Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder

Between nature and nurture, which does Maté believe has the biggest developmental impact? What techniques does he use to persuade readers to share his opinion?

In Chapter 26, Maté differentiates between empathy and identification. What is the importance of making this distinction?

Much of the advice Maté offers seems paradoxical. What is it about ADD that necessitates a counterintuitive approach?

Who is the intended audience for Scattered Minds? How can you tell?

What role does Maté see the North American educational system as playing in the development of ADD? How might these failings relate to the failings of society as a whole?

Why does Maté consistently refer to the infant’s primary caregiver as occupying the role of “mother,” even if that caregiver is not female? What role do gender and gender roles play in his ideas?

Maté says in Chapter 1 that people are forced to become self-cultivated experts in ADD to receive a competent assessment. What does Maté believe creates misconceptions around ADD? Justify your answer using textual evidence.

Research the ideas of one of the attachment theorists Maté cites. How has Maté adapted their ideas in his own work?