I have a child in my class who has behavioral problems. He has met with the child study team and has been tested by the school psychologist. The report has not been finalized to the best of my knowledge. He has had problems for two years in out district. He piches students, pokes them with pencils, lags behind in line, has poor motor skills, is very insightful, can be pleasant, and needs for me to be his private teacher. At times, I think he is behaving this way to get attention. He crosses the line in many areas of the school day. My concern is that the school psychologist may not be able to say anything about his behavior. When corrected he twitches his face slightly in a strange way. (Could this be a tic?) I am looking for some type of support in dealing with this child. I am very positive when he does something right. I speak to him privately. I give him the thumbs up when I see him working. I stop by his desk and compliment him when he is on target. I give him warning notices (visual) when he has not cooperated. The main administrator in our building lets the assistant handle behavior problems. I have talked daily with the parents. I document his behavior. I am thinking that I will have a long year if it continues with this much intensity. Parents are not in argeement on how to handle child. The peers are tolerating this child. Some type of action needs to occur. Thoughts/suggestions are welcomed.
Re: ADHD or what?
My son is ADHD and I homeschool. The way you describe this child is similar to my son. Please remember that many children with ADHD especially those who are hyperactive often have uncontrolled reactions to correction and other stressful situations. . My child produces an uncontrollable giggle when I am angry with him. He can’t help it. I used to get furious with him. But now I realize that this is the way he deals with stress. As for being his private teacher -that is why I homeschool. My child need individual attention with all subjects.(2nd grade). He needs a coach as much as a teacher. I think many ADHD children need coaches in a learning setting. I know how unrealistic this is, but it is true. I teach coping skills as much as anything. I also teach him success!!!!! I cannot stress enough the importance of teaching these children success. As far as needing attention - he does need attention. Many of these children are simply needy. Mine has been since the day he was born. One of the things I might suggest is a peer partner. Someone in your class who has the character to extend a helping compassionate hand. It would help both children and you. I have always stated that I could not handle 23 mainstream children and 1 ADHD child at the same time. Ask all those parents who have an ADHD child and other children. Ask them who needs and gets the most attention. And I might add - it’s no one’s fault. The answer in education is more money for teachers and better teaching settings. No wonder teachers burn out. With just one ADHD child and no other children at home, I have burn out every single day!!! It takes a great deal of creativity, energy and compassion to teach these children. Good luck!
Re: ADHD or what?
Thanks for the replies. I am working hard and I do understand that some children are unique and need understanding, love, and compassion. I am a parent as well as a teacher and I can tell you that my own son had some issues when he was younger. That understanding has helped me. My son has a learning disability. I know that one size does not fit all. It is the grace of God that helps me have a fresh open outlook each day I see this little guy in my classroom. My son has the best teacher in Grade 3 and she made a difference.
Re: ADHD or what?
I pray that God provides you with the strength to continue the great work that you are doing for your ADHD student. My son is in 4th grade, and is ADHD, and it took me 2 years to understand that I needed to reward him frequently for small accomplishments, and to discipline him positively in relationship to inappropriate behavior. If I raise my voice too loud or I’m too forceful in my disciplinary approach, he becomes emotional and begins crying, and he shuts down. It has been a learning process for me, and unfortunately for my son, he has had to suffer through my learning curve. My poor son…I was stuck on how could such an intelligent and brillant thinker have learning difficulties. Unfortunately, he had teachers with no tolerance, and a mother that didn’t understand, so it effected his self esteem. Now that I understand, I have changed my behavior towards him, and I have learned to enjoy him, sympathize with him, and laugh at his uniqueness. It gives me hope to know that there are teachers in the school system like you who understand the character of the ADHD child. You do exert alot of energy in working with them, but I know first had that they cooperate more when they work with someone who understands them instead of being judgemental towards them. When they know they are being understood instead of judged, they are eager to work. I know this from my experience with my son. Who by the way is a delight.
Please stay hopeful. God will continue to give you wisdom and strength.
Sit down and talk with the school psychologist. You (and hopefully his parents) should have completed behavior rating scales (such as Conners’). Such scales will help to compare different areas of his behavior to other children his age. In my state ADHD is not diagnosed in a school setting- the parents need to bring the evaluations to the family physician- to start- they should really see a specialist in ADHD if that is the possibility. You should also request a behavioral modification program. You have the right idea about praising and attending to positive behavior and so forth. A b-mod program will help to provide even more consistency and structure to his school day. Our schools also offer adjustment counseling and social groups for kids who are struggling emotionally, socially, or behaviorally. Since you are in contact with his parents, you might also talk about the benefits of outside counseling. Good luck.