INTRODUCTION As recently as twenty years ago, the term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was virtually unheard of. It’s not that the malady wasn’t around; it’s just that the label hadn’t been coined back then. In the 1980’s, ADHD kids were the problem ones in school. They couldn’t pay attention in class, they were constantly disorganized, and recess was a time of joy for them. They were always being yelled at and reprimanded and felt frustrated 95 percent of the time they spent at school. This author was in grade school in the 1970’s. Having been diagnosed as a gifted child, school came easy to me. Unfortunately, so did boredom. That lack of activity manifested itself into a type of hyperactivity that these days would probably have been labeled as ADHD. But in the past decade, the amount of ADHD diagnoses has skyrocketed. It seems like every single classroom has at least one child on medication for ADHD. Adults are even being diagnosed with Adult ADHD. ADHD has gone from an obscure medical footnote to a household word in record time. Unfortunately, this disorder is largely misunderstood yet it is the most prevalent chronic health condition among school age children. Many parents who have children diagnosed with ADHD feel like failures as parents. They perceive their children as being less than perfect which can cause amazingly strong feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Misconceptions and preconceptions go along with this misinformation. Even though the disorder is constantly in the forefront of health and educational issues, a true understanding of what ADHD is and how to treat it fails to sink in with the average person. The causes of ADHD are not readily known and cannot be pigeonholed into a neat little container just as the behavior of an ADHD child cannot be labeled easily. All children are different – all children with ADHD are different. They react differently to situations, modifications, and medications. The bottom line is that ADHD does exist and it can wreak havoc on families, parents, educators, and others when it is left untreated. ADHD is frustrating, stressful, and can make even the most stoic person flustered. What are even scarier are the social implications that accompany a disorder like this. Consider the following: • 21 percent of teens with ADHD skip school repeatedly. • 35 percent eventually drop out of school. • ADD/ADHD children are much more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol. • ADD/ADHD children are more likely to get into accidents. • When ADD/ADHD kids don’t do well in school, their self-esteem drops and they are less likely to succeed as adults. The good news is that there are many coping strategies out there to help you deal with an ADHD child. Medication helps, but you must modify other things such as environment, schedule, and attitude in order to effectively deal with ADHD. This book will examine more closely those coping strategies. We’ll give you advice on how to maintain peace in your family and suggestions you can make to allow your child to help themselves. If you are an adult with ADHD, you’re in luck as well. We’ll examine this part of the disorder. We’ll identify certain behaviors that you can change and help you figure out ways to minimize this disorder in your life so you can live more normally than ever before! ADHD is here and it’s here to stay. The diagnosis isn’t a horrifying nightmare. It’s a step towards a better life for you, your child, and everyone around you!

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