Understanding the impact of ADHD on our young people, schools and society.
Dr Brenton Prosser
RRP $26.95 paperback 224 pages
‘We should not only be asking how our kids with ADHD are failing society, but also how society is failing these kids.’ So writes Dr Brenton Prosser, author of this significant new book on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
ADHD: Who’s failing who? aims to help parents, teachers, educational advisers and health professionals make informed decisions about how they can support children with ADHD. Dr Brenton Prosser, a research fellow in education, investigates the recent boom in ADHD diagnosis and the rise in drug treatments to ponder how an obscure medical diagnosis has become a well-known popular phenomenon.
He proposes that if we ask only medical questions about ADHD, we will get only medical answers– and more drug treatment. Dr Prosser therefore examines the educational and social dimensionsof ADHD as well. In this way, the book offers a compassionate, balanced and holistic approach tounderstanding the disorder and helps us comprehend the impact of ADHD on our young people,our schools and society.
This ground-breaking book provides a new view of ADHD as well as awealth of advice and practical ideas.This book includes:
• an examination of myths and facts about ADHD;
• first-hand comments from teenagers with ADHD about their experiences at school;
• practical advice for parents; and
• a valuable section outlining 100 handy hints for teachers.
About the author
Dr Brenton Prosser, a specialist in ADHD for more than 10 years, broke new ground with his doctoral project by interviewing secondary students with ADHD about their school experiences. Previously he worked as a coordinator of a respite program for children with challenging behaviours (including ADHD), a secondary school teacher and a media/policy adviser. He is now a lecturer and research fellow with the Education Faculty of the University of South Australia, where he supports
teachers working with students in Adelaide’s northern urban fringe. His research on ADHD has been published internationally and won several national awards.
Dr Brenton Prosser writes:
‘W
e need to accept that some of our children are physically different in such a way that they fail at school and work (because of a social preference for certain behaviour). As a community we need to decide how we will respond to that failure. I believe that leaving these challenges for doctors and drug prescribers to solve is effectively “drugging and shrugging”. We need to meet our collective responsibility to these young people and their families.
‘After my research, including many interviews with children with the disorder, and their families, it became clear that there was a need for more social answers about ADHD. Questions such as:
• What factors in a child’s environment might contribute to the disorder or make it worse?
• How does the ADHD label influence a child?
• How does ADHD affect the way children see themselves and the way others see them?
• What does ADHD tell us about us, the society that sticks on the label?...
‘If you’re considering medication for a child with ADHD, perhaps the most useful question for parents should be: is medication your first or last resort? Few parents in my study knew that there were any treatments available other than medication. This is a real concern, given that medication isn’t meant to be the frontline approach for ADHD, but just one part of a broader approach tailored to the needs of the child. This approach could include not just medical support, but psychological, educational and even family support.’
Specifications
Publication 8 May 2006 RRP $26.95 paperback 224 pages ISBN 9781876451714
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