Return to:
News and Views
Reviews: Books
Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents.
By Russel A. Barkley. New York: Guilford Press, 1995, 294 pp., $16.95
The book Taking Charge of ADHD by Russel A. Barkley deals with the issues surrounding the challenges faced by parents of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The author provides insight into how a child may develop ADHD as well as practical and valuable strategies that parents can use to help their child deal with the problems associated with ADHD. He explains the current evidence that has been accumulated regarding the possible causes of this disorder, such as an imbalance in brain chemistry, heredity factors, and various agents that may cause brain injury such as fetal exposure to alcohol and tobacco as well as exposure to lead. Barkley also addresses some of the myths believed to affect the severity of symptoms, which includes the influence of a high sugar diet.
The author describes the characteristics that many individuals with ADHD exhibit throughout one's life from preschool to adulthood. He indicates that many preschool children with this disorder are described by their parents as always getting into things and "acting as if driven by a motor" (p. 81). Barkley states that not only do parents have to deal with the behavior problems once the child enters school, but will have to be involved in assisting them to adjust to social and academic demands imposed by the school system and society. Coping with the stress of adolescence becomes more difficult for an ADHD child as even more demands and stress are being imposed on the child. The author provides information that one may expect to see with ADHD adults as well, discussing the tendency to have achieved a lower educational level and social class. While most of this section reports information in percentages, it is solid background information that helps to inform individuals who may have very little knowledge when it comes to understanding ADHD.
Barkley then discusses what to do if parents believe their child has ADHD, starting with deciding how to have the child evaluated and what they can do to help both the child and themselves cope with the disorder. From this perspective, the author provides very detailed information regarding what to expect from a clinical evaluation. He begins with the basic information that will be asked when one makes the appointment for the child up to where a diagnosis of either ADHD or ADD is made, at which point he provides a clear and concise summary of the differences. The author discusses typical reactions felt by parents when their child receives such a diagnosis, such as anger and grief, and how educating one's self about the disorder can help the parent accept it, thus allowing them to better assist their child's needs. He provides some very straightforward behavioral techniques to shape behavior as well as some factors to consider when deciding which type of educational setting may be most appropriate.
The book itself is useful for a variety of people. Both men and women can benefit from this book. Family members who may not know about or have misleading information with respect to ADHD could gain valuable information from this book as it relates to the difficulties that a brother, sister, nephew, cousin, etc. experiences. Hence, the first section provides the basic information surrounding ADHD that even some adolescents could benefit from reading. However, the book is designed and targeted more for those individuals who are the caregivers of a child with ADHD. The bulk of the book provides guiding principles, behavioral techniques and options for treating a child with the disorder and, as such, this is the cohort that will benefit most from the provided information. Yet, there are sections that can be beneficial to an older child or adolescent, such as common unreasonable beliefs by both parents and teenagers with regards to unreasonable expectations (Table 5, p. 193). In this manner, the teenager may gain a better understanding of how their behavior can affect others as well.
One of the biggest strengths of this book was the writing style of the author. Throughout the book, Barkley provides helpful and insightful information regarding ADHD without coming across as someone telling you how to raise your child. For example, when discussing ways to deal with providing positive feedback to the child, Barkley writes "one way to remind yourself is to place small stickers with smiley faces around the house….whenever you spot a sticker….comment to your child" (p. 131). The author's style presents the information more as helpful suggestions rather than authoritative commands. His style is not critical of how parents may be raising their ADHD child; instead, his writing allows him to present information on the reader's level.
Another strength of the book was the manner in which the author presented some of his major points. When presenting information on how parents need to take care of themselves as well, the author states, "a certain amount of stress is inevitable. It does not, however, have to destroy you or anyone else in your family" (p. 137). As such, the author's intent is not to say that if you follow these guidelines and steps throughout the book, your child will no longer have problems with ADHD. Instead, he admits that no one can predict all of the difficulties that will strike a particular family that has a child with ADHD. What he provides are quality suggestions and information that can help alleviate the challenges faced not only by children afflicted with the disorder, but the impact it can have on the entire family unit.
In short, Barkley describes his points in a way that is educational and easy to read. One is not required to know a lot of information about ADHD before reading this book. What he provides to the reader is insight into the impact that ADHD can have on anyone living or working with someone who has this disorder in addition to ways to deal with it that one, particularly parents, may never have considered previously.
Although this book was well written and concise, there was one particular aspect of it that seemed to be limiting, which was the use of prescription medications. For many parents, medication is the first thing that they will want to know about with regards to treatment. This subject is not really discussed until the end of the book. The author certainly provides good information about the use of medication, however the book does not provide detailed information on how the combined use of medication and behavioral techniques may be beneficial. In many cases, medication may be needed, especially for the hyperactive form of the disorder. While this aspect does not hinder the usefulness of the text, the book would have been even stronger had a more significant section discussing the use of medication and behavioral techniques in combination been provided.
In terms of bibliotherapy, the book would be very helpful if the troubles of dealing with a child that has ADHD were discussed. There are many misconceptions pertaining to this disorder, and as such, the book would be helpful by providing the parent with information that would help them to better understand their child. In addition, assigning certain chapters to read and discuss in psychotherapy sessions would be useful. For example, if a parent was trying to reduce oppositional behavior in their child, the author describes "eight steps to better behavior" in Chapter 11 (p. 149). The parent could be assigned individual steps or the entire chapter and implement the steps with their child. In future sessions, these steps can be discussed further and perhaps implemented with other behavioral techniques. Also, if a parent was not sure if they wanted to have their child treated with medication, the section covering this area could be assigned in order to give them a succinct summary of the benefits and risks of prescription medications.
Overall, the book is well written and provides some valuable insight into dealing with ADHD children. The wording is relatively easy to understand and could help a child cope better under stressful conditions. The author is perceptive in his descriptions, while his suggestions are forceful but not overbearing. There is not a lot of emphasis on the use of prescription medication which may or may not be a deterrent based on the psychotherapist and client's belief in its use. In certain situations, medication may be necessary to help alleviate a significant number of symptoms. As such, certain children may suffer further distress if the suggestions offered in the book are used solely, for the child may be unable to focus during crucial developmental stages. Nevertheless, the book covers various treatment methods and could be implemented effectively in various ways.