Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Lensch reviews traditional and current research in order to help educators deal with the ever-increasing challenges of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Through the development of a basic understanding of the cause(s), diagnosis, co-occurring disorders, and interventions, educators will be able to deal more effectively with students with AD/HD and to communicate better with other professionals and parents.

Paul Wender is a pioneer researcher and clinician who was one of the first to identify and treat children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and later to notice the same pattern of symptoms in the parents of these children. He has now thoroughly revised and updated his classic handbook on the subject, adding more case histories, expanding the section on adults, and outlining the new drug treatments that have appeared since the last edition. Reviewing what is known about ADHD, its symptoms, its life course, its etiology, the usefulness of various treatments, and the value to the patient of education about the disorder, Wender brings together a wealth of information not available in any other volume. A clinician who has treated patients with ADHD for many years, he offers compelling firsthand accounts from men and women who offer dramatic insight into what it feels like to have ADHD and how it responds to medical treatment. Combining the insights of his clinical practice with his innovative research on pharmacological treatments of psychiatric disorders, Wender offers a wealth of practical information on where to seek help, the kinds and reliability of diagnostic tests, and the different approaches to treatment. He also identifies the drug treatments that can dramatically reduce symptoms and, when necessary, render patients more amenable to treatment for any residual psychological symptoms. The classic work on this ailment, ADHD is an indispensable source of help, hope, and understanding for parents and adults who suspect that they or someone they care about may suffer from this much misunderstood disorder.

An integrated understanding of the causes of ADHD and a total approach to helping children

A number of emotional and behavioral conditions--including depression, Tourette's syndrome, bipolar disorder, and narcissism--have been viewed as predominantly adult disorders until recently. The author discusses these and other problems that afflict students enrolled in school, and gives guidance to the professionals who work with them.

The increasing focus on children's welfare has given rise to tremendous growth in the field of child psychology, and the past decade has witnessed significant advances in research in this area.

There was a time when abnormal child psychology was the stepchild of abnormal psychology, with perhaps one or two chapters in an entire advanced textbook devoted to children. Given the explosive amount of new research on child development in general since the 1980s, "stepchild" is obviously no longer a valid characterization. Indeed, in the last 15 years, many new journals devoted to childhood problems have made their appearance on library bookshelves. The first edition of this book was assembled in an effort to integrate the empirical and clinical literatures and show the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate student the breadth and depth of our existing knowledge about the disorders that manifest themselves early in development. Now, since its publication in 1995, a great deal more work has been done. This revised and expanded second edition includes much new material from the first edition authors and from several new ones, all respected experts in the field. Part I offers an overview. It outlines: *historical developments with documentation of the neglect and abuse that children suffered at the hands of society well into the 20th century; *developmental psychopathology as a theoretical framework to guide research and clinical efforts; *psychophysiological determinants of behavior, with special attention focused on childhood autism, and attention deficit and antisocial conduct disorders; *theoretical, methodological, and practical considerations involved in determining investigatory paths including sampling, design selection, measurement, data analysis, and pragmatics; and *the reactions of children, families, and society to complex and diverse child health problems. Part II addresses assessment and treatment issues. It discusses: *behavioral treatment of childhood disorders and multiple case examples of commonly used techniques; *new developments in pharmacological treatment and sound guidelines for the consideration of pharmacotherapy; and *formulations and a review of preventive interventions. Part III examines specific disorders of childhood and adolescence. It discusses: *anxiety disorders, affective and mood disorders, mental retardation, autism, specific developmental disorders, conduct disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and eating disorders; *psychological aspects of pediatric disorders--interventions tailored to the needs of the child and family to maximize adaptation and recovery; and *substance use disorders--ranging from models emphasizing social influences to those focusing on biological vulnerabilities. Each chapter in Part III has an identical structure--clinical description, causes, course, familial contributions, psychological and genetic influences, current treatments, summary--and includes numerous case illustrations.

