If your child has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, you will likely be devoting a lot of time educating yourself about ADHD. It is equally important for your child to understand what the diagnosis means. Even if they are very young, there are ways to help a child grasp what ADHD is so that there is not a cloud of mystery hanging over the diagnosis.
Overview
Certainly, as a parent, you will want to sit with the child, explain ADHD in a way that they can comprehend, and answer as many questions as possible so that your child doesn’t feel either bad or abnormal.
Books can help. Many of the best titles provide children an age-appropriate storyline they can identify with, while others offer games and puzzles that can teach the child important skills. Even as a child gets older and progresses from adolescence to the early teens, there are books that can help the child cope with the ever-changing demands of living with ADHD.
Books for Children
The following are books that you can share with your child to help them understand what a diagnosis of ADHD means:
If your child is very young, you will want to read and discuss the book together. If your child is older and prefers to read alone, take time to read the book in advance so that you can discuss the book later together.
50 Activities and Games for Children With ADHDPatricia O. Quinn
A Walk in the Rain with a BrainEdward Hallowell
Attention Girls! A Guide to Learn All About Your AD/HDPatricia O. Quinn
Baxter Turns Down His Buzz: A Story for Little Kids About ADHD James M. Foley and Shirley Ng-Benitez
Cory Stories: A Kid’s Book About Living with ADHDJeanne Krauss and Whitney Martin
Eukee the Jumpy Jumpy ElephantClifford Corman and Esther Trevino
Help4ADD@High School: The Book You’ll Want to Read, Even If Your Mom Bought It For You!Kathleen G. Nadeau
Hi, It’s Me! I Have ADHDKatelyn Mabry
I Can Do That: A Book on Self-Regulation (Can Do Kids Series)Kayla J. W. Marnach
I Can’t Sit Still! Living with ADHDPam Pollack, Meg Belviso, and Marta Fabrega
I Have Bees in My Brain: A Child’s View of InattentivenessTrish Hammond
I Would If I Could: A Teenager’s Guide to ADHD/HyperactivityMichael Gordon
Joey Pigza Loses ControlJack Gantos
Jumpin’ Johnny Get Back to Work! A Child’s Guide to ADHD/HyperactivityMichael Gordon
Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About ADHD Kathleen G. Nadeau
Marvin’s Monster Diary: ADHD Attacks! (But I Rock It, Big Time)Raun Melmed, Annette Sexton, and Jeff Harvey
Otto Learns About His Medicine: A Story About Medication for Children with ADHD Matthew Galvin
Putting on the Brakes: Activity Book for Young People with ADHDPatricia O. Quinn, Judith M. Stern, and Neil Russell
Putting on the Brakes: Young People’s Guide to Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderPatricia O. Quinn and Judith M. Stern
Shelley, the Hyperactive TurtleDeborah M. Moss
Sparky’s Excellent Misadventures: My ADD JournalPhyllis Carpenter
Super Emotions! A Book for Children with ADD/ADHDLionel Lowy
The ADHD Workbook for Kids: Helping Children Gain Self-Confidence, Social Skills, and Self-ControlLaurence E. Shapiro
The Adventures of Phoebe Flower: That’s What Kids Are ForBarbara Roberts
The Girls’ Guide to ADHD: Don’t Lose This Book!Beth Walker
The Survival Guide for Kids with ADD or ADHDJohn F. Taylor
Understanding My Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderKara T. Tamanini
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