50 pages of this introduction, you get to the reason you bought the book - alternative solutions and they are good (whether or not your child is on medication). He starts with a checklist of things that may bother you about your child's behavior - each one checked off directs you to at least one chapter with possible solutions. Examples include: Runny nose, itching, stomachache - go to Chapter 2 and look at the Feingold Diet, or Chapter 12 ideas to help alleviate what may be an allergy problem; play Nintendo for two or three hours at a time, go to Chapter 3 and consider limiting TV and video games or Chapter 36, giving your child access to a computer (he misses, on this one, his own Chapter #5, find out what really interests your child - the one I've found most effective - piano, riding lessons, reading, outside play with friends really are more appealing when encouraged by a parent!). Each of these chapters has information, which many of us have already read - but he also provides resources at the end of the chapter which I am finding helpful. And let me once again point out, he has 50 (5-0!) ideas neatly arranged in one book - I especially like that you can look at the list of your child's particular problems and go right to the chapter, rather than trying to read all the way through, cover to cover. For those who believe that medication is a strong, necessary and large part of the solution, or for those who do not have the time, money or emotional resources to examine the "whys" of ADD, the first part of the book more of an annoyance than a help. If so, I'd still encourage people to read this book, pages 61 - 257.
Rating: 
Summary: ever positive, hopeful, and enlightening
Review: A wonderful, terrific and empowering book that i can not say enough positive about ... Great insight!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not the right title
Review: Alright, let me start with this. I have NOT read this book, but I'm going to put in my 2 cents on the subject, so if you are planning on giving me a "This review was not helpful" then do it right now. By the 2nd word in the title, I can already tell you that this book is severely misdirected. I PERSONALLY have the DISORDER A.D.D. This means that no matter how hard I try, I literally do not have the ability to concentrate on anything for more than a short time. No, I am not some kid who doesn't pay attention in math so he gets bad grades. I am a 16 year old who for most of his life could pay attention to practically nothing for more than a period of 5 minutes or so TOPS. I am not talking about some lecture at school, I am talking about things like conversations with friends and watching ACTION MOVIES. Don't get me wrong, I definately realize that 95% of the people who are treated with drugs for this really don't need it and that something else is the problem, but I'm saying that generalizing all of the A.D.D. diagnosed people as slackers or people who need "Alternate learning teqniques" is flat out wrong. I have been to at least 10 different counselors and therapists who have tried to "solve" the problem, but they could do nothing. I find it insulting that so many people decide to ignore the fact that this is a true problem, and not just a "myth". The proper title for this book should be "50 ways to improve the attention span of your child who is bored by etimology and advanced placement chemistry". Adderall has turned my life around from the massive jumble of confusion that it was. If it wasn't for medical treatment, I would still be in that pointless mess because I was born with neural pathways in my brain do not properly connect. If it wasn't for adderall, I never would have been able to even write this. If you think that is bs, then go ahead and give your vote against this review. By the way, I gave this book 5 stars because I'm sure that whatever methods are in there are most likely very effective for the children who are diagnosed for A.D.D. but aren't actually the ones who have it.
Rating:
Summary: Not the right title
Review: Alright, let me start with this. I have NOT read this book, but I'm going to put in my 2 cents on the subject, so if you are planning on giving me a "This review was not helpful" then do it right now. By the 2nd word in the title, I can already tell you that this book is severely misdirected. I PERSONALLY have the DISORDER A.D.D. This means that no matter how hard I try, I literally do not have the ability to concentrate on anything for more than a short time. No, I am not some kid who doesn't pay attention in math so he gets bad grades. I am a 16 year old who for most of his life could pay attention to practically nothing for more than a period of 5 minutes or so TOPS. I am not talking about some lecture at school, I am talking about things like conversations with friends and watching ACTION MOVIES. Don't get me wrong, I definately realize that 95% of the people who are treated with drugs for this really don't need it and that something else is the problem, but I'm saying that generalizing all of the A.D.D. diagnosed people as slackers or people who need "Alternate learning teqniques" is flat out wrong. I have been to at least 10 different counselors and therapists who have tried to "solve" the problem, but they could do nothing. I find it insulting that so many people decide to ignore the fact that this is a true problem, and not just a "myth". The proper title for this book should be "50 ways to improve the attention span of your child who is bored by etimology and advanced placement chemistry". Adderall has turned my life around from the massive jumble of confusion that it was. If it wasn't for medical treatment, I would still be in that pointless mess because I was born with neural pathways in my brain do not properly connect. If it wasn't for adderall, I never would have been able to even write this. If you think that is bs, then go ahead and give your vote against this review. By the way, I gave this book 5 stars because I'm sure that whatever methods are in there are most likely very effective for the children who are diagnosed for A.D.D. but aren't actually the ones who have it.
