Book Nook: What to Do About Your Troubled Child

 I recently had a chance to review the book What to Do About Your Troubled Child. While I'm not exactly a fan of the title itself, the book was worth the read.

I actually have two kids who, for the most part, wouldn't fit the description of "troubled" - at least, not all the time. But they do have distinct special needs. One is on the autism spectrum, the other has ADHD. There have definitely been some unique struggles I've had with them that I haven't always been able to find tips from my group of mom friends (their particular needs don't always come out in expected ways for a variety of reasons).

This book is designed to be a resource for parents who have kids with several different needs - ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder, OCD, Anxiety, and Autism. Many of these are things that may have become more apparent to families during the extended time together caused by Covid. Many of them also reside on a spectrum of severity, or have different signs in different kids.

One helpful feature this book has is a questionnaire to help families decide if they need a closer look at getting their children evaluated. It provides advice and strategies for families, whether or not their child has been formally diagnosed. While not everything in the relevant sections of the book applied to my kids, there were definitely some things I wish I had known earlier in our journey! And honestly, all the chapters are worth reading - there are sometimes overlaps between mental health issues, and the more tools you have to use, the better prepared you will be.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Laura J. Stevens, MSci,  received her master’s degree in nutrition science from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Since graduation, she has worked at Purdue as a researcher, investigating the relationship between diet and health disorders. Apart from her work at Purdue, Laura is the author of eight books on diet, behavior, and allergies. Laura lives with her amazing cats, Bentley and Seis, in Lafayette, Indiana.

Richard W. Walker, Jr., MD, MBA  received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and completed his residency at the University of Michigan. He earned his MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute. He has served on the faculty of the University of Texas Medical Center, and is the founder and CEO of Walker Health Care Holdings and TVP-Care, Houston-based national healthcare companies. In addition to being a published writer, Dr. Walker is a highly sought-after speaker.