Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 






What can I do to help my child?

Don’t wait for a diagnosis—start addressing your child’s symptoms today

Regularly get up and get moving with your child

Establish structure and consistent daily routines at home

Learn how your child’s diet can affect ADHD symptoms

Ensure your child gets enough restful sleep

Talk to your child’s teachers about managing symptoms at school

Seek face-to-face support from family and friends


Children with ADHD may be:

Inattentive, but not hyperactive or impulsive.

Hyperactive and impulsive, but able to pay attention.

Inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive (the most common form of ADHD).

Children who only have inattentive symptoms of ADHD are often overlooked, since they’re not disruptive. However, the symptoms of inattention have consequences: getting in hot water with parents and teachers for not following directions; underperforming in school; or clashing with other kids over not playing by the rules.







Symptoms of inattention in children:

Has trouble staying focused; is easily distracted or gets bored with a task before it’s completed

Appears not to listen when spoken to

Has difficulty remembering things and following instructions; doesn’t pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes

Has trouble staying organized, planning ahead, and finishing projects
Frequently loses or misplaces homework, books, toys, or other items






Symptoms of hyperactivity in children:

Constantly fidgets and squirms

Has difficulty sitting still, playing quietly, or relaxing

Moves around constantly, often runs or climbs inappropriately

Talks excessively

May have a quick temper or “short fuse” 






Symptoms of impulsivity in children:

Acts without thinking

Guesses, rather than taking time to solve a problem or blurts out answers in class without waiting to be called on or hear the whole question

Intrudes on other people’s conversations or games

Often interrupts others; says the wrong thing at the wrong time

Inability to keep powerful emotions in check, resulting in angry outbursts or temper tantrums










ADHD Books For Children 

Learning To Slow Down & Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About ADHD

This third edition of reflects changes in understanding of ADHD and in our approach to its treatment.. While the majority of what's written about ADHD emphasizes behaviors that bother adults, this book emphasises those aspects of ADHD that are troublesome to the children, trying to look at the world more from their point of view.


Marvin's Monster Diary: ADHD Attacks!

Meet Marvin, a lovable monster wit

Meet Marvin, a lovable monster with a twelve-string baby fang guitar, a rambunctious case of ADHD, and a diary to record it all. His teachers scold him, his parents don't know what to do with him, and his sister is convinced he was raised by triple-tailed monkeys. In short, Marvin's life is feeling out of control until a secret formula changes everything.


The Survival Guide for Kids with ADHD

What are ADHD? What does it mean to have ADHD? How can kids diagnosed with ADHD help themselves succeed in school, get along better at home, and form healthy, enjoyable relationships with peers? In kid-friendly language and a format that welcomes reluctant and easily distracted readers, this book helps kids know they’re not alone and offers practical strategies for taking care of oneself, modifying behavior, enjoying school, having fun, and dealing with doctors, counselors, and medication. Includes real-life scenarios, quizzes, and a special message for parents.


My Whirling Twirling Motor
Charlie feels like he has a whirling, twirling motor running inside him all the time and sometimes he just can’t settle. When his mom wants to talk to him, he figures he’s in trouble…but she has a surprise for him instead! Includes a Note to Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers with more information on ADHD, behavior management, and helping children focus on the positives.

The ADHD Workbook for Kids: Helping Children Gain Self-Confidence, Social Skills, and Self-Control (Instant Help)
All kids with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) want to manage their symptoms in order to get along better with others, build confidence, and succeed in school, but most don't have the skills they need to get their impulsive behavior under control. The ADHD Workbook for Kids offers a simple way to help children with ADHD learn these critical skills in just ten minutes a day.

Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets

ADD / ADHD? Creative Thinking? Mover and Shaker? David doesn't know how he ends up in such situations. At the time, it just seems like a great idea. His teacher, Mrs. Gorski, has had about enough; he can tell by the way her voice changes when she speaks to him. This time, he believes that he has come up with the best idea yet. The perfect plan to make everything better.    

Putting on the Brakes Activity Book for Kids with Add or ADHD

This guide is packed with useful and empowering lessons/skills kids can apply to and implement in their daily lives. It shows kids all of the ways they can take control of their AD/HD - the Activity Book teaches them that they have choices that can immensely improve their everyday life.

Baxter Turns Down His Buzz: A Story for Little Kids About ADHD
Written for children ages 4 to 8 with ADHD and impulsiveness, Baxter Turns Down His Buzz is the story of a high-energy rabbit who learns to control his activity level. His uncle Barnaby guides Baxter through the steps necessary to "turn down his buzz" through behavioral strategies like mindfulness, progressive relaxation, and visualization, rather than medication.

Ellie, The ADHD SuperGirl: ADHD Book for Children
Yes, that is correct, 35 years I’ve taught math, but no one can blame me that I don’t know what is ADHD, that I haven’t experienced ADHD, that I haven’t worked with ADHD, that I didn’t love those children, the ADHD children.I spoke with them, I listened to them, using any possible and creative way. I made their studying easier day after day, I accepted them as they are, unconditionally.Today, I have two ADHD granddaughters. One of them, Hailey, is already dealing with school challenges, and I give her better tools on how to deal with it. The other, Ellie, is only in kindergarten.Hailey, Ellie, This book is dedicated to you, as well as to all other parents and children fighting ADHD.

Thriving with ADHD Workbook for Kids: 60 Fun Activities to Help Children Self-Regulate, Focus, and Succeed
For millions of kids who live with ADHD, feelings of loneliness, frustration, and helplessness are all too common. Thriving with ADHD is a workbook specially designed to helps kids with ADHD develop essential skills for managing their ADHD symptoms, while also providing a powerful message of hope and encouragement for their future.

In Thriving with ADHD family therapist Kelli Miller draws upon both her professional expertise, as well as her experience as the mother of two ADHD children, to help kids reframe the way they think about ADHD and discover that they have special talents that are unique to them. With fun activities that engage their busy minds, Thriving with ADHD offers kids a better understanding of themselves, their ADHD, and the simple things they can do to feel more confident and in control.

What Were You Thinking?: Learning to Control Your Impulses (Executive Function)Help kids learn self-control and reduce disruptive behaviors.
Third-grader Braden loves to be the center of attention. His comic genius, as he sees it, causes his friends to look at him in awe.
But some poor decision-making, like ill-timed jokes in class and an impulsive reaction during gym that left a classmate teary-eyed and crumpled on the floor, forces the adults in Braden's life to teach him about impulse control. But will the lessons shared by his teachers and his mom really help Braden manage his impulses?
Part of the Executive FUNction series by author and school counselor Bryan Smith.

Entertaining book to help kids develop friendships, control emotions and improve their manners. 

My Brain Needs Glasses: ADHD explained to kids
I’ll tell you a secret about me: ever since I was little, I’ve had a tendency to get “spaced out.” My ideas jump around like popcorn. It ’s hard to keep my concentration when my thoughts a re banging a round in my head like bumper cars…
Tom is eight years old and coping with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Through his imaginary journal, he shares his daily life with readers, helping young people, as well as parents and other caregivers, to better understand and cope with ADHD. Tom is endearing, and his journal is funny and imaginative. It brings his reality to life, with all its challenge —challenges that are anything but imaginary. Packed with effective tips and practical advice for coping with ADHD, this book is an indispensable tool that will answer plenty of questions, regardless of your age!

Journal of an ADHD Kid: The Good, the Bad, and the Useful
For kids with ADHD, reading Journal of an ADHD Kid is a chance to get to know themselves (and their diagnosis) much better! Toby, the narrator, relates his experiences coping with life as an ADHD kid in an authentic kid's voice that is sometimes funny, sometimes exasperated, sometimes proud, illustrating the range of emotions that kids with ADHD/ADD feel.

The book provides information in a frank, upbeat, conversational manner and offers thought-provoking questions designed to help readers recognize how ADHD/ADD affects them and then come up with better ideas for handling difficult situations in their own lives.

The Survival Guide for Kids With Behavior Challenges: How to Make Good Choices and Stay Out of Trouble
This survival guide provides up-to-date information, practical strategies, and sound advice for kids with diagnosed behavioral disorders (BD, ED, EBD) and those with general behavior problems. Kids learn to make smarter choices, make and keep friends, get along with teachers, take responsibility for their actions, work toward positive change, and enjoy the results of their better behavior. 

Thriving with ADHD Workbook for Teens: Improve Focus, Get Organized, and Succeed
Does it feel hard to stay organized sometimes? Do homework assignments sneak up on you? Having ADHD can feel overwhelming―but it doesn’t have to.

Thriving with ADHD Workbook for Teens gives you the tools to understand how ADHD works within your body, and actionable ways that you can use it to your advantage. Learn about some of your untapped strengths and see how you can channel your newly identified talents at school, in sports, and with friends.





