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

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.