Before heading right to the 50 Ways, Armstrong offers the reader five chapters filled with information, positive and negative, about ADD and medication, the whys and wherefores. He starts with reasons why he doesn't believe in A.D.D as a medical problem, treatable primarily by medication.

As he says in this review area, he is NOT saying ADD doesn't exist - he acknowledges that the problems we experience with our kids are real. What I believe he IS saying is that he doesn't believe the 'disease' diagnosed as A.D.D. is a medical problem only within the child, curable by medication.

He suggests that some of the problem may be cultural - we expect our children at the age of 6 to be able to sit quietly in a classroom setting - other cultures allow children more freedom, some offer less. Changes in our own "short attention span" culture may contribute to the A.D.D. behaviors, as do boring classroom set-ups, gender differences, different learning styles, parent-child dis-connections and so on.

He tells what is good, and not good about the pills - some of which may be the same as a placebo effect. When parents and teachers know the child is being medicated, they relax and that change of attitude has a positive effect on the child (I have seen this with my own child and his teachers).

He writes more about the negative effects of Ritalin (not Adderall) as perhaps stifling creativity and the dependency factor, although he is clear that there is no answer yet (however, both Ritalin and Adderall are controlled substances and many children do have negative 'withdrawal' effects). Despite his discussion on drugs, he says "Such drugs, used in the right way with the right individuals by responsible physicians, can significantly enhance the quality of life for many children." But he limits this to three situations - 1) several hyperactive children 2) children in the midst of a life-changing trauma (death in the family, for example) 3) a last resort.

After some 50 pages of this introduction, you get to the reason you bought the book - alternative solutions and they are good (whether or not your child is on medication). He starts with a checklist of things that may bother you about your child's behavior - each one checked off directs you to at least one chapter with possible solutions.

Examples include: Runny nose, itching, stomachache - go to Chapter 2 and look at the Feingold Diet, or Chapter 12 ideas to help alleviate what may be an allergy problem; play Nintendo for two or three hours at a time, go to Chapter 3 and consider limiting TV and video games or Chapter 36, giving your child access to a computer (he misses, on this one, his own Chapter #5, find out what really interests your child - the one I've found most effective - piano, riding lessons, reading, outside play with friends really are more appealing when encouraged by a parent!). Each of these chapters has information, which many of us have already read - but he also provides resources at the end of the chapter which I am finding helpful. And let me once again point out, he has 50 (5-0!) ideas neatly arranged in one book - I especially like that you can look at the list of your child's particular problems and go right to the chapter, rather than trying to read all the way through, cover to cover.

For those who believe that medication is a strong, necessary and large part of the solution, or for those who do not have the time, money or emotional resources to examine the "whys" of ADD, the first part of the book more of an annoyance than a help.

If so, I'd still encourage people to read this book, pages 61 - 257.

143 of 144 found the following review helpful:


Absolute must-read for all parents, the best I have read  May 20, 1999 By cschaefer@tesltd.com
As the parent of a child labeled ADHD and as someone who has spent the last 18 months researching this condition, I found this book to be the best I have come across yet. Unlike the first review listed here, I did not get the impression that this book blames bad parenting for the condition. It is touched upon early in the book as a probable cause of some of the behaviours, but it is definitely not what this whole book is about. Thomas Armstrong give us several very workable strategies that are more compatible with different learning styles. He does not swing too far to the left or right, but rather encourages us to stand back and use reason and understanding and not to be caught up in the opinions of the closed-minded disorder model. He does not totally condemn nor does he fully endorse the use of medication, again he shows us how to use reason to determine if and when medication should be used. Not only do his strategies work for these "labeled" children, but many of them are excellent strategies that we all could make use and would be of benefit to even "normal" children. I would highly recommend this book to all parents of children who have been saddled with the label of ADD/ADHD. This book should be mandatory reading for all teachers. It should be part of the program during teachers college.

79 of 80 found the following review helpful:


The best book about ADD on the market.  Feb 05, 1998 By Teresa Gallagher
I've read about 10 books on attention deficit disorder, including Driven to Distraction and most of the Thom Hartmann books. Out of all the books I've read, this is my favorite. The book is not quite as radical as it sounds; the author isn't saying that some kids aren't different or couldn't use intervention. What he's saying is that the "disorder" designation of ADD is not appropriate for most of the kids who get labeled as such. Yes, they're different, but there are lots of reasons why, including diet, learning styles, temperament, allergies, and normal heredity. The book is very practical. There is a questionnaire to answer about your child. For each "yes" answer you give, the author references one or two chapters which might be helpful to your specific child. I found these chapters on "tips" most helpful. For example, if your child seems to think best on his feet, there is a chapter which discusses how some kids perform better in school when they are allowed to move around during the lecture. He does not lump all ADD kids together, like most authors, but focuses on their individuality.

52 of 52 found the following review helpful:


50 great ideas for the non-ordinary child  Mar 02, 1997
Thomas Armstrong states his thesis very clearly in his preface as follows: "A.D.D. does not exist; these children are not disordered. They may have a different style of thinking, attending, and behaving, but it's the broader social and educational influences that create the disorder, not the children." He goes on to explain that the behaviors, difficulties, and learning shortfalls noted by parents and teachers do exist, but he believes there are better - though more demanding - solutions than a medical diagnosis and medication. (Note that he's not anti-Ritalin, having seen many dramatic success stories. He's just against a knee-jerk prescription of Ritalin for every child whose behavior and/or attention don't match our norms.)

Armstrong's list of alternatives to medication is eclectic and wide-ranging, taking in the controversial (try the Feingold anti-allergen diet - it can't hurt), the unarguable (help your child with organizational skills), and the novel (use incidental learning to teach.) He provides a quick quiz to help parents identify the most promising options for their child, and directs them to short, 3-4 page chapters describing each idea. Here are just a few chapter titles:

Provide a Balanced Breakfast
Limit Television and Video Games
Discover Your Child's Personal Learning Style
Use Color to Highlight Information
Give Instructions in Attention-Grabbing Ways
Spend Positive Times Together
Provide Your Child with Access to a Computer
Have Your Child Teach a Younger Child

This book is a lifesaver for those, like me, with a child who doesn't exactly fit any of the labels. I would expect it to be equally useful for those with a child who is 100%, obviously, dead-on ADD. Whether a child is a candidate for medication or not, parents and teachers owe it to that child to teach needed behavioral skills, enhance self-esteem, and identify the most productive learning environment. Highly recommended.

37 of 39 found the following review helpful:


Playing to strengths, not weaknesses  Apr 08, 2000 By Terrianne E. Mauro "temauro"
When you're dealing with an active kid, fresh ideas can be hardto come by, and finding 50 of them in one place is reason enough to celebrate. Some of these are more practicable than others--I've found that any idea that requires getting the school to do things differently is a hard idea to implement--but all are thought-provoking. If nothing else, it's nice, in these medicate-first-ask-questions-later times, to find someone taking behavior modification seriously, and turning our kids' imagination, exuberance, and energy to their advantage. END

See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com