Alphabet Kids – From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome: A Guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals

June 10, 2010 | By In Health Tips |

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5 Comments so far

  1. L. Young on June 10th, 2010

    Alphabet Kids – From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome: A Guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals This book is a great resource book to have at your house. The discussed Pyschological, Neurobiological disorders, and discusses it in a context that is for the common layman. The book discusses Developemental guidelines for your children. This is a type of measurement to see if your child is on target, or if they may need some assistance. I feel every parent should have this book as a resource at home. L.Young RN
    Rating: 5 / 5

  2. Michael Gmirkin on June 10th, 2010

    This is a pretty interesting little book.

    Ever wonder what all mental-health, disability and other acronyms kids get labeled with mean (ASD, ADHD, CP, DS, etc.)? This book will tell you!

    This book goes straight down the alphabet of alphabets. It lists the common abbreviation (ADHD), and the expanded name (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), lists other abbreviations that might be mentioned in discussing the current item (ADD, etc.), and often gives a example story of the life and times of a child and/or family dealing with the particular disorder. It lists symptoms and considerations that may be associated with the disorder (irritable bowel, difficulty reading, difficulty establishing bonds with family or peers, intentional harm to self or others, hair pulling, skin picking, etc.), it offers prognosis for children with the particular disorder and treatment options, if any.

    This book seems like a good reference for parents or for professionals in the field. Of course, as it states up-front, it should not be used as a replacement for professional diagnosis and/or treatment. But it can be an excellent reference for trying to figure out what an issue might be or if an issue is already known it may be good for considering treatment, behavioral intervention options, etc.

    Not being a professional trained in the field, I don’t know how “complete” it is. But it seems to have a pretty wide range of diagnoses listed for each part of the alphabet.
    Rating: 4 / 5

  3. Angela Dyche on June 10th, 2010

    My copy of this book was an uncorrected proof, so please excuse me if a few things seem a bit off. (Uncorrected proofs can be different from the finished printed version.) Since so many people on this site have already explained what this book is, I am going to focus on why I didn’t think it was very good.

    I found this an interesting guide to different developmental, neurobiological and psychological disorders for kids from Autism to ADHD, anorexia, depression and everything in between.

    I had a couple of problems with this book. First, many of the disorders listed had the same symptoms, so how is a person supposed to figure out which disorder their child has? Many of the disorders have no definitive tests and have to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

    (This is not a very good book for teachers or doctors, but it might be a stepping stone for a parent who suspects their child has one of these common disorders and is not sure where to start to get help. However, much of this information can easily be found on the internet making this book all but obsolete.)

    My other issue with this book is its over-reliance on medication. Being ADHD myself and growing up with different medications as well as behavioral and home changes really did help me. However, medication was not the first option for me: it was a last resort; and we chose it as a part of my life in addition to lifestyle changes like being on a daily schedule. Medication should be the last thing a parent, teacher or doctor should resort to.

    This is a big book, and fairly expensive. With all the information that’s freely available, I can’t see anyone buying this book over looking online for information.

    Rating: 3 / 5

  4. Amber Gin on June 10th, 2010

    Alphabet Kids is a highly readable reference that deciphers the many diagnostic acronyms that are floating around our children today. Most conditions (acronyms) are explained in the following format:

    TERMS USED IN THIS CHAPTER – (Lists any abreviations and/or additional acronyms used in explaining the syndrome in question.)

    SOUND FAMILIAR? – A case study documenting the traits and behaviors present with the syndrome or diagnosis.

    DID YOU KNOW? – Additional information and insight (sometimes from the family, physician, therapist or child, himself) on the condition and treatment.

    HOW IT IS MANIFESTED – The etiology and progression of the disorder.

    BY THE NUMBERS – The rate at which the disorder/condition occurs in the population.

    SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS – Self-explanitory.

    TREATMENT – Types of treatment and/or therapy available.

    PROGNOSIS – What to expect as a life outcome of having the disorder/condition.

    SOURCES AND RESOURCES – A list of organizations, books, and Web sites for additional information gathering and support.

    This is a highly readable and interesting guide. I did find, however, that some of the case studies were not illustrative of someone who had been diagnosed with the condition.(i.e. NLD – Nonverbal Learning Disorder – case study is lifted from a 16 year-old’s blog and does not sound like a NLD affected child at all.)

    But all in all, Alphabet Kids is an easy to read reference and nice to have on hand if you have a general interest or work with a diverse population of children.

    Rating: 4 / 5

  5. TastyBabySyndrome on June 10th, 2010

    When I first ordered this book, I figured it would help explain the basics of specific disabilities to nonprofessionals without any practical experience. It has that look about it: the coffee table feel that says “show me to people” without overcomplicating matters. That is not meant as an insult, either, because buying this title does not mean you are trying to buy as DSM-IV. You are buying a primer of sorts, much like you would if you were watching a show on various disorders or you were getting explanations that provided an overview. When I got it I liked it as well because it helped me in a way I had not thought to address. A family member of mine has a disorder and I did not know a less-than-technical way to say what was wrong with her without making it sound (1) bad or (2) degrading to the person the explanation is given to. Now I can just flip the book open, show the chapter I want to show, and feel better for it.

    At the same time, I’m not certain this book has much more than the coffee table, picture book feel for disabilities. It leaves out LOTS of things when it comes to matters concerning what is involved, it lets some stereotypes stand because it simply does not address them, and it tries to become a catalog of sorts when it really does not have the firepower. In places I felt like it had taken too much of a matter and had tried to explain way too many subjects, leaving only pages on matters that require a lot more. This left me with an empty feeling in some places, with me hoping that I could have more answers here and there. Perhaps that is my fault as well, because I knew what type of book this is. Still, the title is a bit misleading – it sounds like it has the whole world in its hand and it certainly left a little bit of that behind.

    As far as the book goes, know what you are buying and you will be happy. I personally knew what I would get, had a little bit more in some places and a little less in others, but found that it did cover more disorders than I thought it would. There are pictures here, a number of them, and the explanations it gives are not too technical and do not require an ocean of knowledge. So, look at the book, think about how much you want to know on a specific issue, and then decide if this is for you. If you want something specific, buy something with more depth. If you want a book that hits technical issues, buy a DSM and see the scope of a pictureless world. If you want something for entertainment, explaining that kid at school to a child or that coworker a little better, this might help. It may also give you a better idea of just how massive a world can be.

    If this is for you, you probably already know it.

    Rating: 3 / 5

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