Live on KUCI 88.9fm 9/25 at 9:00am pst, Janeane chats with Dr. Thomas Armstrong about his latest book, The Myth of the ADHD Child, Revised Edition 101 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion.

KUCI: Get the Funk Out

The MYTH OF THE ADHD CHILD by Dr. Thomas Armstrong who is a strong objector to the controversial ADD/ADHD diagnosis. Here are some topics, he will be discussing: Why Medicating Kids to Make Them Behave is Not a Very Good Idea Reason #1 for America’s ADHD Epidemic: We Don’t Let Kids Be Kids Anymore – ADHD presents a question of brain maturation, not a neurological disorder, so a child’s age relative to their classroom plays largely into the ADHD diagnosis. At the same time, we’re expecting children to do things they are not developmentally ready for. Reason #3 for America’s ADHD Epidemic: We Disempower Our Kids at School – Boring classrooms may be causing ADHD symptoms and thus fueling the sale of “bad schooling practices adaptation drugs.” Reason #7: Too Many People Have a Vested Economic Interest in Seeing It Continue – Dr. Armstrong takes a look at some of the underlying relationships and complex financial forces at work to feed the ADHD diagnosis. Strategy #1: Let Your Child Fidget – schools are beginning to recognize the benefits of fidgeting and are building it into the school day. Forget fidget spinners! Try everyday objects like a tennis ball, clay, pipe cleaners, or a string of beads that a child can safely and quietly manipulate while they work. October is often recognized as ADHD Awareness Month! "At a time when ADHD and the medications used to treat it are growing by leaps and bounds, Thomas Armstrong asks parents to think critically about the ADHD diagnosis, to value the uniqueness of their children’s different rhythms of learning, attending, and behaving, and to appreciate and use the wide range of non-drug strategies that are out there to help their kids prosper in school and flourish in life." - Michele Borba, Ed.D., author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, Building Moral Intelligence, and UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World "Thomas Armstrong, author of a pioneering series of books on neurodiversity, offers practical alternatives for parents who want to enable their ADHD-diagnosed children to tap the natural strengths of their atypical minds, manage stress, and express their creative intelligence without relying solely on medication. An inspiring guide to helping your kids live up to their fullest potential."- Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity