Outside the Box: Rethinking ADD/ADHD in Children and Adults : A Practical Guide

Outside the Box: Rethinking ADD/ADHD in Children and Adults-A Practical Guide
identifies assumptions about ADD/ADHD that demand reevaluation in light of
recent research. Building upon a current, science-based foundation, the book
describes in practical terms how ADHD can be recognized at various ages; how it
differs from more typical brain development; how it can significantly impair
those affected; and how it can safely, and in most cases effectively, be treated
in children and adults. The book is based upon current scientific research but
also on the experience and perspective of the author, a clinician who has
devoted more than 35 years to studying this disorder formally and countless
hours to engaging with and providing treatment for a diversity of children,
teenagers, and adults with ADHD and related problems. The book's audience is the
wide variety of clinicians involved in assessing, treating, and/or monitoring
the care of children and adults with this disorder (e.g., pediatricians, primary
care physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, physician
assistants, advanced practice nurses, and clinical social workers) and also
educators, disability service providers, human resource specialists, and the
adolescents and adults who seek more information about ADHD assessment and
treatment for themselves or for family or friends.

The book offers
practical, accessible information that is grounded in the latest research: The
book is focused not primarily on details of academic arguments but on practical
aspects of ADHD-how it varies from one person to another, how it changes over
the life span, how treatments need to be adjusted for different individuals, and
how it sometimes gets worse and sometimes gets better. Emphasizing that ADHD is
not a simple problem of failing to listen or staying focused on a task, the
author examines research demonstrating that ADHD results from impairment of a
complex syndrome of brain functions essential for self-management, the
"executive functions." While DSM-5 is acknowledged as a valuable source of
information about ADHD, this book draws upon a wider range of scientific
research and perspectives not yet incorporated into DSM. Although accessible
to the general reader, the text includes citations to sources that can be used
to obtain additional, more technical information.

Utterly current and
scientifically based, Outside the Box: Rethinking ADD/ADHD in Children and
Adults-A Practical Guide challenges old thinking and provides much-needed
information and support to clinicians, educators, patients, and families.