When the Labels Don't Fit

One of the finest and most helpful books we have ever read . . . should be the first stop for any parent trying to help a struggling child. --Brock Eide and Fernette Eide, authors of The Mislabeled Child Finally, a positive approach designed around your child's traits and needs Many children do things that seem odd, troubling, or excessive at some point in their development, and our culture is quick to attach a label to every child who's outside the box or hard to raise. Again and again, studies document the explosion in the number of children receiving psychiatric diagnoses for being intense, moody, or offbeat. In this groundbreaking book, childhood development expert Barbara Probst provides a new framework for identifying the specific traits--like rigidity, curiosity, perfectionism, intensity, slow tempo, a need for novelty, or a need for control--that lie at the root of your child's challenging behavior. When the Labels Don't Fit features a questionnaire for profiling your child's temperament and more than sixty strategies for dealing with specific kinds of behavior. It's the first comprehensive system that's not based on figuring out what's wrong with your child, but on helping you tap into your child's strengths so you can manage, nurture, and enjoy his or her essential nature. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Review :
""When the Labels Don't Fit" marks the turning of the tide away from calling every difference a disorder. This guide will show you step by step how to stop the madness of labels gone bad. This is an incredible resource, and many families will be healed by it." --Dr. Lara Honos-Webb author of "The Gift of ADHD" "One of the finest and most helpful books we have ever read about helping a child whose behavior is causing concern or conflict. In this wise, humane, and deeply practical book, Barbara Probst leads us beyond the current obsession with labels and syndromes to remind us that the place to begin in helping a struggling child is not by deciding what that child has but discovering who that child is. In clear and concise language she provides an innovative framework for understanding a child's unique temperamental makeup and for distinguishing between individual differences and true disorders, then shares a wealth of practical ways to help children with different makeups and needs. "When the Labels Don't Fit "should be required reading for everyone who works with children--teachers, psychologists, clinicians--and the first stop for any parent trying to help a struggling child. We cannot possibly recommend it highly enough." --Brock Eide, M.D., M.A., and Fernette Eide M.D., authors of "The Mislabeled Child" "The parents of challenging children will be grateful for Barbara Probst's vision and rich store of knowledge. This is an exceptional book, packed with important information that helps make sense of children's widely varying temperaments and developmental pathways. In "When the Labels Don't Fit," Probst truly cuts a new pathway for parents." --Anita Lightburn, Ed.D., Professor Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service "In an era when children are too quickly labeled and mislabeled, this refreshing book is about understanding, not labeling; about guiding, not blaming; and about nurturing a child. Probst's approach is proactive and supportive. By considering and respecting the unique ways of your individual child, she helps you focus on working toward positive outcomes rather than punishment and frustration." --Tovah Klein, Ph.D. Director, Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and Developmental Advisor to Sesame Street "From the Trade Paperback edition."