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Connecting the Pieces: The Discovery of Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder

by Diane Kratt and Ethan Martinez

100 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #07-0952; ISBN 1-4251-2773-8; US$13.00, C$14.95, EUR10.14, £6.72

A mother and her son tell the story of their experience with early-onset bipolar disorder and how SPECT imaging brought them understanding and paved the way for a positive treatment.

About the Book

Connecting the Pieces is a heart wrenching true story. In this innovative approach, a mother and son give their own unique perspective as they recount their ordeal of finding the missing piece to their life puzzle. At six years old, her son was diagnosed with ADHD but the treatment only made his behaviors and self esteem worse. It took research, tenacity, and faith to finally find the missing piece they had been looking for. Using SPECT imaging, along with medical and family history, a brain pattern associated with bipolar disorder was discovered and paved the way to an effective treatment plan. Each time period in their lives are told by each author in their own perspective, enabling the reader to get a glimpse into what a 12 year old with bipolar is thinking and feeling.

This story illustrates the importance of understanding mental illness as a brain disorder. It provides examples for parents struggling at home with their own child's behavior problems as well as how to navigate the systems involved in getting the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. If you are a parent who is feeling isolated and hopeless in dealing with your child, this book may provide you with the motivation and tools that you need to make a positive change. Medical, psychological, and educational professionals should also read this story in order to better understand situations like this one and to keep from making some very common, but serious, mistakes.

About the Authors

Diane Kratt has a B.S. degree in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Child Development. She has taught various grades and ability levels in both public and private schools over the past 18 years. Currently, she is a resource teacher at a parochial school and has an adjunct position at Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a member of NAMI, Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, and Southwest Florida Professional Development Partnership. She is passionate about educational issues and enjoys helping to promote positive change for the children's benefit.

Diane is a Southwest Florida native and still enjoys the sunshine and beaches found in her area. She enjoys family, friendships, reading, writing, movies, dining out, and boating. She is a Christian and finds that keeping faith helps her through life. Diane has one son, Ethan, by a previous marriage. She is currently married to Jim and has two stepsons.

Being an advocate for her son and for increasing awareness about brain disorders is very important to her. She intends to help erase the stigma of "mental illness" and to create a new perspective for the future. You can learn more by visiting her website at www.thebrainpiece.com.

Ethan is now 13 years old and has just completed the 7th grade at a parochial school. He enjoys being with friends and family and he loves to be outdoors. He has a special interest in soccer, vehicles, construction, and animals. He likes to kayak, fish, skim board, snorkel, and even camp at the beach. Being in and around water is important, especially in the summer.

He plans to attend a local public high school in the future. Afterwards, he would like to attend college and/or join one of America*s armed forces. He looks forward to growing up and becoming an independent adult.

Excerpts