Demystify ADHD with simple explanations of the basics and the latest research
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most globally prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders. ADHD For Dummies explores living a healthy and fulfilling life with ADHD, from seeking diagnosis to choosing the right treatment path for you or your loved one. You’ll read about the latest in ADHD research, equipping you with valuable knowledge as you care for a child with ADHD or explore your own ADHD symptoms as an adult. This book provides the answers you need on how to deal with day-to-day challenges at home, school, and work, and how to find support and counseling. With appropriate management, anyone can live a great life with ADHD.
Learn what ADHD is¿and what it isn’t
Get up to date with the latest information on ADHD, including medications and non-medical treatments
Find the right professional to help you get the support you or your children need
This is the perfect Dummies guide for both parents of children with ADHD and adults with ADHD looking to learn more. Teachers, counselors, and therapists¿this is also a great resource to educate yourself and your clients.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 2
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 3
Part 1 The ABCs of ADHD 5
Chapter 1 ADHD Basics 7
Identifying Symptoms of ADHD 8
Peering into primary symptoms 8
Seeing a few secondary symptoms 9
Clueing in on ADHD's Origins 9
Getting a Diagnosis of ADHD 10
Choosing your professional 10
Preparing for the evaluation process 11
Viewing Various Treatment Approaches 12
Recognizing ADHD's Role in Your Life 12
Accentuating the positive 13
Dealing with daily life 13
Chapter 2 Exploring the Causes of ADHD 15
Gaining Perspective from Past Theories 16
Coming at ADHD Research from All Sides 18
Examining Self-Regulation's Role in ADHD 18
Recognizing self-regulation as a core issue 19
Linking executive brain functions and self-regulation 19
Exploring Current ADHD Research 21
Genetic 22
Anatomical 23
Functional 23
Chemical 24
Getting Down to the Bottom Line 26
Chapter 3 The Many Facets of ADHD 27
Picturing the Primary Symptoms of ADHD 28
Inattention/distractibility 28
Impulsivity 30
Restlessness/hyperactivity 32
Considering Some Secondary Symptoms 34
Anticipation of failure 34
Worry 34
Boredom 34
Loss of motivation/feelings of hopelessness 35
Frustration 35
Low self-esteem 36
Sleep disturbances 36
Substance abuse 37
Facing ADHD in Different Populations 37
Children 37
Adolescents 38
Adults 39
Women 40
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) 40
LGBTQIA+ 41
Part 2 Diagnosing ADHD 43
Chapter 4 Moving Forward with a Diagnosis 45
Help Wanted: Searching for the Right Person or People 46
ADHD specialist 47
Family physician 48
Pediatrician 48
Psychologist 49
Clinical social worker 49
ADHD coach 50
Psychiatrist 50
Neurologist 51
Neuropsychiatrist/behavioral neurologist 51
Educational diagnostician 51
Speech-language pathologist 52
Occupational therapist 52
Other professionals you may encounter 52
Examining Your Values 53
Digging into your ideas about diagnosis 53
Tackling your thoughts on treatment 53
Evaluating Your ADHD Professional 54
Selecting a diagnostician 55
Partnering up for treatment 55
Getting a Second Opinion 57
Managing Your Care 57
Being Eligible for Services 58
Gettinga diagnosis for legal purposes 59
Examining your insurance coverage 59
Seeking out school services 60
Chapter 5 Navigating the Evaluation Process 61
Preparing for the Evaluation Process 62
Mental Health Evaluations 63
Medical Testing 65
Educational Testing 65
Motor, Cognitive, and Social Skills Testing 67
Behavioral Assessment 67
Performance Testing and Your Ability to Maintain Attention 68
Knowing What to Do after Diagnosis 69
Chapter 6 Investigating Conditions with ADHD-like Symptoms 71
Understanding Differential Diagnosis: Sorting Out Your Symptoms 72
Mental Disorders Sharing Features with ADHD 73
Anxiety disorders 73
Obsessive-compulsive disorder 74
Post-traumatic stress disorder 74
Bipolar disorder 75
Depression 76
Pervasive developmental disorders 77
Learning disorders 77
Oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder 77
Antisocial personality disorder 78
Sleep disorders 78
Tourette's syndrome 79
Medical Conditions: Making a Physical Connection 79
Allergies and sensitivities 80
Epilepsy 80
Thyroid dysfunction 80
Brain conditions 81
Sensory Processing Disorders Overlapping with ADHD 82
Central auditory processing disorder 82
Visual processing disorder 83
Pseudo-ADHD and Environmental Influences 83
Part 3 Treating ADHD 85
Chapter 7 Choosing the Best Treatment Options for You 87
Understanding the Three Levels of Treatment 88
Biological treatments 88
Psychological treatments 90
