Getting Down to Basics

Dr. Martin Kutscher recommended a lot of books to parents of children with ADHD, but few parents had time to read 300-page books. So Dr. Kutscher read several of them himself and boiled them down to a simple, easy-to-ready book titled ADHD - Living Without Brakes.

"In ADHD - Living Without Brakes, Dr. Kutscher gives four basic rules: #1 Keep it Positive, #2 Keep it Calm, #3 Keep it Organized, #4 Keep it Going. These four rules will help both parents and professionals negotiate many of the difficulties associated with ADHD."

Called "realistic and optimistic," Dr. Kutscher's book draws on his 20 years of experience with neuropsychiatric disorders and helping both parents and patients understand the complexities of ADHD. Read more at HealthNewsDigest.com.

Strategies for Family and Home

Families that include a child with ADHD often have more chaos, more stress, and more frustrations. But there are many things family members can do to ease these emotions.

"It's important to remember that the child with ADD/ADHD who is ignoring you, annoying you, or embarrassing you is not acting willfully. Having ADD/ADHD can be just as frustrating as dealing with someone who has it. Kids with ADD/ADHD want to sit quietly; they want to make their rooms tidy and organized; they want to do everything Mom says to do, but they don't know how to make it happen. If you keep this in mind, it will be a lot easier to respond to your child in positive, supportive ways."

Make a point to recognize and acknowledge positive things. Chances are your child is already aware of his shortcomings. Help him see the good things, too. It's also important to keep things in perspective and remember that when your child acts out, he does so because of a disorder, not because he's willfully disobedient. Read more at HelpGuide.org.

Principles for Parenting Adolescents with ADHD

Teenagers are challenging. Teenagers with ADHD can be especially challenging. Not because they determine to be unusually difficult, but simply because of the nature of ADHD. Arthur, L. Robin, PhD offers some suggestions for effectively guiding your teen through these difficult years.

"The principles outlined... are meant to be general guidelines, not rigid rules. They will work some of the time but certainly not all the time. I would urge you to consider them especially when you are stumped by your adolescent's actions, and derive your actions from one of these principles rather than reacting impulsively."

Some of the suggestions include ways to maintain adequate structure, facilitate independence, and use consequences wisely. Read more at ADD.org.