Understanding The Social Support Needs Of Parents Of Children With Adhd

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Modern family life raises tough questions: Who should be responsible for children's daily care? How can their financial support be fairly allocated between parents? Should extended family members be paid for their help? Can women have full careers and also be good mothers? In Raising Children, leading scholars take on these questions and more in order to critically assess policy responses to the changing needs of the modern family. As parents struggle to balance professional and personal demands, choose schools for their children, and sort through constantly updated medical and psychological information, they need help from public officials who can make policies that realistically address childrearing's contemporary challenges. The insightful contributions in this volume provide an excellent starting point for understanding these thorny, multifaceted issues, skillfully framing the influences on child development, such as altered family dynamics, major life changes like immigration, and the role of schools and government in children's health. Adoption by same-sex couples, difficulties for immigrant children, the ADHD diagnosis controversy, and public intervention for at-risk children are only a few of the topics covered. With society in a constant state of flux, it is critically important that we assess our family and child policies to ensure that they provide families with the assistance they need. Drawing on the rich interdisciplinary work of the Berkeley Center for Child and Youth Policy, this is an eye-opening look at some of the biggest issues facing the family today, which are as complex as they are vital to address in a thoughtful way.

After years of working with parents and their ADHD children, it became apparent to author Kerry Cooney that there were unmet needs in families where a child had been diagnosed with ADHD. A lack of knowledge and specific tools for ADHD was also causing concern for professionals who desperately wanted information on how best to assist these children and families. Very few people truly understood ADHD and its impact on the child and the family, many having the view that a child with ADHD is simply naughty, far too demanding and uncontrollable. It is the author's belief that the controversial aspects of the existence of ADHD and the use of medication kept the focus away from the child and the family's real issues often preventing any hope of clarity and moving towards a positive outcome. Along with the need for understanding was a disturbing lack of support for the child and family dealing with ADHD. This book has been written for parents, carers and teachers of children with ADHD, to help understand the world of their child along with providing workable strategies for every day living.

Parenting With Purpose: Nurturing Children With ADHD is a comprehensive and insightful guide that empowers parents of children with ADHD to successfully navigate the challenges of raising their child. This practical book provides a wealth of information, strategies, and resources to help parents create a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the unique needs of their child with ADHD. One of the key strengths of this book is its emphasis on understanding ADHD from a holistic perspective. Through engaging anecdotes and relatable experiences, the author explores the complexities of ADHD and its impact on various aspects of a child's life. From academic struggles to social interactions and emotional regulation, parents will gain a deeper understanding of how ADHD manifests in their child's day-to-day life. The book goes beyond mere description and delves into specific strategies and techniques that parents can implement to support and empower their child with ADHD. It provides valuable insights into effective communication techniques, structure and routines, behavior management approaches, and fostering self-esteem and resilience. These strategies are all evidence-based and focus on building upon the strengths and abilities of children with ADHD, rather than solely focusing on their weaknesses. One particularly valuable aspect of this book is the emphasis on collaboration and partnership with professionals. Parenting With Purpose highlights the importance of seeking appropriate medical and psychological interventions, as well as working closely with teachers and other caregivers to ensure a consistent and supportive approach. The book offers guidance on effective advocacy for your child's needs within the school system and provides valuable tips on how to navigate the often complex web of professionals and services. Throughout the book, the author's compassionate and understanding tone resonates with parents, offering support and reassurance during challenging times. The real-life stories and practical examples provide a relatable and encouraging framework that will empower parents to embrace their role with confidence and purpose. Overall, Parenting With Purpose: Nurturing Children With ADHD is a comprehensive and empowering resource for parents seeking guidance in raising their child with ADHD. With its blend of practical strategies, expert advice, and heartfelt encouragement, this book will be a valuable companion on the journey of parenting a child with ADHD.

