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Other Reviews
"CREATIVE BRAINS: Gifted, Talented, Dyslexic" produced by the Southwest Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.
Reviewed by Dorothy Ungerleider
Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults by James T. Webb, Ph.D., Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., Nadia Webb, Psy.D., Jean Goerss, M.D., M.P.H., Paul Beljan, Psy.D., and F. Richard Olenchak, Ph.D., reviewed by Sandra Mosk, M.Ed., BCET, FAET
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon reviewed by Jeri I. Burzin, M.Ed.
When the Brain Can’t Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder by Teri James Bellis, Ph.D., reviewed by Susan Grama
Understanding Women with AD/HD edited by Kathleen G. Nadeau, PhD, and Patricia O. Quinn, M.D., reviewed by Cynthia Landes
Different Minds, Gifted Children with AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits by Deirdre V. Lovecky, and Jessica Kingsley, reviewed by Vicki Zale Berghoff
The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood’s Most Misunderstood Disorder by Papolos Demitri, M.D., and Janice Papolos, reviewed by Pamela McGranahan, Ed.D.
Book Review: Understanding Women with AD/HD
Understanding Women with AD/HD edited by Kathleen G. Nadeau, PhD and Patricia O. Quinn, M.D., Advantage Books, 2002; 468 pages; ISBN: 0966036646.
Reviewed by Cynthia Landes
Drs. Nadeau and Quinn have compiled a very interesting compendium of information about the realities of women who have AD/HD. Understanding Women with AD/HD is a collection of articles written by clinicians, researchers, academics, allied professionals and women with AD/HD. It is rare to find a book that can successfully combine research, clinical perspectives and personal experience, but the editors of this book have done so masterfully. In addition, they have included practical suggestions and strategies drawn from the expertise of professionals in the emerging fields of professional organizing and life coaching.
The book is divided into eight sections and can be read cover to cover or used as a reference resource. The first section, entitled “Diagnosis of AD/HD in Women,” gives the reader the opportunity to consider the implications of the current DSM-IV criteria for diagnosing AD/HD as well as a self-assessment symptom inventory. It is important to note that the self-assessment tool, while interesting, has not yet been normed and validated; however, it has been used extensively in clinical practice by Drs. Nadeau and Quinn. The authors make a valid case for the many discrepancies that exist between boys and men as compared to girls and women, specifically regarding the age of onset and type of symptoms of AD/HD. Hopefully, adequate and appropriate research will have been conducted and considered by the time the DSM-V is published.
The next two sections, “Medical Issues for Women with AD/HD” and “Non-medical Treatment for Women with AD/HD,” cover treatment regimens for women with AD/HD. Pharmacological interventions, including types of medication and dosages specific to women, the use of medication during pregnancy and the impact of hormones on AD/HD, are discussed. The non-medical treatments may be of particular interest to educational therapists. The appropriateness of psychotherapy and the usefulness of working with a professional organizer or life coach are described and discussed in detail. Additionally, professional boundaries (and the areas of potential overlap) are delineated and clarified. “Taking Charge of AD/HD,” the final chapter in section 3, is an excellent review of the many steps one may take to live a healthy and self-accepting life with a diagnosis of AD/HD. The content is excellent, however, the structure and flow of the book might have been better served if this chapter had been included with section five, “Support from the Environment.”
Section four, “Associated Disorders in Women with AD/HD,” discusses the conditions that most often co-exist in women with AD/HD. Ironically, the many of the co-morbid conditions—depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders, sleep disorders and learning disorders—are not unfamiliar to clinicians who diagnose and treat women. However, the authors suggest that while AD/HD often goes undiagnosed in women, the conditions described in this chapter may often have been exacerbated due to the failure to treat AD/HD. Fibromyalgia, a painful and often debilitating neurophysiological condition, is also reviewed in detail. This condition has been misunderstood and misdiagnosed for years; however, the current research shows that the same medication for AD/HD seems to effectively treat fibromyalgia as well.
“Support from the Environment,” section five, speaks to the necessary process of self-acceptance and the usefulness of surrounding oneself with understanding, compassionate people who are willing to see the positive side of AD/HD while simultaneously minimizing the negative side. There is also a very good chapter that enumerates the socio-cultural issues that impact women with AD/HD. This chapter is probably particularly important for friends and partners of the woman with AD/HD as it really helps to clarify how the typical role of women in contemporary western cultures is complicated by AD/HD.
Sections six and seven, “Life Stages for Women with AD/HD” and “Issues and Challenges for Women with AD/HD,” narrate some common life milestones and experiences for women, including the transition from dependence on parents, going to college, returning to college (later in life), parenthood, the single life, sexuality, intimacy and getting organized. These are probably the least academic sections, but for women with AD/HD, perhaps the most personally relevant.
The final section proposes many areas for future research including new diagnostic tools, new diagnostic criteria, gender differences in coexisting conditions, and gender appropriate treatment issues. Overall, this is a very useful book for clinicians and a very accessible book for women with AD/HD and their loved ones.