Willie: Raising and Loving a Child with Attention Deficit Disorder

by Ann Colin

Book Overview

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric illness among children. An estimated 10 percent of school-age boys are currently on Ritalin. At age four, Ann Colin's son... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670863149
• ISBN13: 9780670863143
• Release Date: February 1997
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great giver of information and very readable

I absolutely loved this book. It gives an excellent first person view of what is it like living with a child with ADD. The reader follows the mother (the narrator) through her journal entries about coming to discover that her little boy had ADD, and finally getting a correct diagnoses, and then finally finding a school that catered to his specific learning style.

Great for families who struggle with ADD

I am a mom of a similar little boy with ADD and horrible experiences in "wonderful" preschools. I am so glad that Ann shared the story of Willie & his family. It is a moving, accurate and compelling story for anyone struggling to help their child feel good about themselves despite unacceptable behavior. My favorite line from the book relates precisely how I feel about my son, "buried treasure: Willie's true angelic sweetness, hidden deep under his symptoms." I am also a Pediatrician who knew how to make a diagnosis and start him on medication, but I am only now learning how deeply I have hurt for and with my son as he tried to be a "good boy" but simply couldn't sometimes. I recommend this to my patients' parents, and am grateful for Ann's sharing and Willie's courage.

An inside look at life with a child with ADHD

This was a very close-up look at the day-to-day life of a mother and her ADHD child. The author uses journal entries to track the frustration, worries, behavioral difficulties and lack of acceptance she and her son face. As the parent of a child with ADHD, I felt that this book was telling my son's story. It was very specific and accurate, not biased towards or against medication, and it presented a personal view of a very pervasive and painful disorder for both child and parent. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who wonders if their preschooler has ADHD, to professionals who doubt the significance of ADHD and to others who would like to know what life is really like for families like the author's and mine without all of the media hype and controversy. A very readable and touching story.