From: hendricks@cdrom.enet.dec.com (Holly Hendricks)
Subject: Re: Attention Deficit Disorder Resources
Reply-To: hendricks@cdrom.enet.dec.com
Organization: DEC
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 21:43:11 GMT


Eric Lee Green  elg@buster.TX.US says

]Most libraries have this book.
]
]My opinion: It's tripe. Just something written by a professional with a
]vested interest in promoting the concept of "learning disabilities" to
]reassure people that we know what "learning disabilities" are and how to
]remediate them.
}
}Hint: very few things in that book have a backing in research. The entire
}book is mostly the personal opinion of Sally Smith rather than verifiable
}fact.

** I disagree with you about the book being "tripe".  It's certainly
not sufficient as the be-all end-all reference book on the subject 
for professionals in the field, but it doesn't claim to be.  To me
its value is in its readability, its anecdotal style, and its
accessibility to the large segment of the population that thought it
had no interest in this subject until it turned out to be a very
personal and painful problem that had to be dealt with.

**It was required reading in my LD class in grad school at Smith 
College because of its usefulness with this population.  For a 
layperson, I believe it to be an excellent *introduction* to the 
subject; obviously a professional researcher would want much more 
depth grounded in research.  Unfortunately, there are many 
classroom teachers out there with less background in LDs/ADD
than many parents who've had to become advocates for their kids.

**As an ADD/LD person myself who went on to do substantial grad
work in several fields, I also find the book valuable because it
presents the experience of the child or the LD person in the way that
a lay person can understand.  It describes much of my
experience as a child very well.  An ADD adolescent male whom I was 
working with read most of it, and gave it back to me with tears
in his eyes saying, "I didn't think anyone could understand what
life feels like to me.  I wish all the people I work with would
read this book."  I personally find this empathy an important starting
point for any of the techniques you describe; you may differ in this.

** I have found the book useful in helping to minimize the emotional
abuse (often well meaning) directed at LD kids.  I have seen parents
and teachers develop more compassion for what's going on inside
the kid, and as a result, develop more patience and experience less
frustration with the child.  One laissez-faire family I know learned 
a lot from the book about setting up a more structured and organized 
environment for their LD child, and found that predictable schedules,
expectations, and ways to organize the home cut way down on stresses
between the child and the rest of the family.

** You criticize Smith for sharing her opinions; I believe what she 
has shared are her first-hand observations.  I also believe she has 
succeeded in meeting her goal of creating an accessible _introduction_ 
to a difficult subject.

Holly

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   Holly Hendricks
   Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua NH 
   hendricks@cdrom.enet.dec.com
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Newsgroups: misc.kids