Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently experience co-occurring problems with aggression, mood swings, tics, anxiety, or depression. Organized around detailed case presentations, this highly informative book helps the clinician make sound decisions when assessing and treating the full range of ADHD comorbidities. Experienced child psychiatrist Steven Pliszka offers straightforward guidance on how to navigate diagnostic challenges, develop an individualized medication regimen, minimize health risks and side effects, collaborate successfully with parents, and tailor psychosocial treatments to each family's needs. A reproducible structured interview facilitates sorting out symptoms and distinguishing between different comorbid disorders.

Reviews

"Over 80% of children and adults with ADHD manifest at least one coexisting psychiatric, developmental, or learning disorder, which may alter the clinical presentation of ADHD and affect treatment response. This book is therefore an exceptionally welcome addition to the literature. Pliszka is an internationally recognized expert on the clinical management of ADHD. Staying close to the science of the disorder, on which thousands of research studies have been published, he guides the reader through the thicket of potential comorbid disorders, their differential diagnosis, their impact on adaptive functioning, and their implications for tailoring a package of treatments for each individual case."
-Russell A. Barkley, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina and State University of New York Upstate Medical University at Syracuse

"This book is a true gem. Synthesizing diagnostic, etiological, and treatment research on ADHD and comorbid disorders, Pliszka provides a concise yet sophisticated summary of up-to-date findings. I especially appreciate the clinical case material in every chapter. The cases resonate with the challenges and dilemmas that clinicians face and show how a master clinician carefully brings to bear an evidence-based approach to state-of-the-art patient care. The book also addresses a number of controversies related to ADHD and helps us find perspective. Pliszka's balanced blend of the best psychosocial and medication treatment approaches will make this book of keen interest to a broad audience, including child psychiatrists, pediatricians, psychologists, social workers, and students of child behavior and intervention."
-James T. McCracken, MD, Professor and Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute

"Clinically focused, case centered, and comprehensive in scope. Drawing on his years of experience as a child and adolescent psychiatrist and researcher, Pliszka has written a book that is firmly grounded in the scientific literature and presents much practical information for the clinician. The many case vignettes illustrating the complexities of clinical work with youngsters with ADHD are especially useful. For ADHD researchers, the book provides an indispensable, up-to-date review of the field. Students in psychology, social work, and psychiatry will find much of value in this lucidly written book."
-Daniel F. Connor, MD, Lockean Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry; Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine

"This book offers a rich clinical source of useful information about what is currently known about children and adolescents suffering from comorbid ADHD. Pliszka's gripping prose and clinical wisdom are impressive and delightful, especially for those of us dealing with vexing therapeutic challenges."
-Laurence L. Greenhill, MD, Ruane Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York

Contents

• Overview of Comorbid Disorders in ADHD
• Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorders
• Impulsive Aggression
• Bipolar Disorder
• Depressive Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Tic and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
• Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Appendix IB: Child and Adolescent Clinician Interview

Appendix II: Brief Update on Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology