ADHD - Living without Brakes - Hardcover

Living with a child who can't control movements or thoughts or emotions can leave parents feeling pretty out of control, too. We may feel that negotiating with kids weakens us, and that providing a safety net weakens them, but without those things days can devolve into cycles of fighting and failure. Maybe the most important thing about ADHD:Living without Brakes is that it gives parents permission to give kids with ADHD - the sort of support and stress relief they need to function successfully. These children require a departure from the standard techniques of firm discipline and learning from mistakes, and if you've been fighting that bad fight without success, it's a relief to know there are other approaches.Many of the ones included in this zippy little book come from other longer and less zippy works, making it a great introduction to a lot of text you will want to examine in more detail. This is sort of the attention-deficit version of an ADHD help book, highlighted by cartoon illustrations and "quizzes" that summarize the chapter in a way that makes it very clear with answers are right and wrong. And if the first 130 pages are still too much for you to wade through? The last thirty-five summarize the whole book in an even briefer package. That little bit may be perfect for passing on to teachers or family members who are really never going to read those books you recommend. Particularly if they have a negative view of your child's behaviour or your way of handling it, the positive attitude and simplified explanations here may turn their attention to a more productive path. -- About.com Even if parents, teachers, and therapists read no further than the table of contents, they will gain a hugely valuable set of guidelines for helping children with ADHD. Of course, they'd best continue reading, because Dr. Kutscher fleshes out each guideline in the realistic-but-optimistic style his readers have come to expect... I cannot imagine a more clear, concise, and empathetic guide. Reading this book is like sitting down for a leisurely chat with an extremely compassionate, informed, and down-to-earth physician. -- Gina Pera, author of Is It You, Me, or Adult ADD? Dr. Kutscher has brilliantly accomplished exactly what he has set out to do. This book is wonderfully concise yet all-inclusive while remaining an easy read for parents and educators alike. The parenting and educational strategies are a great combination of proven methods that are realistic and practical to implement. Most of all, this book will help parents and anyone else who works with these children thoroughly understand how they think and why they function the way they do. -- Heidi Bernhardt, National Director of the Centre for ADHD/ADD Advocacy Canada Martin Kutscher is a paediatric neurologist and understands the nature of ADHD as well as the perspectives and experiences of parents, teachers and children. He explains ADHD in a clear and engaging style that will ensure that his book will be read, appreciated and the practical strategies implemented at home and at school. I strongly recommend Living Without Brakes as the book of first choice for parents of a child with ADHD. -- Tony Attwood, author of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome and Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals Parenting a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is demanding, and there are many misconceptions about the diagnosis. But there is help as we learn more about the different facets of ADHD. For clarity, advice, and a healthy dose of optimism, we turned to Martin Kutscher, M.D., a paediatric neurologist and the author of the book ADHD: Living Without Brakes. His best advice: Stay positive'. -- Scholastic Parent & Child This concise and highly accessible book contains everything that parents and busy professionals need to know about ADHD... Realistic and optimistic, this book is ideal source of information and advice for parents and professionals who are trying to keep up with children who are living without brakes. -- Education Today A concise and highly accessible book containing information about ADHD for parents and professionals. -- Current Awareness Service The purpose of the book is to give a clear and concise account of ADHD. It is a useful resource for parents of children with ADHD and aims to provide strategies, hope, encouragement and education, and it achieves its aims. Kutscher has brought together the best insights from several top books on adhd and combined these with his own thoughts and experience to produce a 'brief', but not dumbed down' realistic and optimistic approach to living and working with children with ADHD. The book's strength lies in the way the information is presented: anecdotes, bullets and cartoon-type images result in clear, easy-to-retain information. Another strength is the emphasis placed on valuing the positive aspects of living with a child with ADHD - this was motivating and encouraging. -- Counselling Children and Young People I recommend this book to anyone working with children in any capacity, so that if they come across a child with ADHD the disorder is recognised, and people my not be as quick to judge these children. I would also recommend the book to any parent who child has ADHD. I can't praise Kutscher highly enough. -- Children and Young People Now In a field where there are a variety of texts with a variety of apparent audiences, the ability of Living without brakes to blend these different perspectives and outcomes into one work will be most welcome by those seeking a definitive text on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)... A refreshing mix of academic rigour with ease of reading means that this text will appeal to both professional and lay readers; indeed, there is even a section designed specifically for children, to give them an understanding of their condition. -- Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Journal

Now in paperback, this concise and highly accessible book contains everything that parents and busy professionals need to know about ADHD. The author describes the spectrum of ADHD, the co-occurring symptoms, and common difficulties that parents face. The rest of the book focuses on solutions, based around four rules. Rule number one is keeping it positive: punishments can change behavior, but only positive approaches can improve attitude. Rule number two is keeping it calm: it's difficult thinking clearly enough to solve problems logically if you are feeling overwhelmed. Rule number three is keeping it organized: this rule relates particularly to the child's school life. Rule number four is to keep doing rules one to three. Finally, Dr. Kutscher discusses the role of medication for treating ADHD. The concluding chapter summarizes the information covered and can also be read as a complete, freestanding text. Useful checklists and further reading recommendations are also included. Realistic and optimistic, this book is the ideal source of information and advice for parents and professionals who are trying to keep up with children who are living without brakes.