Social treatments 91
Trying Multiple Treatments Together 93
Developing Your Plan for Treatment 93
Naming your challenges 94
Identifying your goals 95
Sifting through the options 95
Prioritizing which treatments to do when 96
Combining approaches safely 96
Following your progress 97
Keeping Up-to-Date on New Therapies 98
Attending conferences 99
Browsing the Internet and social media 99
Reading professional journal articles 100
Participating in support group meetings 101
Chapter 8 Managing Medication 103
Considering Whether Medication is Right for You 103
Understanding How ADHD Medications Work 104
Exploring Medication Types 105
Stimulants 105
Nonstimulant ADHD medication 107
Non-SNRI antidepressants 108
Antihypertensives 108
Monitoring Your Success with Medication 109
Recognizing positive results 109
Singling out side effects 110
Charting your progress 112
Knowing when to call it quits on medication 113
Chapter 9 Queuing Up Counseling, Coaching, and Training 115
Thinking about How Counseling Can Add to Your Treatment Plan 116
Exploring Counseling and Therapy Options 117
Understanding yourself through insight-oriented therapy 117
Benefiting from supportive therapy 119
Considering cognitive-behavioral therapy 120
Changing it up with behavior modification 121
Expressing yourself through play therapy 121
Adding to your toolbox with psychoeducational counseling 122
Bringing everyone together for family therapy 122
Getting into group therapy 123
Beefing up your treatment with support groups 123
Adding an ADHD Coach to Your Treatment Team 124
Looking at Training to Help You Develop Important Skills 125
Keeping awareness training in mind 125
Putting yourself in parent training 126
Improving yourself through skills training 126
Finding the Right Counselor, Coach, or Trainer for You 127
Chapter 10 Managing Problem Behaviors 129
Taking Behavior 130
Association 130
Feed forward/feedback 130
Behavioral therapy basics 131
Looking at Behavioral Treatment Strategies 132
Behavior modification 132
Cognitive-behavioral therapy 136
Awareness training 138
Chapter 11 Considering How Nutrition, Supplements, and Your Environment May Impact ADHD 141
Digging Into a Healthy Diet 142
Drinking more water 143
Adding essential fatty acids 143
Being alert to food allergies and sensitivities 144
Cracking down on simple carbohydrates 146
Providing plenty of protein 147
Saying goodbye to sugars 148
Balancing your body's yeast 148
Viewing Vitamin and Herb Supplements 150
Considering supportive supplements for better overall health 151
Taking specific supplements to support your nervous system 153
Nutraceuticals: Combining Vitamins and Herbs 155
Addressing Possible Aggravators in Your Environment 156
Allergens 156
Chemicals 159
Chapter 12 Examining Neuromodulation Therapies 161
Altering Brain Activity Through Neurofeedback 162
Getting some background on neurofeedback 162
Exploring the neurofeedback process 163
Knowing what to expect from neurofeedback 164
Finding a neurofeedback provider 165
Using Auditory Brain Stimulation to Ease ADHD Symptoms 165
Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention (REI) 166
Tomatis-based approaches 168
Binaural beats 171
Using Electrical Brain Stimulation to Dim Your ADHD Symptoms 172
Tracing electrical brain stimulation to its start 173
Keeping current on electrical brain stimulation processes 173
Knowing what to expect from electrical brain stimulation 174
Finding a transcranial electrical brain stimulation provider 174
Making Sense of Magnetic Brain Stimulation 175
Getting some background on transcranial magnetic stimulation 175
Exploring the transcranial magnetic stimulation process 176
Knowing what to expect when using TMS 176
Finding a transcranial magnetic stimulation provider 176
Chapter 13 Getting a Handle on Rebalancing Therapies 177
Balancing Energy through Acupuncture 178
Understanding the practice of acupuncture 178
Exploring the acupuncture process 179
Knowing what results to expect from acupuncture179
Finding an acupuncture provider180
Helping Your Body Heal Itself with Homeopathy 180
Understanding the practice of homeopathy 180
Exploring the process of homeopathy 181
Knowing what results to expect from homeopathy 181
Finding a homeopathy provider 181
Using Manipulation Therapies 182
Understanding the practice of manipulation therapy 182
Exploring the manipulation therapy process 183
Knowing what results to expect from manipulation therapy 183
Finding a provider for manipulation therapy 184
Assisting Your Brain with Processing Sensory Information 184
Understanding the practice of sensory integration 184
Exploring the process of sensory integration 185
Knowing what results to expect from sensory integration 186
Finding a provider for sensory integration 186
