World Famous Comics: Nadia E. Webb Misdiagnosis And Dual Diagnoses Of Gifted Children And Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, And Other Disorders
Nadia E. Webb Misdiagnosis And Dual Diagnoses Of Gifted Children And Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, And Other Disorders
Product Description: Our brightest, most creative children and adults are often being misdiagnosed with behavioral and emotional disorders such as ADHD, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Bipolar, OCD, or Aspergers. Many receive unneeded medication and inappropriate counseling as a result.
Physicians, psychologist, and counselors are unaware of characteristics of gifted children and adults that mimic pathological diagnoses. Six nationally prominent health care professionals describe ways parents and professionals can distinguish between gifted behaviors and pathological behaviors.
Features include a Foreword by Ronald E. Fox, Psy.D., Ph.D., Past President of the American Psychological Association, and:
Written for parents and professionals Characteristics of gifted children and adults Diagnoses most commonly given to gifted children and adults Traits of diagnoses incorrectly given to gifted children and adults Guidelines to avoid mislabeling gifted children Parent-child relationship problems Issues for gifted adults Advice for selecting a counselor or health care professional
"Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults" has been endorsed by three past presidents of the American Psychological Association, two neurologists, and two family practice physicians.
A Must-Have! ^ I loooooove this book! I borrowed it from my daughter's Gifted and Talented teacher after suggested that there might be more to my daughter than I was seeing. I cannot say enough good things about this book! It has helped me find specific things that relate to my daughter and has been extremely helpful. Even if you don't need it, give it to an adult who has a child with a diagnosis, a diagnosis of their own, or even if you have friends who have a diagnosis (I have a friend who is Bi-polar and this would have really helped me years ago to better understand her.)
I really found hope from the real-life SHORT stories from other parents. Each section tells you how it is "similar" to Gifted and also how it is "incompatible". After I read the section on Sleep Disorders I was able to have a conversation with my son's doctor and I really felt that I knew what I was talking about. This is a must have!
Each section is clearly labeled and easy to read. I can always find what I am looking for and quickly understand it!
Valuable resource for navigating this challenging area ^ Gifted children (and adults) face many challenges in school and society, which serve their needs poorly. One of these challenges is misdiagnosis, with giftedness being confused with some psychological disorders.
This book is organized for the clinician who is looking to make or confirm a diagnosis. The emphasis is on the characteristics of gifted children that resemble diagnostic criteria of certain disorders (notably ADHD, bipolar disorder, OCD, Asperger's, and depression). It's not organized to help steer a parent to a diagnosis, though there's a chapter for parents trying to find a good health care provider. However, if a parent is concerned about a particular possible diagnosis, this book would help her discuss the issues with a clinician.
Within its intended scope, the book is very helpful. Indeed, I would be concerned if a mental health practitioner treated a gifted child did not have it on the bookshelf. If you are a parent of a gifted child who is having problems that bring you to a clinician, you will want this book.
Stepping outside that narrow focus, however, the book was frustrating for me. The book is very concerned about assigning labels (diagnoses) and not treatment strategies for behavioral problems. However, some treatment options are the same across several disorders, a fact that may make a precise diagnosis superfluous. I was also struck by the imprecision of the field - - many disorders require (say), "four of the following seven characteristics, and at least two of these other three characteristics." Many of the diagnostic criteria are defined in terms of "often does X." Well, "often" is pretty imprecise to begin with, and I doubt that the criteria ABEF are really the same problem as a child presenting with, say, BCFG. Clearly, there's a lot that professionals don't know, and all parents and patients, gifted or not, should be cautious of any clinician who seems too certain about things. The field of psychology as presented here seems to want a degree of precision that it doesn't have, and which (in light of my comments above) it may not need.
That larger question aside, this layman found the book very useful for its intended purpose, and perhaps more thought-provoking that the others intended.
Excellent and path-breaking ^ It's silly to complain that a book didn't exist in 1965 instead of 2005. It was written when it was written, and I'm deeply grateful it exists. But let me just sigh: if *only* this book had existed in 1965...!
Better late than never--far better. Reading this book has been a liberation. I don't know whether you'll read page after page with electrical shocks of self-recognition, but I bet you're at least likely to recognize someone you know or love. You may come away from this book a much better parent, friend, spouse, teacher, pastor or therapist. You may even find your own journey replenished with joy.
The book is fairly technical, and makes frequent reference to such standard works as the DSM. Its approach is serious, and it is not for those who want a self-help or affirmation book. For those who can appreciate it, it helps and affirms in an extraordinary way.
The temptation to get autobiographical is strong--but this is only a review of a book, so I'll resist. This book has affirmed me as few others ever have.
I strongly recommend this book to any gifted adult who suspects he's not crazy after all; to any parent who is perplexed by behavior or statements from a bright child; and to any mental health professional who is tempted to try to hammer yet another square peg into a round hole.
Church leaders, too, could make good use of a book that will certainly challenge their notion of inclusivity--and their noted tendency to re-define "gift" so as to promote conformity.
Five stars.
Best way to avoid being misdiagnosed is to be informed ^ The causes of misdiagnosis are varied. They range from financial limitations, where the patients cannot afford state-of-the-art lab tests to accurately identify the source of illness, to malpractices where doctors misdiagnose diseases due to ignorance and incompetence. Perhaps the most common source of misdiagnosis is the lack of effective patient-doctor communications. Most patients generally have little medical knowledge on the diseases associated with their symptoms. As a consequence, patients are not prepared to ask inquisitive questions when visiting doctor's office. Doctor's initial diagnoses are often passively accepted without questions and challenges. In the absence of critical discussions, the doctors are easily induced to complacency. The rate of misdiagnosis rises accordingly.
Best way to avoid being misdiagnosed is to be informed. One must play a more active role in our own healthcare. [...]
Required reading for parents and professionals working with the gifted ^ As a mother of five profoundly gifted children, I have found answers in this book that simply don't exist elsewhere. Many trips to several doctors and labs were incapable of diagnosing reactive hypoglycemia, of which all my kids suffer. It was like Dr. Webb had hidden a camera in my house when writing chapter 8 on this condition and the information was of vital importance to my family. For parents of children of advanced intellectual development, it is imperative to understand that the unique social, emotional, educational and physiological needs of these children are NOT part of the required coursework to obtain a license as an educator, psychologist, or physician. As gifted children, especially boys of IQ 140+ are at high risk for misdiagnosis of ADHD and many other maladies when their true nature and needs are neglected, this book will give you much needed backup to effectively understand and advocate their cause.
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