One in ten children seen in primary care practice and 25% of hospitalized children appear with a neurologic complaint. The fourth edition of Current Management in Child Neurology provides succinct reviews in the form of superb "how-to" chapters on the most common neurological complaints and pathologic conditions seen in pediatric practice. This volume provides clinicians with a state-of-the-art "toolbox" for diagnosis and treatment of the most commonly presented neurologic disorders and dysfunctions in children, including headache, seizures and epilepsy, neurobehavioral disorders, school readiness, developmental delay, trauma, meningitis and encephalitis, injury to the preterm and term brains, and status epilepticus. Chapters new to the 4th edition include information on a range of other conditions such as microcephaly, neurodegenerative disorders, chromosomal disorders, epilepsy in adolescence, epileptic encephalopathy, pediatric neurotransmitter disorders, and tropical child neurology as well as current approaches to neonatal or infantile facial dysmorphism and congenital muscular dystrophies. The 4th edition of Current Management in Child Neurology has 111 chapters organized into three sections: Clinical Practice Trends, The Office Visit, and The Hospitalized Child. Each of the sections contains carefully selected readings and Web resources for practitioners and patients who seek relevant information on topics addressed in the book's chapters. Since the third edition, online resources have increased exponentially, and Current Management in Child Neurology directs its readers to the most high-quality information available.

A psychiatrist with expertise in ADHD offers clear information and easy to follow strategies to help your ADHD child thrive. This book is designed to help parents address their child’s Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in 7 simple steps. Written in clear, jargon-free prose, it synthesizes scientific and clinical research in a way that makes it accessible to parents of young children and teens. Dr. Handelman begins by dispelling many of the myths that often make parents of children with ADHD feel shame or guilt. Leaving the stigma and ignorance behind, Attention Difference Disorder offers a strength-based approach to a condition that has generally been treated negatively. The 7 simple steps to succeeding with ADHD include: 1) Education about the condition, 2) Ensuring a proper diagnosis, 3) Parenting Strategies, 4) Educational Strategies, 5) Medication Treatments, 6) Alternative Treatments and 7) Treatment Integration.

The increased prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among Canadian and American children has introduced a surge in 'self-help' books marketed toward mothers. The perceived necessity for this has been shored up by scholarly and popular belief that raising an ADHD child is a stressful, burdensome and over-whelming responsibility. The perception is that these mothers are in need of advice and guidance in order to rise to the challenge. ADHD, marked by impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity, is frequently misinterpreted as a result of poor mothering despite professional efforts to define it as a biologically predetermined disorder independent of socialization. Despite professional allegiance to the biological definition of the disorder, much academic focus has been directed toward discovering maternal pathology and dysfunction. This book provides a much needed counter perspective to current stereotypes about mothers of ADHD children as ill-quipped or pathological. Relying on large-scale quantitative data, Patricia E. Neff provides a detailed analysis of the impact of raising an ADHD child, as compared to a non-ADHD child, on maternal well-being. This is the first book of its kind to address the subject of mothering an ADHD child using two nationally representative and cross-cultural samples of Canadian and American mothers and children. A unique picture of how Canadian and American mothers are influenced by the ADHD status of their child, as well as their child's behavior and use of medication is revealed. This research is also concerned with the role of social support in mediating the effects of ADHD on maternal well-being. While numerous studies have examined the influence of social support in families of children experiencing an illness or handicap, this is the first to systematically explore the utilization of social support among mothers of ADHD children. According to Neff, the use of small, homogenous and clinically referred samples has contributed to negative characterizations of mothers of ADHD children. This is a timely piece of work as ADHD is now the most frequently diagnosed and treated disorder among school age children across Canada and the United States. ADHD and Maternal Resiliency provides a critical new perspective on mothering an ADHD child that will be of interest to sociologists, psychologists, clinicians, and educators, as well as mothers and families of ADHD children. Recommendations are advanced to increase research efforts toward gaining a greater understanding of the strengths and resources which enable mothers to successfully cope with the associated difficulties of mothering an ADHD child.