A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults Insights

The must-read analysis of the key insights from "A New Understanding of ADHD in Children and Adults" by Thomas E. Brown — presented by Athena.

Contrary to popular belief, ADHD isn’t a behavioral issue — and it’s not simply due to lack of willpower. Instead it’s a cognitive disorder that’s linked to impairments in the brain’s management system.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex syndrome that generates much disagreement, starting with its definition. For decades, ADHD has been defined as a behavioral disorder, but clinical psychologist Thomas E. Brown breaks from diagnostic tradition by arguing that it’s a developmental disorder of the brain’s executive functions.

In addition to exploring and explaining this new model, Brown also debunks 35 myths about ADHD (by which he means ADD either with or without hyperactivity) and offers a new working definition, integrating recent clinical, epidemiological, and neuroscientific research.

Brown has intimate knowledge of ADHD. He runs the Brown ADHD Clinic in Southern California and teaches at USC, having moved to the West Coast after teaching at Yale for 25 years. He’s written 30 papers and 5 books on ADHD and developed diagnostic scales for both children and adults.

Presenting both a thorough and accessible summary of recent scientific research, this book, published in 2013, is a comprehensive resource for parents and clinicians, teachers and patients.