Living with ADHD can feel overwhelming at times, especially when it comes to focus, organization, and managing daily responsibilities. Many people search for practical tools they can use outside of counseling, and ADHD self-help books can be a helpful place to start. The books below offer strategies for improving attention, building structure, and better understanding how ADHD impacts daily life.
These resources are designed to support both individuals and parents looking for ADHD tools and techniques they can apply in real life. While books can provide helpful insight, counseling can offer more personalized support. At Journey to Hope Counseling in Huntsville, AL, ADHD counseling focuses on practical strategies to help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.
Adults
Fidget to Focus
4.5 Stars (67 ratings) on Amazon
Roland Rotz
Full of tips and strategies collected over years of shared experiences, Fidget to Focus is a gold mine of information and sometimes surprising, sometimes heart-warming stories about how to stay focused and on track, even when tasks are dull, tedious, and boring.
Healing ADD Revised Edition: The Breakthrough Program that Allows You to See and Heal the 7 Types of ADD
4.6 Stars (1,680 ratings) on Amazon
Daniel Amen, M.D.
Dr. Amen describes the 7 different ADD types and provides recommendations on treatment.
Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder
4.8 Stars (2,557 ratings) on Amazon
Gabor Mate, M.D.
Gabor Maté is a revered physician who specializes in neurology, psychiatry and psychology – and himself has ADD. With wisdom gained through years of medical practice and research, Scattered Minds is a must-read for parents – and for anyone interested how experiences in infancy shape the biology and psychology of the human brain.
Children & Teens
ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments and Skills for Children & Teens
4.6 Stars (179 ratings) on Amazon
Debra Burdick
Step-by-step instructions on tailoring psychotherapy to ADHD
ADHD-friendly parenting skills
Techniques for emotional and behavioral regulation
Skills for organizing time, space and activity
Mindfulness skills
Downloadable handouts, exercises, activities and resources
Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD That Restores Attention, Minimizes Hyperactivity, and Helps Eliminate Drug Side Effects
4.7 Stars (641 ratings) on Amazon
James Greenblatt M.D.
Dr. James Greenblatt has seen thousands of children and adults struggling with the symptoms of ADHD—hyperactivity, inattentiveness, impulsiveness, and often irritability and combativeness. To really heal, the ADHD child needs personalized treatment to correct the biologic imbalances that affect the brain and trigger symptoms. Rather than simply prescribing medication, Dr. Greenblatt tailors remedies to his ADHD patients’ individual needs, detecting and treating the underlying causes of the disorder.
Finally Focused provides a comprehensive solution to the ADHD patient’s unique biochemical imbalances using proven natural and medical methods to easily treat problems such as nutritional deficiencies or excesses, dysbiosis (a microbial imbalance inside the body), sleeping difficulties, and food allergies—all of which surprisingly can cause or worsen the symptoms of ADHD. Dr. Greenblatt’s effective Plus-Minus Healing Plan allows parents to understand the reasons behind their child’s symptoms and provides customizable tools to eliminate them. Adults with ADHD can do the same. And if conventional medication is still necessary, this integrative approach will minimize or even eliminate troublesome side effects.
Oppositional, Defiant & Disruptive Children and Adolescents: Non-Medication Appoaches for the Most Challenging ODD Behaviors
4.5 Stars (336 ratings) on Amazon
Scott Walls
Non-medication approaches to ODD, ADHD, anxiety, mood and disruptive disorders
Smart but Scattered Teens: The “Executive Skills” Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential
Richard Guare, PhD, Peg Dawson EdD & Colin Guare
If you’re the parent of a “smart but scattered” teen, trying to help him or her grow into a self-sufficient, responsible adult may feel like a never-ending battle. Now you have an alternative to micromanaging, cajoling, or ineffective punishments. This positive guide provides a science-based program for promoting teens’ independence by building their executive skills–the fundamental brain-based abilities needed to get organized, stay focused, and control impulses and emotions. Executive skills experts Drs. Richard Guare and Peg Dawson are joined by Colin Guare, a young adult who has successfully faced these issues himself. Learn step-by-step strategies to help your teen live up to his or her potential now and in the future–while making your relationship stronger.