Product Description

From the fourth-grade girl who never gets invited to a birthday party because classmates think she’s “weird” to the geek who is terrific at math but is failing every other subject, quirky children are different from other kids in ways that they–and their parents–have a hard time understanding. They present a host of challenges that standard parenting books fail to address. Now, in Quirky Kids, seasoned pediatricians Perri Klass and Eileen Costello provide the expert guidance that families with quirky children so desperately need.

Klass and Costello illuminate the confusing list of terms often applied to quirky children–from Asperger’s syndrome and nonverbal learning disability to obsessive-compulsive behavior and sensory integration dysfunction. The authors also discuss various therapy options, coping strategies, and available medications. Most of all, they will help quirky kids lead rich, fulfilling lives at home, at school, even on the playground.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68417 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-31
• Released on: 2004-08-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Boston pediatricians Klass and Costello address a growing parenting issue: when to worry and when not, how far to push for diagnosis and/or treatment when a child's "quirkiness" becomes concerning. Broadly defining "quirky" kids as "the ones who do things differently" (they may exhibit skewed development, temperamental extremes or social difficulties), the authors explore such confounding and complex syndromes as anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder, Tourette's syndrome, oppositional defiance disorder, Asperger's syndrome and other problems. Reassuring but frank, Klass and Costello walk parents through the steps of helping a quirky child, beginning with talking to the child's pediatrician, coping with the parents' sense of loss of a perfect child, getting a diagnosis and negotiating the maze of evaluations and evaluators. Parents of quirky kids share many similar dilemmas, such as whom to tell, how to deal with social and peer issues, or how to handle homework. The authors present a thorough discussion of the many therapies and medical treatments available, but also advise parents to keep their own lives in balance as they search for answers, warning that "making your own single quirky child into your life's mission can be dangerous." The book is a good place for parents of quirky kids to start their research, though some may find the title off-putting and a bit quirky itself.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"This is a brave book. The two authors help parents face their quirky kids as they grow up. How to get help and how to get a diagnosis to share with the child. The practical advice about day to day living and how to keep your child feeling safe and important is just stellar! Every parent of a "quirky kid" needs this book."
-T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.

"A superb, original, hugely needed book. If you love a quirky child, teach a quirky child, coach a quirky child, know a quirky child, or were a quirky child, you should sing a hymn of praise to Drs. Klass and Costello for writing the first and the definitive guide to understanding these marvelous kids. Free of jargon, full of facts and wisdom and practical advice, free of fluff but full of love for children and families, this book provides both guidance and hope. Read this book, and rejoice in your quirky child! She or he has so much to give us all."
-Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness

"As I read this wonderful and helpful book, I kept nodding in agreement: "Yes, this is right, this is good, very true!" Parents and pediatricians NEED this book. A+."
-Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A., Author, The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction

"A clearly written, practical, no-nonsense book for parents and professionals working and living with these children, Quirky Kids provides a guide through the maze of suspected causes and treatment approaches with which families are often confronted. This book is a gem.?
-Margaret L. Bauman, M.D., Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School


From the Hardcover edition. -- Review

Review
“Every parent of a ‘quirky kid’ needs this book.”
–T. BERRY BRAZELTON, M.D.

“A WISE AND PROFOUNDLY COMFORTING BOOK.”
–MICHAEL THOMPSON, Ph.D., coauthor of Raising Cain

“A superb, original, hugely needed book . . . The first and the definitive guide to understanding these marvelous kids. Free of jargon, full of facts and wisdom and practical advice.”
–EDWARD M. HALLOWELL, M.D., coauthor of Driven to Distraction

“As I read this wonderful and helpful book, I kept nodding in agreement: ‘Yes, this is right, this is good, very true!’ Parents and pediatricians need this book. A+.”
–CAROL STOCK KRANOWITZ, M.A., author of The Out-of-Sync Child

“Terrific . . . Thoroughly researched . . . An exceptional resource for anyone working to provide the best care for children with special needs.”
–The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

“Highly recommended . . . Practical, compassionate, and thorough.”
–Library Journal (starred review)

Customer Reviews

Quirky title; typical info
I bought this book in conjunction with "the Out-of-Sync child". I read this after the other book. While it offered some insight into quirky kids, it really provided the same info as other books I have read on the subject.

There were two things that I did find appealing about the book. The first being that it followed the child from young quirky toddler through adolesence and into adulthood. I will keep this book as a reference source just for that reason.

The second thing I liked about the book was that it was continually reassuring that eventually these quirky kids find their niche. That is something that any parent wants for their child - a place to fit in.

Overall, I think that there are other books on the market that might address varying types of ASD better than this book. However, with the exception of this book, I have yet to find one that deals with the age progression of these children. For that reason alone, I would recommend it.

excellent
a great book for parents of borderline, functional quirky kids. it focuses on the possibilities and not labels.

No one I think is in my tree

When I was a little kid, so-called "quirky" kids were just called "weirdo-" or worse- and ostracized. Now, the subtleties of developmental disorders and learning disabilities are better understood, and the kids get a diagnosis. But we all know how inexact this still is. The difference between a kid with Asperger's, pervasive developmental delay, nonverbal learning disorder, sensory integration dysfunction or attention deficit disorder might have something to do with the child's unique blend of strengths and weaknesses, but might also have a lot to do with what doctor is doing the diagnosing and through what particular lens they happen to see the world that week. It's just the limitations of the science at this point, but the good news is that that isn't the most important part of the story. Forget the labels. Let's just figure out how to help kids make the most of their strengths and best accommodate or compensate for their weaknesses. The concept of "quirky" kids is a nice one for getting beyond the distraction of diagnostic labels. Drs. Klass and Costello defend the term in their introduction but pointing out that it's "not pejorative. In fact, it's sometimes a compliment." It suggests unusual characteristics, "challenging yet often charming."

Dr. Klass and Dr. Costello are not psychiatrists or child development experts. They are practicing primary-care pediatricians who are also parents. They appreciate the stress parents are under, and I think they strike the right tone in this book. Helpful, factual information is provided in a way that is mostly reassuring but also does not minimize legitimate obstacles. You don't want to patronize parents dealing with real issues, but overly anxious parenting is not in the best interest of the family either.

There are reasons to be optimistic. While there are kids with profound disabilities out there, the quirky kids, those who would have gone undiagnosed a generation ago, mostly end up okay. As the authors point out, "adults are infinitely more accepting than children and teenagers," and quirky kids often thrive when they find a suitable niche in the adult world, whether it be academics, computers, or whatever other vocation where they can pursue their interests.

So the goal is for parents to be educated. Not for parents to try and be experts, but for them to know the right questions to ask their children's doctors, to anticipate what types of situations will be particularly challenging for their children, to know how to talk about their children with relatives, friends, the babysitter. For parents to know that it doesn't make them bad parents if they get irritated and frustrated by their children at times. And for parents to remember to treasure their children for who they are, for the gifts and perspectives they bring to the world.

Between best-selling books and internet sites, there is no shortage of information out there for parents, but it is a mixed bag. For my money, this is the book I would recommend for parents of quirky kids looking for one reliable resource to guide them through their next steps.