Instead of prescribing stimulants, the author suggests doctors consider these other diagnosis instead: vision and hearing problems, various psychiatric disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome, sensory integration disorder and fragile X. While he is very critical of the DMS's treatment of ADHD, he feels it works fine to diagnose Tourette's, bipolar disorder and depression in kids. Towards the end, he briefly goes into other causes, like prematurity. At the very end, he suggests that sometimes, this is just a stage and coping therapies are the best bet. He does not think there's enough evidence to show sugar and/or artificial additives cause a spike in ADHD symptoms. And he does not even address the theory that Gluten sensitivity could play a role in decreasing focus.
I found this an informative overview of the history and treatment of ADHD, and the mainstream medical advice was helpful.
I'm glad to see your review of this, as I'm considering ordering this book. Nice to see that it's informative and helpful!
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