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By Mark Bertin, M.D. (Palgrave Macmillan)
Purchase The Family ADHD Solution
There are many good books to help parents learn about ADHD and parenting strategies, but The Family ADHD Solution is the first I’ve seen that does so with the special-needs parenting experience in mind. Bertin, a developmental pediatrician, describes the complex, stressful task of parenting a child with ADHD, in a society that is polarized by politics and misinformation—and is quick to judge parent and child.
Bertin explores executive skills, comorbidities, and diagnosis. He addresses the stress of parenting a child with ADHD, and how that stress impacts parents’ reactions and choices. Combating the stress using mindfulness, Bertin asserts, helps us make better choices, which, in turn, improve a child’s symptoms, and pave the way for a healthy, more supportive (and peaceful!) home. As I read, I began incorporating the book’s suggestions for practicing mindfulness into my everyday life—stopping throughout the day to focus on my breath, removing judgment from my observations and thoughts—which helped me cope when my ADHD daughter’s eleventh-birthday party didn’t go remotely as planned!
Rather than endorsing any particular treatment, the author gives clear, science-based explanations of ADHD and of first-line and complementary ADHD treatments, while also teaching strategies to help a child succeed at home and in school. This is a book struggling parents will read, and read again.
