Please help! I am a mother of a 10-year-old boy with ADHD/Impulsivity/Nervous Tics/Depression. He is severely distracted by all external stimuli and is taught in an open classroom environment. Here is my dilema. He is caught talking in class 4 to 5 times a day, but the only form of behavior management that has ever been utilized, is punishment. Either, he is sent to a “time out room” or isolated from the rest of the class with his desk turned the other direction. The teacher will not use any other seating arrangement except groups and my son is excluded from these groups. 1/3 of the time he is caught talking when he doesn’t understand the assignment and the rest of the time is simply distractibility issues. Does anyone have a behavior management practice that has worked for this specific problem? Please help!
Re: Excessive Talking
Sara. Thank you for the book title. I haven’t heard of this particular book by Dr. Levine. I will look into it. Finding a different teacher is difficult as he is in a small school with only one 4th/5th blended class available to him. My husband and I are financially preparing for a private school as early as next year that will be more beneficial to his needs. Again, thank you for your book idea. I appreciate it!
Re: Excessive Talking
It isn’t the behaviors that need managing, it’s the environment. Perhaps the teacher might be persuaded to rethink strategies by supplying her with handouts.You describe your son as severely distracted - that sound like someone who would profit from a different kind of setting. Ask around about what else is available. Your area may have limited options. Excessive talking - sounds like that could describe a lot of us - perhaps some assistance is needed in defining the behavior before one seeks to change it.
Re: Excessive Talking
Thanks for your input Brian. Unfortunately, we have him on a 504 that isn’t working currently as the school is not held accountable for the fact that they are not “fixing” the environment to suit our son. Furthermore, we have already attempted sharing videos, paperwork and our theologies with her and explaining that helping him make good choices should not be the goal. Our son already knows what choices he should be making, but the distractions and his impulsivity make the choice for him. The environment and learning to control his impulses should be the goal and they are failing to see the picture. We also do not have another school in the area we live in and our son has both 4th grade teachers this year - one for math and health and the other for all other subjects, so we don’t have a selection, unfortuneately. We are looking into a private school in the area that has a curriculum and environment more suited to the distracted child, so hopefully we will have some luck. You are correct, no real plan has been set into place that has specific goals and feedback system that works for him. Thanks again.
Re: Excessive Talking
Yes,
Have him place his finger over his mouth when you feel he is talking too much. Also there are relaxation and focusing exercises in a book I published BEING IN CONTROL that is with Amazon.com and a synopsis is at http://www.homeschoolzone.com/add/biofeedback.htm
Re: Excessive Talking
Hi There I suggest that the school see that talking can be productive in society. Find ways fro your child to hace an outlet fro his talking. Perhaps he can do the mornig announcements over the intercom or be in charge of a story time for yournger kids in the liuibrary, The negative neds to be turned into positive as the punishment is not working. How about he geyts 5 talk cards for the day which he can turn in to the teacher nad then be allowed to talk. Just some quick ideas. Hope it helps. Pleae feel free to email me and we can chat further. Good Luck!!!
This is a difficult combination of issues to manage in a classroom setting. I’d suggest checking out the book called Educational Care by Mel Levine and see if it offers any wisdom.
the other think I might say is the end of the school year is coming soon. Try to find a teacher for the coming year with a reputation for patience and caring and/or exciting teaching and then request that teacher.
The right teacher can sometimes project a certain magnetism that can hold the excessive talker spellbound.
Good luck.