32 p., Free Spirit, 2013. When you have trouble paying attention to things in your everyday life, it’s hard to do what’s expected of you. Sam has a wonderful imagination, and tends to pay more attention to the adventures he invents than to getting ready for school on time or doing schoolwork. His dad, his teacher, and people in general are always telling him to focus. Sam feels frustrated and sad, and doubts his own abilities. Knowing that Sam’s abilities are strong, his dad takes him to a doctor. The doctor tells Sam that he has a powerful brain that needs good care; for example, adequate sleep and a non-distracting place for his desk. (She also tells him to reduce his junk food intake and to eat “super foods” daily. It seems to me that this isn’t likely to be harmful, although my reading of the literature suggests that the role of nutrition in attention problems has not been well established). Medication isn’t mentioned. Sam’s doctor also encourages him to use his imagination. Sam works hard to do as his doctor has suggested, but sometimes it’s still hard to pay attention, and people still tell him to focus. But he persists, and eventually, with continued effort, although he isn’t perfect, he’s able to do well in daily activities and in school. He also continues to enjoy his imagination. Illustrated with charming, upbeat drawings, this story offers empathy and support to children who struggle with attention. Ages 4-8
Showing posts with label doctor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doctor. Show all posts
Cory Stories by Jeanne Kraus
Illustrated by Whitney Martin.32 p., Magination, 2005. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comes with many struggles. Cory describes these: feeling wiggly, getting overexcited, speaking before he thinks, having difficulty explaining his ideas, having a hard time thinking about anything for as long as other kids do, forgetting to do chores and homework - in spite of his best efforts - being disorganized, losing things, clumsiness, sloppy work, having trouble making friends, having kids inexplicably make fun of him, and being picked last for sports teams. These problems come with a lot of feelings for Cory: his is angry, frustrated, sad, hurt, and embarrassed. His parents take him to a psychiatrist who diagnoses ADHD. Cory is relieved to have a reason for the ways that he feels, and relieved that because ADHD is common, he isn't so different from other kids. The psychiatrist prescribes medication and recommends psychotherapy with someone Cory refers to as a "talking doctor," who helps him feel to better about himself and to make better choices. With the help of his parents, teacher, and therapist, Cory learns new things to do to help with the difficulties he has. He learns to appreciate his strengths. His teacher tells his parents that his schoolwork and behavior are improving. Cory feels proud and optimistic. There is an afterword for parents that helps them understand ADHD and gives good ideas for ways to address it with kids. Illustrated with energetic black-and-white drawings, this story offers empathy and optimism to kids who have ADHD. Ages 6-11