Rating:
Summary: ever positive, hopeful, and enlightening
Review: As the parent of a child labeled ADHD and as someone who has spent the last 18 months researching this condition, I found this book to be the best I have come across yet. Unlike the first review listed here, I did not get the impression that this book blames bad parenting for the condition. It is touched upon early in the book as a probable cause of some of the behaviours, but it is definitely not what this whole book is about. Thomas Armstrong give us several very workable strategies that are more compatible with different learning styles. He does not swing too far to the left or right, but rather encourages us to stand back and use reason and understanding and not to be caught up in the opinions of the closed-minded disorder model. He does not totally condemn nor does he fully endorse the use of medication, again he shows us how to use reason to determine if and when medication should be used. Not only do his strategies work for these "labeled" children, but many of them are excellent strategies that we all could make use and would be of benefit to even "normal" children. I would highly recommend this book to all parents of children who have been saddled with the label of ADD/ADHD. This book should be mandatory reading for all teachers. It should be part of the program during teachers college.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute must-read for all parents, the best I have read
Review: As the parent of a child labeled ADHD and as someone who has spent the last 18 months researching this condition, I found this book to be the best I have come across yet. Unlike the first review listed here, I did not get the impression that this book blames bad parenting for the condition. It is touched upon early in the book as a probable cause of some of the behaviours, but it is definitely not what this whole book is about. Thomas Armstrong give us several very workable strategies that are more compatible with different learning styles. He does not swing too far to the left or right, but rather encourages us to stand back and use reason and understanding and not to be caught up in the opinions of the closed-minded disorder model. He does not totally condemn nor does he fully endorse the use of medication, again he shows us how to use reason to determine if and when medication should be used. Not only do his strategies work for these "labeled" children, but many of them are excellent strategies that we all could make use and would be of benefit to even "normal" children. I would highly recommend this book to all parents of children who have been saddled with the label of ADD/ADHD. This book should be mandatory reading for all teachers. It should be part of the program during teachers college.
Rating:
Summary: A different view of ADHD
Review: I believe in reading many different points of views when researching a subject. This book focuses mostly on how bad parenting contributes to ADHD. You may not believe this author's point of view entirely, but she does make a lot of good points. There are many theories about what causes ADHD. Why not read all of them? I believe all have some form of truth in them. Only a fool reads one point of view!!!!! If you do not like this author's point of view, the 50 ideas are still very helpful dealing with any child.
Rating: 
Summary: Book does NOT say there are no hyper kids
Review: I would like the readers to know that my book does NOT say that there are no distractible, hyperactive, or impulsive kids out there. Rather, it argues that the ADD/ADHD concept is not helpful in understanding these behaviors, and gets in the way of our appreciating the wholeness of each child. I also am not against medication of kids in certain situations, but believe that parents have a right to know the full range of non-drug options that are available for helping their "attention-different" kids achieve success in life. If you have questions or comments, I can be reached through my e-mail address: thomas@thomasarmstrong.com.
Rating:
Summary: The best book about ADD on the market.
Review: I've read about 10 books on attention deficit disorder, including Driven to Distraction and most of the Thom Hartmann books. Out of all the books I've read, this is my favorite. The book is not quite as radical as it sounds; the author isn't saying that some kids aren't different or couldn't use intervention. What he's saying is that the "disorder" designation of ADD is not appropriate for most of the kids who get labeled as such. Yes, they're different, but there are lots of reasons why, including diet, learning styles, temperament, allergies, and normal heredity. The book is very practical. There is a questionnaire to answer about your child. For each "yes" answer you give, the author references one or two chapters which might be helpful to your specific child. I found these chapters on "tips" most helpful. For example, if your child seems to think best on his feet, there is a chapter which discusses how some kids perform better in school when they are allowed to move around during the lecture. He does not lump all ADD kids together, like most authors, but focuses on their individuality.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be fooled by doctors, teachers, and counsolrs
Review: If ou have a child who is innattentive and has a hard time sitting still. read this book... it helps shed great light on the Fraud of ADHD and also helps you to figure out ways to help your probably bright and loving child cope with the fact that he is a little different form some other kids and that he has impulses that need to be controled through self diciplin. It can and should be done without the use of drugs and this book helps you see how and why.
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