There is little doubt that ADHD is a 21st century, global phenomenon, nor that it is having a significant affect on the lives of children, parents and teachers worldwide.
Reasons for the growth in diagnoses of the condition are debatable and contentious. This edited collection unpicks the myths surrounding ADHD, and leaves no stone unturned in its search for answers. Whether ADHD has evolved because of the dominance of US psychiatric models, the need for new markets for major pharmaceutical companies, or because of the increasing use of the internet amongst parents and professionals, contributors to this book take a critical, highly international perspective on the topic and raise a number of concerns that are often not covered by material currently in the public domain.
In a world where moves to educational inclusion are paradoxically paralleled by ever increasing use of medication for children's behavior, this book scrutinizes current accepted practice and offers alternative perspectives and strategies for teachers and other educational professionals. Anyone with a professional or personal interest in ADHD and other behavioral difficulties cannot afford to ignore this book.

Recognizing the different levels and kinds of giftedness, this book provides an insight into the challenges and benefits specific to gifted children with attention difficulties. Explaining why certain children are gifted and how giftedness is manifested, each chapter on a specific topic addresses the relevance for children with AD/HD, autism and Asperger Syndrome. Lovecky guides parents and professionals through methods of diagnosis and advises on how best to nurture individual needs, positive behavior and relationships at home and at school.

 

If you have a gifted child, know that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The chances are very good that you are gifted, too. If you truly have a need for the wonderful information in this book, I suspect you will have little difficulty absorbing the concepts that will help you help your child.

 

Autism and Creativity is a stimulating study of male creativity and autism, arguing that a major genetic endowment is a prerequisite of genius, and that cultural and environmental factors are less significant than has often been claimed. Chapters on the diagnosis and psychology of autism set the scene for a detailed examination of a number of important historical figures. For example: * In the Indian mathematician Ramanujan, the classic traits of Asperger's syndrome are shown to have coexisted with an extraordinary level of creativity. * More unexpectedly, from the fields of philosophy, politics and literature, scrutiny of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Sir Keith Joseph, Eamon de Valera, Lewis Carroll and William Butler Yeats reveals classical autistic features. Autism and Creativity will prove fascinating reading not only for professionals and students in the field of Autism and Asperger's syndrome, but for anyone wanting to know how individuals presenting autistic features have on many occasions changed the way we understand society.

Psychopaths continue to be demonised by the media and estimates suggest that a disturbing percentage of the population has psychopathic tendencies. This timely and controversial new book summarises what we already know about psychopathy and antisocial behavior and puts forward a new case for its cause - with far-reaching implications.

 

- Presents the scientific facts of psychopathy and antisocial behavior.

- Addresses key questions, such as: What is psychopathy? Are there psychopaths amongst us? What is wrong with psychopaths? Is psychopathy due to nature or nurture? And can we treat psychopaths?
- Reveals the authors' ground-breaking research into whether an underlying abnormality in brain development leaves psychopaths with an inability to feel emotion or fear.
- The resulting theory could lead to early diagnosis and revolutionize the way society, the media and the state both views and contends with the psychopaths in our midst.

 

Loners describes a unique group of solitary children who were unable to adapt to the social and educational demands of school life. Wolff discusses the nature and origins of their difficulties and compares them with autism, Asperger's syndrome and schizoid/schizotypal personality disorders. Wolff illustrates her study with case histories of children and adults over a twenty year period, as well as with discusssions of the apparent eccentricities of some exceptional people who catch the public eye. The book shows the necessity of the clinical recognition of the syndrome.