Looking Into Vision Therapies 186
Understanding the practice of vision therapy 187
Exploring the vision therapy process 188
Knowing what results to expect from vision therapy 188
Finding a vision therapy provider 189
Part 4 Living with ADHD 191
Chapter 14 Accentuating the Positive 193
Seeing the Positive in Your Symptoms 194
Examining Areas of Aptitude 195
Capitalizing on creativity 195
Capturing chaos 196
Accessing energy 197
Recognizing your risk-taking nature 197
Supporting your desire for independence 197
Exploring ambition 198
Leaning into intuition 199
Examining adaptability 199
Assessing athleticism 200
Finding and Nurturing the Areas Where You Excel 200
Chapter 15 Creating Harmony at Home 203
Laying the Foundation for a Healthy Homelife 204
Exercising empathy 204
Effectively expressing emotions 205
Focusing on clear and effective communication 206
Acknowledging your appreciation 207
Defusing conflict 208
Healing the past 208
Being realistic 209
Improving Your Homelife When You Have ADHD 209
Managing moods 210
Taking responsibility 211
Being Single and Dating with ADHD 211
Handling issues with hyperfocusing and novelty 212
Sticking with it Song term 212
Parenting a Child with ADHD 213
Preventing problems 214
Dealing with discipline 220
Raising more than one child 224
Encouraging play and fun 226
Enhancing self-esteem 226
Parenting as a team 227
Living with a Partner Who Has ADHD 228
Working together 228
Staying close 228
Taking time for yourself 229
Adopting Good Habits 229
Getting organized 229
Exercising regularly 230
Limiting media 231
Ensuring the best sleep possible 232
Chapter 16 Creating Success at School 235
Overcoming Challenges at Any Age 236
Addressing elementary school issues 236
Managing middle school difficulties 238
Handling high schooi challenges 239
Cluing into college challenges 241
Getting to Know Your Legal Rights 242
Having realistic expectations 242
Examining IDEA 243
Utilizing Section 244
Addressing Your Child's Needs: Developing an Educational Plan 245
Understanding what an educational plan is 246
Getting involved 246
Developing an accurate plan 246
Keeping tabs on the progress 247
Getting the Most from Your Child's Teachers 248
Looking for the right teacher 248
Working with your child's teacher 249
Documenting Your School Experiences 252
Dealing with Difficult Times in School 253
Lunchtime and recess 254
Transitions 254
Opportunities for socialization 255
Interactions with some teachers and administrators 257
Exploring Schooling Alternatives 257
Working with Your Child at Home 259
Helping with homework 260
Arranging for a private tutor 261
Supporting self-esteem 262
Helping your child stay organized 262
Chapter 17 Winning at Work 265
Getting an Overview of ADHD Challenges at Work 266
To Tell or Not to Tell: Sharing Your Diagnosis with Coworkers 267
Legally speaking: Understanding your rights 267
Practically speaking: Making your decision 268
Managing Yourself 269
Working on Work Relationships 270
Paying attention to office dynamics 270
Dealing with authority 271
Getting along with coworkers 272
Working remotely 273
Being the boss 273
Doing Day-to-Day Tasks 275
Getting organized 275
Managing your time 276
Handling larger projects 277
Staying focused 278
Dealing with details 279
Creating Overall Success for Yourself 279
Finding the right field for you 279
Pondering long-term plans 280
Making your current job work for you 280
Understanding your value in the workplace 281
Striking a healthy work-life balance 282
Going It Alone: Being Self-Employed 282
Part 5 The Part of Tens 285
Chapter 18 Ten (Plus) Tips to Organize Your Life 287
Writing Down Ideas and Appointments 288
Setting Reminders 288
Organizing Your Time 289
Employing Technology 289
Charting Your Schedule 289
Planning Ahead 290
Completing Your Projects 291
Breaking things down 291
Making a plan 292
Taking one step at a time 292
Cutting Clutter Off at the Source 292
Putting Things in Their Places 293
Creating a Color-Coding System 294
Deciding What's Really Important to You 294
Chapter 19 Ten (or So) Ways to Improve Your Family Relationships 297
Taking Responsibility 297
Focusing on the Positive 298
Releasing Anger and Resentment 298
Getting Rid of Guilt 299
Talking It Out 299
Working Together 300
Having Regular Family Meetings 300
Being Realistic 301
Having Fun Together 302
Walking Away before Blowing Up 302
Prioritizing Time to Destress 302
Chapter 20 Ten Resources for More Information and Ongoing Support 305
Internet Forums 306
Websites 306
Support Groups 307
Your Child's School 307
Local Colleges and Universities 308
Your ADHD Professional 308
Books on Specific Aspects of ADHD 308
The Library 309
Family and Friends 310
Talk Therapy 310
Appendix: Treatment Tracking Forms 311
Index 317