Resources

Websites

Legend:

*    especially useful for parents
#    especially useful for teachers
+    contains materials for kids and teens

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
A website that works to promote an understanding of mental illnesses and remove the stigma associated with them; advance efforts in prevention of mental illnesses, and assure proper treatment and access to services for children and adolescents.

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
Information on eating disorders and assists individuals and their families on finding resources and providing referrals to professionals.

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders CHADD National Office
Education, advocacy and support for individuals with AD/HD.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
A leading patient-directed national organization focusing on the most prevalent mental illnesses. The organization fosters an environment of understanding about the impact and management of these life-threatening illnesses by providing up-to-date, scientifically-based tools and information written in language the general public can understand.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)*
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families

Mental Health America (MHA) the country’s oldest mental health education and advocacy group. Website has good educational materials .

Families for Depression Awareness *
Click here to be taken directly to Teen Depression Statistics and click on the ‘fact sheet’ for some great information to keep on hand!

*# The Social/emotional portion of this website is especially helpful in understanding the normal social/emotional development of children, and in managing common concerns.

Dr. Richard O’Conner’s website for his book, Undoing Depression. Insightful and practical. Especially useful for those dealing with depression. *#

Child Mind Institute, a wonderful resource for parents and educators.

Wil Wheaton Comes Out Unashamed of His Chronic Depression Wil Wheaton comes out to talk about how he struggled with depression despite his “ideal” life. *#

Books

 *How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish, 1999.

This book that will provide insight on what you need to be more effective with your children–and more supportive of yourself.

 *Parenting Children With ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach (APA Lifetools). Vincent Monastra, Ph.D., 2004.
The author presents a series of ten lessons that are essential for promoting the success of kids with ADHD. In simple language, he explains the causes of ADHD and how nutrition, medication and certain therapeutic procedures can improve attention, concentration, and behavioral control.

*When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: A Step-By-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers. Abigail H. Natenshon, 1999.
Explains to parents and other adults who care about youth how to intervene when they suspect their child has an eating disorder. The book shows how to recognize, confront and conquer the disorder, presenting it as a disease that can be treated successfully.

#*What to Do When Your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Strategies and Solutions. Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., Aureen. 2002.
This book covers the essential facts about OCD, its diagnosis, causes and treatments. It also provides strategies for the challenges of OCD and offers an approach to helping children through school issues.

*+Beyond the Blues: A Workbook to Help Teens Overcome Depression. Lisa M. Schab, 2008.
The activities in Beyond the Blues can help you cope with sad and difficult feelings, find new ways to make friends, and deal with conflicts.

*The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children Against Depression and Build Lifelong Resilience. Martin E.P. Seligman, 2007.
Seligman shows adults how to teach children the skills of optimism that can help them combat depression, achieve more on the playing field and at school, and improve their physical health.

*Out of Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder. Carol Stock Kranowitz, 2006.
This book explains sensory processing disorder, how to recognize the symptoms, and how to help those affected. It includes recent research on vision and hearing deficits, motor skill problems, nutrition and picky eaters, ADHA, autism, and other related disorders.

*When to Worry: How to Tell if Your Teen Needs Help – and What to Do About it. Lisa Melanie Boesky, 2007.

Helps parents distinguish typical teenage behaviors from those that merit concern. Walks parents through steps they can take to help troubled teens before it’s too late.

#The School Services Sourcebook: A Guide for School-Based Professionals,Edited by Cynthia Franklin, Mary Beth Harris and Paula Allen-Meares

This comprehensive sourcebook covers every aspect of school service delivery, arming practitioners with the nuts and bolts of evidence-based practice. Each chapter has been specifically crafted by leaders in their fields with the ultimate goal of giving school-based practitioners the tools they need to deliver the best mental health and social services possible to students, families, and communities.

#Teaching Kids with Mental Health and Learning Disorders in the Regular Classroom: How to Recognize, Understand, and Help Challenged (and Challenging) Students Succeed
Myles L. Cooley, 2007.
This book describes mental health and learning disorders often observed in school children, explains how each might be exhibited in the classroom and offers expert suggestions on what to do and not do.

#How to Talk So Kids Can Learn: What Every Parent and Teacher Needs to Know, Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish, 1996.
Faber & Mazlish give parents and teachers suggestions on how to help children handle the everyday problems that interfere with learning.

+Daylight:A True Story of Childhood Schizophrenia.

+Yesterday’s Blue:  A Story About Childhood Depression.

Both books by Cynthia Kaufman-Rose  & Daniel-James F. Clark tenderly introduce young children to these illnesses with beautiful illustrations by Cynthia Kaufman-Rose.