Making ADHD a Gift: Teaching Superman How to Fly [Paperback]

How you teach children about ADHD could set the tone for the rest of their lives. You'll have to paint an honest picture of the condition but also be very positive .... Talk to them about their favorite superhero.... Bring up the fact that each superhero has different abilities.... Then explain that people in real life are a lot like superheroes-everybody has different abilities.... The super abilities of kids with ADHD include having a lot of energy and being able to run around a lot without getting tired. They can also be very creative and intelligent. The purpose of school and IEPs is to get children with ADHD to control and utilize their super abilities for "The Good"... You are teaching Superman how to fly (p. 97).

This is the gift of this book. Robert E. Cimera is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh who was diagnosed with ADHD-C as an adult. He views ADHD as a positive ability. Each chapter begins with a chapter outline; a case study, illustrating elements that will be addressed in the chapter; questions for consideration, for understanding the case study; and a discussion of underlying elements, concerns and strategies. The information is conveyed in a conversational style suitable for the layperson or student educator.

In the first chapter he gives an overview of definitions and diagnoses of the four types of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): ADHD-I (Inattentive), ADHD-HI (Hyperactive-Impulsive), ADHD-C (Combined), ADHD-NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). This information serves as a basis for understanding the case studies and discussions that follow. Each chapter gently carries the reader through a critical thinking process of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

In the chapters that follow, the author covers the topics of: inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, social skills, educational programs, and strategies for ADHD children, adolescents and adults. Cimera also has the reader consider the possibility of other conditions or situations that could mistakenly be diagnosed as ADHD. The last chapter contains resources for individuals with ADHD and resources for their teachers and parents. It includes booklists, periodicals, videotapes, contact information for organizations and support groups and an annotated list of Internet sites. Most of the materials had imprints from the early nineties and late eighties. Only one of the websites mentioned was not currently accessible. The website annotations were quite pertinent to their content with the exception of the U.S. Department of Education site, which has been drastically revised since the publication of this book. Although there is a very detailed table of contents, there is no index. The addition of an index would have been useful.

Overall, Cimera provides a positive, supportive and informative voice on the subject of ADHD. I found the examples of students and their goals (pp.130-131) especially illuminating in exploding my own preconceived attitudes toward ADHD. Special education students, classroom teachers, parents and adult individuals with ADHD could find valuable information and insights in this book. It provides an accessible introduction to the condition and provides the reader with the educational, environmental and behavioral accommodations and strategies that can help ADHD students, their parents, teachers and classmates create supportive scaffolding for success...