Dr. Mark Bertin, a board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician, studied at the UCLA School of Medicine and completed his training in general pediatrics at Oakland Children’s Hospital in California. Dr. Bertin is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College. Dr. Bertin is a frequent lecturer for parents, teachers and professionals on topics related to child development including autistic spectrum disorders, ADHD and parenting. Dr. Bertin is the author of The Family ADHD Solution: A Scientific Approach to Maximizing Your Child’s Attention While Minimizing Parents’ Stress. His “Child Development Central” blog can be found on the websites of Psychology Today and Education Update. His website is www.developmentaldoctor.com.

What drew you to helping parents of children with ADHD, not just their children?

It’s hard to address everything going on with ADHD if you only look at an individual who has it; it affects the whole family. Parents are often stressed, confused, or overwhelmed trying to manage children with ADHD. When they began to understand ADHD and feel more in control, everything gets better at home.

In The Family ADHD Solution you mention that if a child has been diagnosed with ADHD, there’s a good chance that at least one of parents may have ADHD as well. What parenting issues are more common in a family where both the parent and the child have ADHD?

Continue reading…