About The Bipolar Child, Third Edition

The Bipolar Child is the acknowledged bible about early-onset bipolar disorder. Now, the first book about the subject (with over 200,000 hardcover copies in print), is available in a substantively revised and updated edition.

The Bipolar Child was featured on the Oprah Show, 20/20, The Evening News With Dan Rather, The Early Show, NPR, and in a cover story in Time magazine. This new edition reflects all of the advances in the field of pediatric disorder and continues to deliver the cutting-edge information that its readers have come to rely upon.

Highlights of the third edition of this award-winning book include:

Prescriptions for Treatment

All stability starts with the proper diagnosis and thoughtful and expert prescribing of medications. This chapter provides information about:

  • Newer atypical antipsychotics and the current discussion about their long-term metabolic effects
  • Novel drugs (riluzole, pramipexole, and agomelatine) that may be effective for the treatment of bipolar depression
  • New genetic tests to determine drug response and dosage
  • The seasonality of episodes and the importance of medication adjustments to ensure continuing stability

School: A Child's World Beyond Home

Second only to the complexity of diagnosis and the medical treatment of juvenile bipolar disorder is the piece of the puzzle called school. In July of 2005, the laws that protect students with bipolar disorder and other disabilities changed dramatically. These changes are discussed comprehensively and parents will understand how the changes will affect their children, the IEP process and potential due process hearings. This edition includes:

  • A discussion of which classification is best for a student with bipolar disorder - and why
  • A new IEP and a highly focused list of accommodations that can easily be incorporated into the document
  • Sample letters that help parents jumpstart the evaluation process, and then introduce the child to his or her teachers in order to spotlight the child's special strengths and difficulties in a less formal, more memorable way
  • A due process timeline with a sequential walkthrough for parents
  • An outline of new disciplinary issues
  • A new section on the transition to life beyond secondary schooling
  • A new discussion on home schooling as well as a description of some excellent programs

The Neuropsychological Testing of a Bipolar Child

The jumping off point of all neuropsychological testing (extremely important for students with bipolar disorder) is a test of general intellectual ability. The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) has been replaced by the WISC-IV which taps different domains of cognitive functioning and calculates the scoring differently. This comprehensive discussion:

  • Walks a parent through each subtest and explains the specific aspect of cognitive functioning each is designed to measure
  • Explains why the WISC-IV is harder and why most children (especially bright children) will score lower on it than they did on the WISC-III
  • Informs readers of the Flynn Effect

In addition, a majority of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder have deficits in the area of written expression, rendering homework, book reports, essays, and any written material a nightmare for them, as well as for their parents who must motivate them to complete the assignments. An entirely new section in this chapter explains:

  • How written expression difficulties impact a child's performance at school
  • Which tests pinpoint these difficulties
  • Which assistive technology helps
  • Which accommodations ease the stress while remediation efforts are made

The Family Chapter

This chapter has always been the heart and soul of this book and it is now greatly expanded to be more helpful than ever. Readers gain a greater insight into a child's inner world and will learn:

  • Why these children become easily bored and subsequently provocative to siblings and parents
  • Why they go into "mission mode" where their needs become so urgent that they must be gratified instantly - no matter what - wearing down the parents in the process
  • Why these children and adolescents can't get up in the morning and get to school on time? Why their heads are often on their desks for the first two or three classes of the day
  • How to deal with the hypersexual behavior that often accompanies episodes of mania without shaming the child

Techniques to help the children modify these behaviors, regain control, and thus reduce stress in the household are suggested throughout this chapter.

Navigating the Shoals of Adolescence

Expanded discussion on the special concerns of teenagers:

  • Who to tell?
  • When to tell?
  • What about potential mates and future in-laws?
  • How teenagers react to parents who wish to keep the family business private, as well as how teenagers react when parents become very involved with the bipolar world
  • One young man's essay describing what he felt when his girlfriend told him about her now-stable medical condition, and how he hopes they will handle marriage and children together

The Genetic Aspects of Bipolar Disorder

Completely rewritten to reflect the huge advances in the field of molecular genetics. Readers will learn:

  • What linkage analysis is
  • What SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) are
  • What haplotypes are; The HapMap and how will it help researchers home in on the genes responsible for bipolar disorder
  • All about gene chips (microarrays). This extraordinary breakthrough in technology has never been explained so comprehensively to the layperson; and readers will find themselves inside the laboratory, understanding the future implications of personalized medicine

Social Security and SSI

Updated information that makes it easier for parents to understand the application process and furnish all needed documentation. Newest financial information included.

Also included in these pages are:

Child and Parent Questionnaires that help parents and children communicate symptoms, thoughts, and behaviors to clinicians and therapists in order to ensure proper diagnosis and optimal ongoing treatment
A wealth of new Web sites that help parents find what they need to know

Reserve Your Copy Now (www.bipolarchild.com/amazon)

Demitri F. Papolos, M.D. is an associate professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and the codirector of the Program in Behavioral Genetics. He is director of research of the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation. Dr. Papolos lectures extensively and has appeared on 20/20, Oprah, The CBS Early Show, The CBS Evening News With Dan Rather, The Infinite Mind, and National Public Radio. Janice Papolos is the author of three books, all considered definitive in their fields, and is the editor of the highly respected Bipolar Child Newsletter. The Papoloses are also the authors of the classic text Overcoming Depression. They live in Westport, Connecticut.