ADHD Nation and A Boy Made of Blocks

ADHD Nation by Alan Schwarz is a fascinating look at the patterns of ADHD diagnosis and the [over]use of medication for treatment.  Schwarz is a New York Times award-winning author and he provides statistics and background on scientific studies as he crafts his argument about ADHD. Schwarz makes the content more accessible by profiling three individuals:

•  -- Keith Connors, a doctor who pioneered ADHD treatments like Ritalin but who now calls the many diagnoses "a national disaster of dangerous proportions";
•  -- Kristin Parber, [mis]diagnosed as a young girl, she reluctantly accepted medical treatment, later becoming an addict; and
• -- Jamison Monroe who faked symptoms in order to get prescriptions for Adderall.

ADHD Nation is a thoughtful exploration of a subject which impacts so many students. Throughout, Schwarz notes that ADHD is real, but that diagnoses are much higher than would be expected.  As his subtitle, (children, doctors, big pharma, and the making of an American epidemic) indicates, Schwarz has a point of view and a message to share.  This new non-fiction book will be of interest to both students and faculty.

For additional background, readers can consult online sources like those from the CDC which provided the graphic below showing the obvious regional patterns in diagnosing ADHD:

Here is another new title - a work of fiction which explores what it is like to be a parent of a child with autism.  A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart is the story of Alex, his wife, Jody, and their autistic 8 year-old son, Sam.  As the story begins, Alex and Jody are separating after a decade of marriage due to the many challenges of raising Sam.  I found A Boy Made of Blocks to be relatively easy to read, and I could definitely picture the scenes such as a trip to the park or the local café where Sam preferred certain established patterns of behavior or was badly frightened by an overly friendly dog.  However, I did not have much empathy for Alex who seemed quite distanced from his son and unable to accept the responsibilities of parenthood. I am still reading the book, though, and hoping that he and Sam manage to bond more fully over Minecraft and all of the creativity that game inspires.

Having raised two young children in England, I enjoyed the many British references in Stuart’s work (e.g., almost falling asleep in the nappy aisle at Waitrose), but am not sure that our students will be able to interpret them.  Although A Boy Made of Blocks is funny in places, I would frankly be more apt to first recommend a novel such as Its. Nice. Outside by local author Jim Kokoris or Riding the Bus with My Sister (a long time student non-fiction favorite).