Books For Adults living with ADD/ADHD & Parents




Taking Charge of ADHD, Third Edition: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents

From distinguished researcher/clinician Russell A. Barkley, this treasured parent resource gives you the science-based information you need about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its treatment. It also presents a proven eight-step behavior management plan specifically designed for 6- to 18-year-olds with ADHD. 

Raising Boys with ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Healthy, Happy Sons


Written by two professionals who have "been there and done that" with their own sons with ADHD, "Raising Boys With ADHD" empowers parents to help their sons with ADHD find success in school and beyond. The book covers topics not often found in other parenting guides such as the preschool years and early diagnosis and strategies for teens transitioning to work and college. Filled with practical knowledge, resources, and tools needed to help parents address the many strengths and challenges of boys with ADHD, this book provides parents with encouragement and hope for the future.

Mindful Parenting for ADHD: A Guide to Cultivating Calm, Reducing Stress, and Helping Children Thrive
If you are a parent of a child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you probably face many unique daily challenges. Kids with ADHD are often inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive, since ADHD affects all of self-management and self-regulation. As a result, you might become chronically frustrated or stressed out, which makes caring for ADHD that much harder. In this book, a developmental pediatrician presents a proven-effective program for helping both you and your child with ADHD stay cool and collected while remaining flexible, resilient, and mindful.

If you are a parent, caregiver, or mental health professional, this book provides a valuable guide.


Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Monastra has treated more than 15,000 clients who have ADHD. In this indispensable book he shares the knowledge he has gained. Engaging and straightforward, the book is directed at parents of children who have, or might have, ADHD. In a conversational style, Monastra offers a series of sequential lessons, beginning with the causes of ADHD and the most common medical treatments. He discusses all the relevant issues for parents, including psychological treatment, diet, educational laws, and practical coping strategies for both parents and children.

The Autism & ADHD Diet: A Step-by-Step Guide to Hope and Healing by Living Gluten Free and Casein Free (GFCF) and Other Interventions                               
This is what parents are saying about an amazing diet that is showing extraordinary results in helping children eliminate many traits and symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, celiac disease, and other conditions. The Gluten-Free, Casein-Free (GFCF) Diet, as well as removing all artificial dyes and preservatives, is hugely effective for thousands of families. 

The ADD & ADHD Answer Book: Professional Answers to 275 of the Top Questions Parents Ask ADD and ADHD are estimated to affect at least 3 to 7 percent of school-age children and the amount of information available on the subject can be overwhelming, confusing and oftentimes, conflicting. The ADD & ADHD Answer Book is a reassuring, authoritative reference for you and your family, providing sound advice and immediate answers to your most pressing questions. The book also includes questionnaires and checklists to help you get the most out of your child's evaluation.


Raising Girls with ADHD: Secrets for Parenting Healthy, Happy Daughters
Although an increasing number of girls are diagnosed with ADHD every year, most of the focus of parent and teacher interventions has been on boys, leaving girls with ADHD frustrated and prone to acting out. Written by two professionals who have "been there and done that" with their own children with ADHD, Raising Girls with ADHD provides expert information to empower parents to make decisions about identification, treatment options, behavioral strategies, personal/social adjustment, educational impact, and many other issues from preschool through high school. 


Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial “executive skills”--the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. Learn easy-to-follow steps to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses, use activities and techniques proven to boost specific skills, and problem-solve daily routines. Small changes can add up to big improvements--this empowering book shows how.

Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD That Restores Attention, Minimizes Hyperactivity, and Helps Eliminate Drug Side Effects
Dr. James Greenblatt has seen thousands of children and adults struggling with the symptoms of ADHD – hyperactivity, inattentiveness, impulsiveness, and often irritability and combativeness. Rather than simply prescribing medication for their ADHD symptoms, he tailors remedies to his patients’ individual needs, detecting and treating the underlying causes of the disorder. Finally Focused provides proven natural and medical methods to easily treat problems such as nutritional deficiencies or excesses, dysbiosis (a microbial imbalance inside the body), sleeping difficulties, and food allergies, all of which surprisingly can cause or worsen the symptoms of ADHD.

