The Gift of ADHD: How to Transform Your Child's Problems into Strengths

by Lara Honos-Webb PhD, Scott Shannon MD (Foreword by)

Overview

As a parent, you already know that your child has many gifts. What you may not know is that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) related symptoms—the very qualities that lead him or her to act out and distract others—may be among them.

This second edition of The Gift of ADHD includes compelling new research indicating that the impulses that lead your child to act exuberantly may correspond with unusual levels of creativity and a heightened capacity for insight into the feelings and emotions of others. Could it be that ADHD is not a hindrance, but an asset in our fast-paced digital age?

ADHD expert Lara Honos-Webb presents the evidence for this revolutionary concept and explains how you can help your child develop control over inattentive, hyperactive behavior and enhance the five gifts of ADHD: creativity, attunement to nature, interpersonal intuition, energetic enthusiasm, and emotional sensitivity. Filled with easy skill-building activities you and your child can do together, this book will help your child transform problematic symptoms into strengths, then build the self-esteem they need to let those gifts shine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608820665
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	07/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	580 KB

About the Author

Lara Honos-Webb, PhD, is a worldwide attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) expert, and offers ADHD coaching. She is a clinical psychologist, and author of The Gift of ADHD, The Gift of ADHD Activity Book, The Gift of Adult ADD, The ADHD Workbook for Teens, and Listening to Depression. She has also published more than twenty-five scholarly articles. Learn more about her work at www.addisagift.com.
Foreword writer Scott M. Shannon, MD, is a founding member of the American Holistic Medical Association and served as president from 2000-2001. He started the country's first academically based integrative clinic in child psychiatry at the University of Colorado Children's Hospital in Denver, CO, where he works as assistant clinical professor. He is author of the book Please Don't Label My Child and was recently named president-elect of the American Board of Holistic and Integrative Medicine.

Editorial Reviews

A diagnosis of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) does more than label a child's behavior problems-it affects his or her self-esteem, relationships and future, says psychologist Honos-Webb. The way parents and teachers treat an ADHD child can mean the difference between a successful life and an unnecessarily difficult one. In this sensitive exploration of ADHD, Honos-Webb uses case studies, field research and her personal experience as a clinical psychologist and sister of a brother with ADHD to teach parents how to become advocates for their children and "reframe" their view of the disorder. While most people are familiar with the dramatic behavioral symptoms of ADHD-severe inattention and impulsiveness-there is a less-reported flip side: children with ADHD exhibit exceptional strengths that Honos-Webb sees as opportunities. These gifts include emotional sensitivity toward others, passion and exuberance, unusual problem-solving skills and a love of nature. Honos-Webb's goal is to bring these traits to light and help parents transform "symptoms into talents-or at the least, lovable eccentricities." Through interactive exercises, such as directed daydreaming and storytelling, she helps parents and children work together to rise above the negativity so often directed at them by "an outdated education system" that does little to accept and support children with ADHD. This unique book stands out from the sea of books in its field. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

"You are the parent. If you can change and do what this wonderful book invites you to change and do, then you can give the most precious gift to your child—transforming your child's “problem" into a strength. Please accept the gift of this book—for your child's sake."
—Alvin R. Mahrer, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and author of The Complete Guide to Experiential Psychotherapy

"Honos-Webb grabbed my scattered attention quickly and held it with this enlightening book, without resorting to drugs. I nervously jumped to sections such as ‘The Medical Model of Disease' and ‘Why Medications May Not Be the Answer' and found them balanced and enlightening. Then I calmed down, read the rest, and learned a lot. You will too . . . if you can pay attention."
—Thomas Greening, professor of psychology at Saybrook Graduate School and editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology

"Honos-Webb's book is a healing gift to children with ADHD and their parents, teachers, psychologists, and doctors. Taken to heart, her message could transform the lives of these children, their families, and even the educational system. The Gift of ADHD is a must-read for anyone whose life is touched by the unique children who are given this diagnosis. Even adults with this diagnosis should read this book to find a radically new way of understanding themselves and celebrating their own gifts."
—Lane Arye, PhD, author of Unintentional Music: Releasing Your Deepest Creativity and internationally known process-oriented therapist and teacher

From the Publisher