The Mislabeled Child: Looking Beyond Behavior to Find the True Sources and Solutions for Children's Learning Challenges

by Brock L. Eide, Fernette Eide

An incredibly reassuring approach by two physicians who specialize in helping children overcome their difficulties in learning and succeeding in school

For parents, teachers, and other professionals seeking practical guidance about ways to help children with learning problems, this book provides a comprehensive look at learning differences ranging from dyslexia to dysgraphia, to attention problems, to giftedness. In The Mislabeled Child , the authors describe how a proper understanding of a child's unique brain-based strengths can be used to overcome many different obstacles to learning. They show how children are often mislabeled with diagnoses that are too broad (ADHD, for instance) or are simply inaccurate. They also explain why medications are often not the best ways to help children who are struggling to learn. The authors guide readers through the morass of commonly used labels and treatments, offering specific suggestions that can be used to help children at school and at home. This book offers extremely empowering information for parents and professionals alike.

The Mislabeled Child examines a full spectrum of learning disorders, from dyslexia to giftedness, clarifying the diagnoses and providing resources to help. The Eides explain how a learning disability encompasses more than a behavioral problem; it is also a brain dysfunction that should be treated differently.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Education, Professional Development, Psychology, Reference

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2006

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book arrived today and I'm already over 100 pages in. I have to say this is my new Bible. So many relevant chapters, relatable anecdotes, good explanations, and real help. I recommend this book to all parents of kids with multi-faceted learning difficulties that are hard to nail down or not "bad" enough to warrant help from the school system. I'll be reading and re-reading over the next several weeks with my highlighter in hand. Best $5 I ever spent.

[Catherine Mikkelsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best book I've ever read about LD. Seriously, this book is better than 80% of the conversations I had with experts about my child -- and how sad is that?

That said, the book is hard. Before you read this book, your child should have a diagnosis of some sort, and you should understand that diagnosis a bit. Appendix A of Fine Until Kindergarten gives a good overview of every LD diagnosis.

In order to really understand this book, I actually wrote the contents of each chapter onto file cards and taped them onto a bulletin board. Yes, there's that much information in this book. My biggest frustration is that, although the book goes down to about five levels of sections, the table of contents only goes to two levels, so I kept getting confused. Seriously, adding two more levels to the TOC would fix things.

The Eides are brilliant, and they tell you in-depth information about every aspect of your child's challenges. Plus, this is the only book I've ever read that does a good job of explaining working memory and working memory challenges. Highly recommended, but make sure that you have context first.

[Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

GREAT for understanding my sweet Devon. I listened to a gifted conference by the authors and a 2E (twice exceptional, meaning gifted with learning issues) conference by them and finally have confirmation that indeed Devon does have dyslexia, because he is gifted and can read at a high level and has great comprehension, it is called stealth dyslexia. It doesn't appear as dyslexia, but he has pretty much all the signs of stealth dyslexia and I have always thought he did. So this book is a really interesting read.

I think it is a must read if you have a unique learner in your home. One who you are worried about I guess. If you aren't worried, then you don't need to read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenging but helpful book. Want to know exercises that can help strengthen your child's memory, vision, hearing? This is the book for you. Want to know how to talk with your child's teacher about who your child is? This is the book for you. Want to help a dyslexic child in your classroom but just don't know how? This is the book for you!

[Amber Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides an in-depth look at the unique learning needs of exceptional children, those falling outside typical standards for varying reasons. It emphasizes the need for a very inclusive and accurate evaluation of the child's strengths and weaknesses as well as their preferred learning style. This emphasis on a clear and encompassing evaluation leads directly into the author's platform that individual needs must be identified so that they can be addressed very specifically. Avoiding the use of generic labels, allows the unique gifts and challenges each child faces to be recognized and accommodated. Solutions are offered in the form of targeted exercises, educational approaches and medical or therapeutic interventions. The book offers examples of children facing a wide range of issues and then offers insight and practical ideas targeting each identified area. It is an excellent resource for those working with and caring for children with identified learning challenges. The emphasis on avoiding generic labels takes care of the problem that is often encountered with the use of such terms: the child is not considered on their own merits but is rather characterized by the label. Often a diagnosis or label can lead to false conclusions or assumptions that may not apply as broadly as implied. This leads to ineffective approaches that do not meet the child where they are. Approaching each child as a unique individual with a need for unique customized solutions is far more effective. One drawback I see with this book is that it may offer so much detail and information as to alienate some who need it but aren't up for to reading and assimilating all that it contains.

[Wende · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll revisit this one soon. This is a very helpful book, but so dense it's like reading a college-level textbook. I like the tone of the writing-- positve, empowering for parents and teachers. The problem for me, as always is how to fund the needed interventions once they are identified! My "do it yourself" skills don't extend this far.

[Athalia Stoneback · Rating 4 out of 5]

These authors did a great job researching each disability, and explaining why some disabilities might be mistaken for others. Helpful if you think you or a loved one has a learning disability, but are not sure which one. The authors did seem to have a problem with autism, though, claiming that those with autism lack empathy, which auties tend to refute, and that their echolalia is "pointless".

[Jehnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a sit-down-and-read-from-page-one type book. But a good read if you are trying to figure out conflicting information about your child. The focus is much more scientific and discusses neurochemistry which is a nice shift from the "based on 100 studies" model. It offers behaviors to look for and suggestions for "help."

[Liz Busby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me too paranoid about all the things that could be wrong with my kids. If you know your kids have learning disabilities, the info and organization of this book would rock, but for those of us who are just wondering, it makes you think that everything is wrong with your kids and you will never, ever fix them.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I shouldn't say I fully "read" this as it was for a class and although I read about 3/4 of it, I did not fully complete it. This book has great information and is VERY detailed. My professor used this text hand-in-hand with her lectures, so the information that I did not read, was given through lecture.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good. Not a lot of new information, but I've read a lot of books on the subject, so that that for what it's worth. The Eide's however are one of the foremost on this subject. If you've not read a lot about this subject it's a must read!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a lot of books on special needs, but this is the best....hands down. It covers everything from giftedness to ADHD to autism to dyslexia to sensory processing disorder. I recommend this book for any parent with a child who has special needs.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't tell if this one is clearer than other learning styles/learning disabilites books, or if the content is familiar by now. It must be somewhat good, I don't feel I should return it to the library without taking more notes on dysgraphia.

[Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read for anyone wanting to teach or support children. There is an exceptional chapter about how the memory works.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of practical ideas for things to do to help with different learning disabilities.

[Ami]

This book is giving me some good ideas to help my boy.

[Cindy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't read the entire book, but the bits about giftedness were very helpful.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has great information, and is somewhat helpful, but the organization of it made it painfully hard to read.

[Kathy Kuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential for parents of kids with learning challenges. Reviewed on my website, http://learndifferently.com

[Kathy Kuhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for any parent of a student with learning disabilities or other struggles with learning. Reviewed on my website, http://learndifferently.com

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource.