Reviews of Lay Literature in Child-Care: What Parents Are Reading

[摘要] B. Ingersoll. Your Hyperactive Child: A Parents' Guide to Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder. New York: Doubleday, 1988; list price $8.95 (No. 19 on the 1990 bestseller list of books on child care from Ingram Book Co., distributor of trade books).This scholarly book offers thorough coverage of current research on the medical aspects of attentional problems and yet manages to lend clarity to the topic. The description and inclusion of various behavior rating scales is quite helpful. Several of the fad treatments such as optometric training and dietary restrictions are thoughtfully discussed although rather gently dismissed. The book also offers brief but quality advice for teachers and parents on improving communication between home and school, keeping track of assignments, and use of token economies and other reward systems. Other valuable approaches such as self-monitoring and self-reinforcement, tutoring, summer school, and counseling receive insufficient attention. The most serious omission is the lack of emphasis on attentional problems in relation to academic deficits and the need to rule out learning problems as a part of making the diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Otherwise, the author offers excellent recommendations for parents on managing children's behavior and helping them with peer relationships.

[学科分类] 儿科学