In recent years the escalating costs of health care have caused managed care programs to shift the delivery of pediatric psychological services away from specialized medical centers and into primary care and school settings. One result has been a radical expansion of school psychology into issues of clinical intervention, health promotion, and the assessment of psychotropic medications. School psychologists are now expected to either deliver or (more likely) to provide consultation regarding a wide variety of pediatric psychological services. Because this is a recent phenomenon, very few school-based psychologists or allied health practitioners (school counselors and social workers) have received training in pediatric psychology. The mission of this book is to provide them with a comprehensive and authoritative guide to their newly acquired responsibilities in such areas as psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, health promotion, and prevention of disease. This book is appropriate for anyone concerned with issues of pediatric psychology in school settings: school psychologists, pediatric psychologists, clinical child psychologists, as well as pediatricians and child psychiatrists.

This handbook provides a comprehensive discussion of the key elements which should be part of any successful programme tailored to the needs of children with diagnosable mental, behavioural, or emotional disorders. The overall goal of the book is to provide an overview of the psychological services available to children and adolescents in school and services community settings. The book is divided into five parts: "Framing the Issues," "Delivering Psychological Services in Diverse Settings," "Preventive Interventions," "Treatments with Specific Populations," and "System-Level Consultation."

The Handbook of Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Mental Health Assessment brings together for the first time, leading clinical researchers to provide empirically based recommendations for assessment of social-emotional and behaviour problems and disorders in the earliest years. Each author presents state-of-the-art information on scientifically valid, developmentally based clinical assessments and makes recommendations based on the integration of developmental theory,empirical findings, and clinical experience.Though the field of mental health assessment in infants and young children lags behind work with older children and adults, recent scientific advances, including new measures and diagnostic approaches, have led to dramatic growth in the field. The editors of this exciting new work have assembled an extraordinary collection of chapters that thoroughly discuss the conceptualizations of dysfunction in infants and young children, current and new diagnostic criteria, and such specific disorders assensory modulation dysfunction, sleep disorders, eating and feeding disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and ADHD. Chapters further highlight the importance of incorporating contextual factors such as parent-child relationship functioning andcultural background into the assessment process to increase the validity of findings.Given the comprehensiveness of this groundbreaking volume in reviewing conceptual, methodological, and research advances on early identification, diagnosis and clinical assessment of disorders in this young age group, it will be an ideal resource for teachers, researchers, and a wide variety of clinicians including child psychologists, child psychiatrists, early intervention providers, early special educators, social workers, family physicians and paediatricians.

The human brain is, without doubt, the most complex organ ever evolved. But why did our ancestors grow such large and energetically "expensive" brains? Recent studies suggest that many brain functions evolved in primates and early humans due to the necessity to cope with an increasingly complex social environment. This ability, the so-called "social brain," confers advantages. For example, social cleverness and aptitude enhance an individual's chances of social success. "Behaviour reading," of facial expressions, gestures and vocalisations, allows us to anticipate or foresee how others might respond or act which has obvious advantages. In addition, apes and humans evolved the cognitive capacity of reading other's minds, commonly referred to as having a "theory of mind". Despite their advantages, such complex brain functions also have disadvantages. For example, it takes years or - in the case of human beings - a decade or more to acquire all the social knowledge, strategies, and rules indispensable for effectively managing social demands. Moreover, there are a number of psychiatric disorders in which the ontogenetic development, the correct application, o r the preservation of social cognitive capacities during an individual's lifetime have gone "awry". Autism, ADHD, focal damage in certain brain regions, endogenous psychoses, personality disorders, and dementia, share the common feature of compromised social functioning in the affected individual. This book provides a concise overview of the evolution, development, and pathology of the human social brain and explores the psychiatric disorders that can result when that social brain is impaired. Integrates several key disciplines involved in the understanding of the human brain, how it evolved, its role in social interaction and psychiatric disorders. Appeals across a range of disciplines from psychiatry and neuropsychiatry to basic neuroscience and evolutionary biology. Brings together the latest research from eminent international rese