Joey Pigza Loses Control

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Joey Pigza Loses Control
Joey Pigza Loses Control.jpg
Dust jacket of the hard-cover edition showing the Newbery Medallion
Author Jack Gantos
LanguageEnglish
Publication date
2000
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
Pages220 pp
Preceded by Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key  
Followed by What Would Joey Do?  

Joey Pigza Loses Control is a Newbery Honor book by Jack Gantos and is the sequel to Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key . This realistic fiction book was published in the year 2000 and describes the challenging life of young Joey who had attention deficit disorder. [1] [2]

Contents

Plot

Joey Pigza Loses Control is the story of a young boy with the widely known Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder. (ADHD) The fiction book begins with Joey and his mother and dog's road trip traveling to his father's home where he is eager and nervous for what the next six weeks with his Dad, will have in store for him. After not seeing his father for many years, Joey's questions regarding his concerns towards his father, become endless. This array of questions in the form of “What If’s” that Joey bases his questions on, allows readers a full on experience into the mind of a young boy with ADHD. Joey's mother, who is clearly highly impacted by her son's disorder answers Joey's questions vaguely and occasionally, portraying a sense of impatience and relief about Joey's upcoming six week stay with his father. During the road trip, Joey wonders about all kinds of things revolving around what to expect from his dad. He was extremely impatient and nervous but one thing was for sure, it was comforting to know that his mother's own worries about Joey's father were consuming her thoughts so profoundly, it no longer seemed like Joey and his condition were the only thing on her mind, something that he had become quite accustomed to.

Now finding a suitable medicine in the form of an arm patch for Joey's ADHD, Joey was able to "settle down and think." And not just think about all the bad things that had already happened. He started thinking about the good things he wanted to happen. Joey's life takes a major turn when he finally meets his father and feels a sense of familiarity with himself, before the meds, before being placed in the special education classes, his old hyperactive self. Carter, Joey's father, makes it the summers duty to make up for the time he was absent in his son's life. Carter teaches Joey the importance of taking control over his own life, and how to be a true winner. Carter Pigza takes the first step in helping his son take control, by flushing down Joey's ADHD medication down the toilet. As nervous and hesitant as Joey was to “take control” over his own life, Joey followed his father's guidance willingly. The conflict between Joey's approach at taking control over his life, and trying to please his father is what this novel is based upon. Joey becomes increasingly fearful that things will go wrong like they did in the past, and although just a young boy, his father makes dangerous decisions. Joey slowly but surely loses control over his behavior and feelings without his medication arm patch, and finds his voice throughout the novel.

Characters

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</span> Neurodevelopmental disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by executive dysfunction occasioning symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and developmentally-inappropriate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methylphenidate</span> Central nervous system stimulant

Methylphenidate, sold under the brand names Ritalin and Concerta among others, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant used medically to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and, to a lesser extent, narcolepsy. It is a first-line treatment for ADHD ; it may be taken by mouth or applied to the skin, and different formulations have varying durations of effect. For ADHD, the effectiveness of methylphenidate is comparable to atomoxetine but modestly lower than amphetamines, alleviating the executive functioning deficits of sustained attention, inhibition, working memory, reaction time and emotional self-regulation.

Developmental disorders comprise a group of psychiatric conditions originating in childhood that involve serious impairment in different areas. There are several ways of using this term. The most narrow concept is used in the category "Specific Disorders of Psychological Development" in the ICD-10. These disorders comprise developmental language disorder, learning disorders, developmental coordination disorders, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In broader definitions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is included, and the term used is neurodevelopmental disorders. Yet others include antisocial behavior and schizophrenia that begins in childhood and continues through life. However, these two latter conditions are not as stable as the other developmental disorders, and there is not the same evidence of a shared genetic liability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexmethylphenidate</span> CNS Stimulant

Dexmethylphenidate, sold under the brand name Focalin among others, is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in those over the age of five years. It is taken by mouth. The immediate release formulation lasts up to five hours while the extended release formulation lasts up to twelve hours. It is the more active enantiomer of methylphenidate.

Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the persistence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) into adulthood. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning impairing symptoms must have been present in childhood, except for when ADHD occurs after traumatic brain injury. Specifically, multiple symptoms must be present before the age of 12, according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The cutoff age of 12 is a change from the previous requirement of symptom onset, which was before the age of 7 in the DSM-IV. This was done to add flexibility in the diagnosis of adults. ADHD was previously thought to be a childhood disorder that improved with age, but recent research has disproved this. Approximately two-thirds of childhood cases of ADHD continue into adulthood, with varying degrees of symptom severity that change over time and continue to affect individuals with symptoms ranging from minor inconveniences to impairments in daily functioning.

Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) is a syndrome characterized by developmentally-inappropriate, impairing and persistent levels of decoupled attentional processing from the ongoing external context and resultant hypoactivity. Symptoms often manifest in difficulties with staring, mind blanking, withdrawal, mental confusion and maladaptive mind wandering alongside delayed, sedentary or slow motor movements. To scientists in the field, it has reached the threshold of evidence and recognition as a distinct syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Barkley</span> American psychologist and author (born 1949)

Russell Alan BarkleyFAPA is a retired American clinical neuropsychologist who was a clinical professor of psychiatry at the VCU Medical Center until 2022 and president of Division 12 of the American Psychological Association (APA) and of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. Involved in research since 1973 and a licensed psychologist since 1977, he is an expert on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has devoted much of his scientific career to studying ADHD and related fields like childhood defiance. He proposed the renaming of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) to cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guanfacine</span> Medication used for high blood pressure and ADHD

Guanfacine, sold under the brand name Tenex (immediate-release) and Intuniv (extended-release) among others, is an oral alpha-2a agonist medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and high blood pressure. Guanfacine is FDA-approved for monotherapy treatment of ADHD, as well as being used for augmentation of other treatments, such as stimulants. Guanfacine is also used off-label to treat tic disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive, is one of the three presentations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 1987–1994, there were no subtypes or presentations and thus it was not distinguished from hyperactive ADHD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III-R). In DSM-5, subtypes were discarded and reclassified as presentations of the same disorder that change over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Gantos</span> American author of childrens books

Jack Gantos is an American author of children's books. He is best known for the fictional characters Rotten Ralph and Joey Pigza. Rotten Ralph is a cat who stars in twenty picture books written by Gantos and illustrated by Nicole Rubel from 1976 to 2014. Joey Pigza is a boy with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), featured in five novels from 1998 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder controversies</span> Controversies surrounding the topic of ADHDs nature, diagnosis, and treatment

Despite the scientifically well-established nature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its diagnosis, and its treatment, each of these has been controversial since the 1970s. The controversies involve clinicians, teachers, policymakers, parents, and the media. Positions range from the view that ADHD is within the normal range of behavior to the hypothesis that ADHD is a genetic condition. Other areas of controversy include the use of stimulant medications in children, the method of diagnosis, and the possibility of overdiagnosis. In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, while acknowledging the controversy, stated that the current treatments and methods of diagnosis are based on the dominant view of the academic literature.

<i>Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key</i> 1998 childrens novel by Jack Gantos

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a children's novel by Jack Gantos, published in 1998. It is the first of a series of books featuring the character Joey Pigza. The book was a National Book Award finalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Hallowell (psychiatrist)</span> American psychiatrist

Edward McKey Hallowell is an American psychiatrist, speaker, New York Times best-selling author and podcast host. He specializes in ADHD and is the founder of the Hallowell ADHD Centers. Hallowell is the author of 20 books, including the Distraction series, co-authored with Dr. John Ratey.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder management options are evidence-based practices with established treatment efficacy for ADHD. Approaches that have been evaluated in the management of ADHD symptoms include FDA-approved pharmacologic treatment and other pharmaceutical agents, psychological or behavioral approaches, combined pharmacological and behavioral approaches, cognitive training, neurofeedback, neurostimulation, physical exercise, nutrition and supplements, integrative medicine, parent support, and school interventions. Based on two 2024 systematic reviews of the literature, FDA-approved medications and to a lesser extent psychosocial interventions have been shown to improve core ADHD symptoms compared to control groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central nervous system disease</span> Disease of the brain or spinal cord

Central nervous system diseases or central nervous system disorders are a group of neurological disorders that affect the structure or function of the brain or spinal cord, which collectively form the central nervous system (CNS). These disorders may be caused by such things as infection, injury, blood clots, age related degeneration, cancer, autoimmune disfunction, and birth defects. The symptoms vary widely, as do the treatments.

Joseph Biederman was an American academic psychiatrist. He was Chief of the Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Mental disorders diagnosed in childhood can be neurodevelopmental, emotional, or behavioral disorders. These disorders negatively impact the mental and social wellbeing of a child, and children with these disorders require support from their families and schools. Childhood mental disorders often persist into adulthood. These disorders are usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence, as laid out in the DSM-5 and in the ICD-11.

Hyperactivity has long been part of the human condition, although hyperactive behaviour has not always been seen as problematic.

The Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Teacher and Parent Rating Scale (SNAP), developed by James Swanson, Edith Nolan and William Pelham, is a 90-question self-report inventory designed to measure attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms in children and young adults.

<i>I Am Not Joey Pigza</i> 2007 book by Jack Gantos

I Am Not Joey Pigza is a 2007 children's novel by Jack Gantos. It is the fourth book of a series featuring the character Joey Pigza, a boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

References

  1. "Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic".
  2. http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/joey-pigza-loses-control