Product Description

Does your imaginative, computer-proficient daughter tune out in the classroom? Does your spirited son become headstrong and aggressive when faced with the simplest decisions? Does your bold, energetic child have trouble focusing on basic tasks?

Millions of children--one in five--have what psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D., calls the Edison trait: dazzling intelligence, an active imagination, a free-spirited approach to life, and the ability to drive everyone around them crazy. Named after Thomas Edison--who flunked out of school only to harness his talents and give the world some of its finest inventions--the Edison trait is on the rise in our younger generation.

The heart of the issue is that they think divergently--they overflow with many ideas--while schools, organized activities, and routines of daily living reward convergent thinking, which focuses on one idea at a time. Drawing on examples from more than two decades of private practice, Dr. Palladino helps us cope with this challenging aspect of our child's intellect and personality, explaining in clear terms:

- The three Edison-trait personality types: dreamers, discoverers, and dynamos
- The eight steps to understanding, reaching, and teaching your Edison-trait child
- The connection between the Edison trait and A.D.D.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38117 in Books
• Published on: 1999-01-19
• Released on: 1999-01-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.com Review
Psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino claims that 20 percent of children have what she calls the Edison trait: "dazzling intelligence, an active imagination, a free-spirited approach to life, and the ability to drive everyone around them crazy." She named the trait after Thomas Edison, who flunked out of school despite his obvious brilliance. Palladino says that Edison-trait children think divergently, while the routines and structure of schools are more geared toward convergent thinking, or focusing on one idea at a time. The incompatible school environment, she says, usually leads divergent-thinking children to act out, receive poor grades, and often be labeled as strong-willed and disruptive.

These symptoms may sound similar to those of ADD, but Palladino says that's an overused term often mistakenly applied to Edison-trait children. "In most cases," she says, "ADD behavior patterns are comparable to but more extreme than the typical patterns of an Edison-trait child who does not have ADD." A diagnosis of ADD does not take into consideration factors such as "intelligence, perceptiveness, sensitivity, creativity, and wit."

With many references to scientific studies, Palladino helps you decide whether your child is one of the three types of Edison-trait children: dreamer, discoverer, or dynamo. She also gives pointed, practical advice regarding such controversial topics as diet, neurofeedback treatment, and psychological testing. For frustrated parents and educators, Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos will be a rich source of both help and hope.

Review
"Parents and educators alike will find this compelling reading."
--Publishers Weekly

"BRILLIANT . . . ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS IN THIS FIELD . . . Parents will find in Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos real-world solutions and the light of hope; professionals will discover a thought-provoking new view of these exceptional children."
--THOM HARTMANN
    Author of ADD: A Different Perception
    and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight -- Review

Review
"Parents and educators alike will find this compelling reading."
--Publishers Weekly

"BRILLIANT . . . ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS IN THIS FIELD . . . Parents will find in Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos real-world solutions and the light of hope; professionals will discover a thought-provoking new view of these exceptional children."
--THOM HARTMANN
    Author of ADD: A Different Perception
    and The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight

Customer Reviews

Relateable
At age 3, my son was kicked out of play school. At age 4, my son was kicked out of preschool. I read the book and I could relate to a lot of the stories. Now he is 5 and is doing a lot better. He is not the most behaved, but still has shown improvement.

I recommend this to anyone who has a kid that doesn't fit the traditional mold.

Ok
Most of this book was good. It was more of an explanation and reassurance than any kind of solution.

"D" for disappointed
While the basic premise is good, the book feels thin--as if it should have been a magazine article. Too general and it seems as her examples are not well supported. Better to read a Mel Levine book or Driven to Distraction