The Attention Zone

First published in 1998. The professional diagnosis of ADHD can often be alarming and worrisome for parents who are trying to cope with their child's behavior problems. The Attention Zone: A Parents' Guide to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is an accessible and practical book that provides parents with facts, advice, and guidance on raising children with ADHD: It covers such basic concerns as the causes and symptoms of ADHD; the effects of ADHD on families; school and home management; and psychological and medical treatments. n a special chapter the author attempts to address some of the most commonly asked questions regarding ADHD and medical therapy. Parents play a variety of roles in their child's life, as confidante, teacher, friend, disciplinarian, and manager, and for parents of children with ADHD it is essential for these roles to be assumed with consistency and energy 24 hours a day. This book is written by an experienced pediatrician, who has worked with many families in understanding and developing successful interventions and is intended to offer support and guid­ance for parents and children in dealing with the everyday reality of ADHD. In addition, the author stresses the importance of involving children and students in their own treatment, with the belief that every child or adolescent diagnosed with ADHD can benefit to a significant degree by their own active participation in an appropriate treatment plan. The Attention Zone includes diaries and forms for a family to use together in the privacy of their own home as well as a carefully selected resource list of books and videotapes for adults, teenagers, and children.

Michael W. Cohen, M.D., is a behavioral pediatrician with 30 years of experience in General and Behavioral Pediatrics. He is director of the Attention Disorder Center in Tucson, Arizona, and has been a pediatric edu­cator at the University of Arizona College of Medicine where he is currently a clinical professor of Pediatrics.