The Add Answer: How to Help Your Child Now

by Frank Lawlis

Book Overview

Every year, seventeen million new cases of attention deficit disorder, or Add, are diagnosed in children. But medications designed to treat the disorder don't work for many children and often leave families frustrated and searching for more options. In The Add Answer, Frank Lawlis draws upon his thirty five years of experience as a clinical and research psychologist to show parents how they can reclaim their central role in healing their children...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670033367
• ISBN13: 9780670033362
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The ADD Answer

Excellent resource. Really helping me understand my child better and giving me tools to deal with the ADD.

Many ideas not often presented

I'm not sure (but not surprised)why this is getting such hostile responses. My son has been managed effectively through many of the techniques described here. I can't believe that these ideas are that controversial, but it's much easier to shove a pill down your kids throat and hope for the best. Is the negativity an attempt to quell your own guilt? A child will likely improve with stimulant medication because - guess what??- It's stimulating parts of the brain that regulate attention and impulse control. but what are the long-term effects of this? We do not have much longitudinal data (following people long term) to accurately guage the effects. Ever seen a long-term meth user? It's not pretty and Ritalin is in the amphetamine family. Granted, Ritalin users often take much smaller doses, but often takes it long term. I have known several kids that if I were their parent, I would medicate them, as their quality of life (school, home, and social) was significantly effected. However, for a mild/mod case, such as my son, I have found these strategies very effective. Most important to him: FOOD COLOR, sleep, & structure. For those that do not believe in the food color connection,we could do a little test: I could feed my son several packets of Go-gurts and send him to your house for the night. I would find you in the fetal position the next morning. Food color is PETROLEUM-BASED, people - why is this controversial???? Should this be in any of our bodies? Why has the diagnosis of ADHD exploded? The gene pool has not changed that much - points to environmental factors to me. Anyway, I highly recommend this book, as well as "The Gift of Adhd" by Lara Honos-Webb. Good luck and remember that children with this disorder would not choose these problems and need our help and willingness to help them find the keys to managing it.

Excellent!

I found this book to be an excellent resource for a parent lost in the sea of ADD/ADHD information. The author's conservative approach is sensible and educated. I also appreciate the subtle spiritual insight he offers which helps the reader understand some very positive aspects of ADD. This book has become my main resource while we deal with this situation.

Why all the fuss?

I don't quite understand why some are discounting Lawliss' suggestions because he is a psychologist and not an M.D. Most M.D.s who suspect that a child exhibits symptoms of ADD/ADHD refer the parents and child to a psychologist, who will properly diagnose and, if necessary, treat the child. At least, in my experience, this is the normal course. If psychologists are the experts in this arena, then what's the problem? This book offers great alternatives to medicine, but is not an absolute alternative, nor does Lawliss claim to offer absolute alternatives.

Excellent and thorough.

"The ADD Answer" touches on all aspects of ADD and the treatment process. My child has severe ADD and I have already incorporated many aspects of treatment into his daily life i.e. diet, allergy avoidance, prescription drugs, even a healer and this book taught me even more. I only wish there were a Frank Lawlis in the city where I live.