Taking Charge of ADHD, Third Edition: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents 3rd Edition

I'm writing this review because when I bought this book, the first reviews showing on my Amazon page were quite negative, and that troubled me because this book has been a game changer and a lifeline for me and my seriously ADHD teenage daughter, in a way that no other single book has been. That's mostly because, unlike other books I've read, Barkley addresses directly and proposes clear, practical, simple remedies for dealing with the incessant and destructive parent/child behavioral conflicts that have often dominated our life at home -- and that other recommendations had done very little to improve. This book deals head on with that "elephant in the room", something that was so obviously "wrong" in our lives, but that I couldn't understand because I'd done all the "right" things, including medication, behavioral therapy, academic support and trying to be a loving, understanding and firm parent. Anyone who's been there will understand, and this is the one book that really helped. Also, in defense of Barkley's serious and informed writing style, this is, of course, very serious material. For something as profound as a young person's mental health and future, it's important to know the scientific bases for the author's analysis and recommendations. Yes, there are more conversationally written books out there on this subject, which may be an easier read for some, but there's nothing abstruse or hard to read about this one, and its author imparts a lifetime's clinical and academic experience. There are many observations and surprising insights throughout the text (for example, research shows that non-intrusive background music can help ADHD kids focus on an academic task whereas complete silence or overly stimulating music is less likely to help). This book has a program for behavioral intervention at home that can be modified for a teenager, and gives simple, clear guidance on the difficult issue of how much and in what way it may be necessary to involve yourself with your teenager's school, while at the same time allowing the teen the self determination that's critical to her growth at this age. It's more densely written than some, and that's as one would expect from a worldwide leader in the field of ADHD research. I've found other books helpful on the interface of parent and ADHD teen (e.g. "Ready for Takeoff" (Maitland & Quinn), and my daughter has "The ADHD workbook for teens" (Lara Honos-Webb) which has helped her to voice her frustrations and fears, and to accept and take charge. However, I haven't yet seen any book as comprehensive and as helpful as this, and I'd urge any parent with a serious situation to read it.

If your child has ADHD, you need to read this book! It is big and sort of "text bookish", but it has information I didn't know and we've been dealing with our 14 year old daughter for 8 years without this workable knowledge. Magic 1-2-3 helped when she was young, and a couple other books helped with ADHD, but this book identifies the scientific discoveries of ADHD and explains them. It is also empathetic to all those parents dealing with non-ADHD kids who "think" they have the answer to how to handle the child.Here is what you do: Read 20 minutes in the book every day... Every day... before you know it, you have completed the book. You receive a consistent flow of information and I suggest highlighting all the key information points that will help. It is helping us help our daughter be successful in life.

This is the single most helpful book on ADHD I have read thus far. It contains a lot of up to date information about the disorder that you can either read or skim. I am a mental health professional and learned a lot from the newer information in this book that has helped me with my clients and my own son. The most important thing for people to understand about ADHD is that it is a disability of the executive functioning of the brain (and everything that entails). The book explains exactly what that means and gives helpful examples to illustrate the points. It talks about research and explains what the findings mean in layman's terms. It validates parents' struggles and encourages them to stand up for their child who has an actual disability. It explains why kids with ADHD often act out and get into trouble, why this affects their self-esteem and why they are so easily frustrated. All those things you've been struggling with your child are likely related to his/her ADHD. It even goes into discipline, how to work with your school, with your family members, and how to take care of yourself in the process. Everyone you interacts with people with ADHD need this resource.

I really enjoy the knowledge that this book has to offer to me as a parent. It teaches me how children were diagnosed way back from different decades to now. It's a good book especially for parents who want to better understand their child with this illness. I learn A lot from it and I never want to put it down. It is a must read book. It was recommended to me from my own children's doctor.

Perhaps one of the BEST books I have read about ADHD! As parent of child with ADHD, this book has been invaluable and has provided me with much more information than I could have ever imagined to getting out of a book. At some points, it may be a bit difficult to read, but the author makes sure to reference previous points, if related, and he also lists a number of other resources throughout the book (and towards the back of the book)! I highly recommend this book to any frustrated ADHD parent, and others who simply want to know more about it!

As a licensed psychologist and parent, I give this book my highest recommendation. Dr. Barkley clearly know and understands children with ADHD. This book is informative, accurate, and practical. If you are beginning to learn about ADHD, this is the book with which to start. I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Barkley and hear him speak on ADHD. He is brilliant, caring and up-to date on ADHD. I routinely suggest this book to parents following psychological evaluations of children with ADHD. As a parent, this book has also been very helpful in parenting my son. Michael J. Cawley III, PhD