Reviews
Health Watch series. One person's diagnosis, treatment, and current status introduces each book. The individual approach is either woven into or generalized in subsequent chapters describing symptoms, causes, methods of diagnosis and treatment (if it exists), and current research. Clear explanations and the subjects' positive attitudes make potentially unsettling topics accessible. Though small, the photos are contemporary and relevant. There are six other books in this series. Bib., glos., ind., The Horn Book Guide Fall 2001
Synopsis
What's so terrible about being a dreamer, or finding it hard to sit still? People with attention deficit disorder often find it difficult to succeed in school because they are so easily distracted. Worse, people with the disorder sometimes become so frustrated with their inability to complete tasks that they become involved in crime. An estimated 40 percent of boys with the disorder had been arrested by age eighteen, according to one study. As adults, 25 to 30 percent of those diagnosed with attention deficit disorder as children have problems with drugs and alcohol. Though the disorder mostly affects boys, girls suffer as well. Author Susan Dudley Gold explores its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment through the experience of a boy with the problem.
