Help Is On the Way : A Child's Book About ADD by Marc Nemiroff and Jane Annunziata

Illustrated by Margaret Scott. 64 p., Magination, 1998 When you have an attention disorder, many things are difficult, but there are lots of kinds of help. This book explains the difficulties kids can have with an attention disorder or hyperactivity (which the authors refer to collectively as ADD): having trouble staying still, maintaining attention, acting or speaking before thinking, having trouble attending to others' feelings, disorganization, or memory problems. The authors acknowledge the frustration, anger, and sadness that can result from ADD, as well as feelings of low self-confidence and social isolation. In brief, age-appropriate ways, they describe the kinds of help that parents, teachers, tutors, pediatricians, psychologists, psychotherapists, and neurologists can provide, as well as noting that medicine is helpful for some children. They explicitly reassure kids that they are not to blame for having ADD, and that when they make use of the help that's available, they will feel better about themselves and do better at home and at school. They also name some of the benefits of ADD (for example, high energy and creative ideas). An afterword for parents and caregivers explains more about the nature of attention and hyperactivity disorders (including the important point that not all ADD-like behaviors are in fact due to ADD) and provides helpful ideas about ways to support the child who has ADD. With its reassuring illustrations and gentle, informative text, this book will help children and parents understand and manage attention and hyperactivity disorders. Ages 5-9

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