ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis

by Julian Stuart Haber

The ADHD label had been rampantly overused on children with completely different problems when the controversial first edition of ADHD was praised by practitioners and parents alike as a timely book whose message was long overdue. This new edition includes a complete revision of the chapter on medication, detailing when to use certain drugs and the side effects that can be expected, and including a thorough review and update of older medications. Special problems for teenagers with ADHD are addressed, including sexual relationships, pregnancy, substance abuse, driving, and general teen attitudes. Material has been added to help parents find their way through the legal maze of public education where children are often wrongly first stigmatized with the ADHD label.

Genres: Adhd, Nonfiction

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 25, 2000

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read another book about ADHD, I realize that my daughter has it. This book explains the main causes for the disease as well as how it can be medically identified. I was relieved by a number of stories in the book about how well children with ADHD can do in the future. The biggest take-away is that I have to stop telling my daughter what she is and is not capable of doing.

[Summer B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short overview of many reasons your child might display symptoms of ADHD without actually having ADHD. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't come across as biased against kids who actually have ADHD. I don't think this book will be life changing for anyone because it is covering such a wide variety of topics, it never really gets in very deep to any of them. It seems like a lot of examples. For example (get it, lol) something like, "Sarah was having trouble in school, and her teachers thought she had ADHD. Turns out, Sarah's mom worked two jobs and Sarah was only sleeping 5 hours at night. When Sarah's mom adjusted her schedule, Sarah's symptoms disappeared." It might be helpful if you see yourselves or your situation in the examples. If so, it might be just enough to encourage you to ask your doctor or research further. If your child has ADHD, this book probably won't be that helpful for you.

Overall, this was a good quick read, but not life changing for me.

[Támara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty basic overview of the ADHD debate. I find myself a tad disinterested with the first few pages, but the information is still good for parents, families, and professionals interested in other factors that could look like ADHD. ADHD is indeed over-diagnosed, so we need to focus on learning disabilities, medical conditions, mental retardation or intellectual disabilities, giftedness, and other factors that could look like ADHD. Good reminder. I really would have appreciated if the book focused more extensively on giftedness because many of our children are gifted and overlooked in the public school system. Everyone "must" perform at similar levels or they will be deemed a "failure." This attitude is limiting and destructive for many gifted children.

ADHD is a label that lacks a lot of neurological research and should not be as loosely applied to kids as it is today.