Teaching Teens With ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits: A Quick Reference Guide for Teachers and Parents

by Chris A. Zeigler Dendy

2011 ForeWord's Book of the Year Award Finalist, Education Category Thousands of teachers and parents have relied on the authoritative, concise information in Teaching Teens with ADD, ADHD & Executive Function Deficits for advice on meeting the educational, medical, and social needs and challenges of adolescents with these conditions. This updated edition provides more than 80 summaries (annotated checklists for easy consumption) chock full of new information on research, teaching strategies, education law, executive functioning, social skills, and medication. A well-known expert on attention deficit disorders and related conditions and the author of the highly acclaimed Teenagers with ADD and ADHD , Chris Dendy is encouraging to educators about the challenges of teaching and managing behavior, while reminding them that attention issues are due to problems in the brain that students can't control. Summaries fall into these important -The Basics of ADD & ADHD
-Academic and Learning Issues
-Executive Function and Organizational Skills
-Federal Laws
-Medication Issues
-Managing Behaviors
-Going the Extra Mile This comprehensive resource is an excellent tool for teachers and parents to use to pinpoint concrete ways to help their child or student be as successful as possible.

Genres: Nonfiction, Teaching, Parenting

376 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2011

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on the fence with this one, as it's more of a 3.5 than a true four. THe round up came from the very useful appendix of blank forms to be used as inventories and teaching/accommodation tools.

My issues with this book stem primarily from it being rather dated, and while the DSM-V has categorized ADD as a type of ADHD, but the book refers to ADD and ADHD separately without any updated discussion about diagnostic guidelines. For someone who already knows this, it's irksome, but if this were the first resource someone came to, and then wanted to use this book's material to converse with professionals (mental health, educators or pediatricians) it would definitely be a communication barrier.

There were also several troublesome lines about how most ADD/ADHD students are barely passing classes and that inferred to passing being the best we can hope for these kids/students, which as a teacher and a parent I find frankly concerning and somewhat offensive.

What's good about the book? The format is STELLAR. Short sections, chunked to be easily scanned if less pertinent or already familiar, but detailed enough to be instructive for areas lacking expertise. Even tho the book is VerY dated in many references, it will a be resource I come back to to refresh and analyze the enduring truths of ADD/ADHD.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it's a bit dated, I prefer this to How to Reach and Teach Children and Teens with ADD/ADHD. Each chapter is comprised of “summaries,” or outlines, which allow teachers to glean information quickly. Dendy is both passionate and knowledgeable about the subject. Cites her sources. Gives lots of specific, concrete suggestions.

[Dagny · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book was very helpful! The second half was awful. A lot of the information in the second half was dated, emphasized gender stereotypes (boys like sports, girls like to talk), and suggested ridiculous responsibilities on teachers (if a child is frequently late, help them organize their locker; if parents are skeptical of an ADHD diagnosis, help them through the greiving process of the diagnosis). I was able to pick up several tips for working with kids with ADHD in the first part of the book, which is why I kept reading it all the way to the end.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

One relevant part: identify, prioritize, order/schedule

[A.L. Stumo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really useful for teachers with a few students presenting symptoms of ADD and ADHD.

[Elizabeth Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for parents too.