What to Do About Your Troubled Child: A Practical Guide for All Parents at Their Wits’ End

Nutritionist Stevens (12 Effective Ways To Help Your ADD/ADHD Child) and physician Walker (Black Health Matters) deliver a solid guide aimed at helping parents who “realize that their child’s disruptive conduct is definitely not normal.” The book’s first section provides an overview of seven common disorders, with chapters dedicated to ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and common anxiety disorders. For each, readers will find questionnaires for children, a guide to evaluating responses, and a review of symptoms and risk factors. Section two digs into treatments to complement professional help, with an extensive look at exercise’s impact on the disorders (“Never use exercise as a punishment,” the authors warn); nutrition (an “elimination diet” can help determine if a child has food sensitivities); environmental factors (“Some children with ADHD are sensitive to things they breathe in or are exposed to”), and “helpful programs and devices” including video games “approved to treat inattentiveness and impulsivity.” The authors are equal parts matter-of-fact and comforting, notably reminding readers that seeking treatment is “nothing to be ashamed of.” Caregivers having a hard time dealing with kids’ behavior issues would do well to pick this up. (Sept.)