Raising Attention: A Supportive Guide for Parents and Carers of Children with ADHD and Explosive Behaviour
Sarah Ockwell-Smith 2025
Raising Attention explores the increase in attention-related difficulties among children and offers a grounded, compassionate alternative to the conventional medicalised approach. Sarah Ockwell-Smith blends neuroscience, psychology, and practical parenting advice to help families understand the root causes of attention challenges — including sensory processing issues, trauma, and the modern environment — and respond with empathy rather than labels.
Why It’s Included
This book aligns strongly with our gentle parenting philosophy. Ockwell-Smith rejects deficit-based models in favour of a holistic view of child development, encouraging parents to see behaviours as communication and to support underlying needs. Her approach is evidence-informed, kind, and realistic for families navigating everyday life. It also opens important conversations around the societal causes of attention struggles rather than placing all responsibility on the child.
Who It’s For
Recommended for parents, carers, teachers, and professionals who support neurodivergent children or who are curious about gentle alternatives to conventional diagnoses and interventions. Also ideal for families navigating questions around ADHD or sensory sensitivities without wanting to rush into formal assessments or medication.
“The realisation that parents of neurodivergent children - often neurodivergent themselves - are drawn to gentle parenting has been dawning on me over the past several years. So it was no surprise to find the author of definitive gentle parenting books had come to a similar realisation. The result is a wonderful resource for parents and others caring for these children living with ADHD and explosive behaviours. In this book I saw my childhood self, my children, my grandchildren and even my father described. This is essential reading for everyone.”
Further Reading
The Explosive Child by Ross Greene
The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