The ADHD Effect on Marriage: Understand and Rebuild Your Relationship in Six Steps
Awarded "Best Psychology Book of 2010" by ForeWord Reviews, this book is an invaluable resource for couples in which one of the partners suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  It authoritatively guides couples in troubled marriages towards an understanding and appreciation for the struggles and triumphs of a relationship affected by ADHD, and to look at the disorder in a more positive and less disruptive way. Going beyond traditional marriage counseling which can often discount the influence of ADHD, this straight-forward discussion offers advice from the author's personal experience and years of research and identifies patterns of behavior that can hurt marriages.
Focused: ADHD & ADD Parenting Strategies for Children with Attention Deficit Disorder
Written by an expert with over 15 years of experience in treating adult ADHD and ADHD in children, Focused offers essential information to empower parents and provide immediate assistance. Learn to uncover your child's considerable strengths and work around their obstacles with concrete, actionable strategies that improve executive functioning, support emotional development, and promote positive behavior.

The ADHD and Autism Nutritional Supplement Handbook: The Cutting-Edge Biomedical Approach to Treating the Underlying Deficiencies and Symptoms of ADHD and Autism
More than 90 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD or autism have nutritional or metabolic inefficiencies. Find out if your child is one of those suffering from this condition today, and learn how you can drastically improve your child's symptoms and wellbeing with The ADHD and Autism Nutritional Supplement Handbook. Through their proven, symptom-by-symptom treatment method, you'll learn exactly what regimens work best in helping your child's brain and body thrive, resulting in improved behavior, attention, mood, language, cognition, and social interaction. 

Understanding Girls with ADHD: How They Feel and Why They Do What They Do
In this expanded and updated book, Kathleen Nadeau, Ellen Littman, and Patricia Quinn rise to the occasion and deliver a comprehensive, up-to-date, and readable book that illuminates the complexity of ADHD in girls and women, both across the lifespan and across multiple domains of life (e.g.
home, school, the workplace, close relationships). Blending clinical examples, case material, and a masterful synthesis of research findings around the world, the authors reveal the roots of ADHD in females during the preschool years, also summarizing relevant causal factors, and display the highly individualized journeys through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood that these girls and women face. The book's latter chapters make use of the information on ADHD and development and provide a synthesis of the kinds of treatment strategies needed to intervene with the complex issues faced by girls and families who struggle with ADHD.

100 Questions & Answers About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Women and Girls
If you are a woman who has been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or the parent of a girl with the condition, this book offers help. 100 Questions & Answers About Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Women and Girls provides authoritative, practical answers to common questions about this disorder. Written by a renowned ADHD specialist, this book presents important information about common symptoms, the diagnosis process, management, and sources of support for women and girls with ADHD. An invaluable resource, this book provides the necessary tools for anyone coping with the emotional turmoil caused by ADHD.

What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life
You’ve read all the expert advice, but despite countless efforts to help your child cope better and stay on track, you’re still struggling with everyday issues like homework, chores, getting to soccer practice on time, and simply getting along without pushback and power struggles.
What if you could work with your child, motivating and engaging them in the process, to create positive change once and for all? Based on more than 25 years of experience counseling young people and their families, Dr. Saline’s advice and real-world examples reveal how parents can shift the dynamic and truly help kids succeed.

The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, Updated and Revised: The Ultimate Guide to the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet
The best “kid-friendly” recipes and guide to the gluten-free, milk-free diet for ADHD and autism just got better. In addition to updates on new research and findings, readers will find recommendations from the authors for packing school lunches and snacks, plus 100 brand new recipes!

One of the challenges that parents face is coping with children who have picky appetites and crave the very foods that affect their behavior, focus, and development. The other challenge is finding ways to get their children to eat healthy foods and improve their nutritional status. The uniqueness of this book is that it not only provides gluten-free milk-free substitutes and recipes, it provides successful suggestions for feeding the picky eater. 

ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments and Skills for Children and Teens
The most comprehensive ADHD resource available! This practical workbook gives you the most effective, and proven, non-medication treatment approaches and skills.
Step-by-step instructions on tailoring psychotherapy to ADHD
ADHD-friendly parenting skills
Techniques for emotional and behavioral regulation
Skills for organizing time, space and activity
Mindfulness skills

Downloadable handouts, exercises, activities and resources














DISCLAIMER: I am not an Occupational Therapist. I am an adult who has Sensory Processing Disorder, a sensory parent and a Grandma. The information on this website is not medical advice and does not replace the information that your child's therapists give you. These are just ideas and information that I have learned myself over the years of being a parent and an adult living with SPD. If you are concerned for your child, please always seek medical attention through a family doctor, pediatrician or therapist. This website is for suggestions and informational purposes only. Each child is different and what works for one child may not for another because all children have different needs. Please always consult with a professional.

Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links on my website.  Each of your purchases through links on my website for Amazon affiliation links or sponsored links supports me but at no additional cost to you so thank you for your purchases. I appreciate it so much!