12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD

Barkley (Taking Charge of ADHD) returns with a book for parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are pressed for time and looking for quick, reliable solutions. Barkley disagrees with experts who label ADHD a “gift,” contending that ADHD cannot both be a gift and a serious disability that requires services. At the same time, the author cites success stories of those such as TV star Ty Pennington and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, both of whom have the condition. Good parenting was essential to the achievements of these famous faces, the author explains, as Phelps’s family taught him to adopt routines and Pennington was guided to choose a career that took advantage of his unique strengths. Barkley here advocates a shepherd model of parenting based on protecting, nurturing, routines, and self-care to address typical “problems” in ADHD children, such as slow neurodevelopment, running on autopilot, and being a sensation seeker.