I am a fixer by nature. When my son, Ricochet, was first diagnosed with ADHD in 2008, I hit the books and the internet and read obsessively, looking for ways to help him. While my consumption of books on ADHD and learning disabilities has slowed a bit, I am still always up for a good read to help me understand my boy better. When I was offered a review copy of James Forgan and Mary Anne Richey’s latest, The Impulsive, Disorganized Child, I did a little happy dance — executive functioning deficits is Ricochet’s biggest hurdle right now and I was happy to amass as many strategies as I possibly could.

You wouldn’t believe how many dog-eared pages, underlined and circled passages, and notes in the margin I added to my copy, and I couldn’t begin to count. There are even a few pages with “Yes! Yes! Yes!” written in the margins. This passage is one of them:

“Just as children with executive functioning problems might have trouble shifting their thinking to other areas, they might also have that same difficulty letting go of negative emotions. Once they develop anxiety about a situation, they might stay in that frame of mind much longer than is healthy.”

Yes! That so perfectly describes the behavior Ricochet has been getting in trouble at school for all year. His thoughts (and emotions) get stuck. Instead of trying to understand his nuances, his school chooses to label the behavior defiance and avoidance. Argh!

If his school hadn’t already asked me to stop sending teachers articles about Ricochet’s differences (yep, they actually did that), I would buy a few copies of The Impulsive, Disorganized Child and gift them to the school.

Whether you know a lot about executive functioning deficits, or have never even heard the term, this book is for you. The authors list what each piece of executive functioning looks like in the classroom, community, and at home, and then offers practical solutions to address that specific need. They even have lists for teachers.

I seriously love this book. I wish they’d written it sooner. I will reference it again and again to help Ricochet. Get your copy today!

 

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